Tattoos are popular and the stigma that used to surround them is mostly gone. While some social constructs around tattoos still remain—with face tattoos, certain styles of tatts or tattoos in certain professions like law or the medical field—the idea that they’re only for a certain demographic and are unprofessional is slowly going away. This means more people, who might have held off when they were younger, might get a tattoo at an older age; Statista reported that 32 percent of Gen X’ers and 13 percent of Baby Boomers had at least one tattoo.
But if you’re over 50 and have never gotten a tattoo—or it’s been a long time since you last got one—there might be more things to consider. First off, older skin feels different and might react differently to getting a tattoo than a younger client’s might. And also, what do people over 50 years old get tattooed on them? Is it silly to get back in the tattoo chair and get ink at an older age?
Nonsense; tattooing is for anyone who wants it. But yes, there are some more things to think about when getting a tattoo over a certain age. To help with that, celebrity tattoo artist, Eva Karabudak, spoke with Parade about the most popular tattoostyle for people over 50 and some tips for older people getting tattooed.
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Differences between younger and older tattoo clients
When it comes to the types of tattoos younger clients choose versus older people getting tattoos, Karabudak, a world-renowned tattoo artist, has seen a difference in the trends they follow.
“Younger clients have been embracing body-flow and ornamental works that accentuate their natural curvature and anatomy,” she tells Parade. “There's less direct meaning and more of a fashionable statement.”
These types of tattoos sound just like how Karabudak describes; there isn’t necessarily meaning to the wearer, but they're aesthetically pleasing. These body-flow tattoos create movement in their art and often “flow” over larger parts of the body, like down an arm, over a shoulder or across the back or chest. With over 81.3 M views on TikTok at the time of this reporting, its popularity with younger people makes sense.
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Most popular tattoo style for people over 50
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Karabudak is known for her micro-realism and cross-stitch style tattoo pieces and has tattooed celebrities like Dermot Kennedy, SZA and Joe Jonas, but doesn’t necessarily consider herself a “celebrity” tattoo artist, and rather prefers her work to speak for itself. She wants to be known “as a highly experienced and dedicated artist” above anything else. And with that said, the types of tattoos that are popular with people over 50, in her experience, are well within her skill set.
“I've seen quite a range—but many of our older clientele tend to gravitate towards symbolic and sentimental work: floral arrangements for loved ones, scenery from a fond vacation, a childhood keepsake, etc,” she says. “I think there’s naturally a heightened sense of nostalgia and wanting to commemorate things.”
A lot of her work is of gorgeous, delicate scenery, often in a circle. So for older people who want something nostalgic or beautiful, Karabudak has several examples on her social media of gorgeous art pieces that include just that. But she also notes that that’s not always the case (which is also a pleasure to tattoo).
“On the flip side, some of our favorite clients have waited decades to get their first ‘rebellious’ tattoo,” Karabudak shares. “And those are incredibly fun as well.”
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Tips for people over the age of 50 getting a tattoo
Karabudak has always been an artist, first just designing tattoos and now tattooing them on clients as well. She founded Atelier Eva, a chain of two Brooklyn tattoo studios that have a very open, calming environment meant to help customers feel relaxed as they get tattooed. Their social media deems it a “spa-like” facility that’s meant to take some stress away when it comes to getting a tattoo.
While it’s important to find a good artist who specializes in, or is good at, the type of tattoo and art you want, it’s also important to find an artist who has experience tattooing older skin. Karabudak says that their “level of experience” should be considered if you’re over 50.
“In tattooing—skin is the medium and just like working with a certain type of canvas, different skin tones and conditions will alter the approach a seasoned artist takes,” she tells Parade. “It’s more challenging for a newer artist to work with skin that has experienced years of sun damage and the natural aging process. That’s not to say it’s impossible to make an amazing tattoo, but it does come with a different set of challenges.”
Even if you’re over 50 and got tattoos when you were younger, aging skin reacts differently to ink and tattoo needles, so you want to make sure you’re with a tattoo artist who knows how to work with it. You can do so by looking at reviews online or speaking directly with a tattoo artist you find and voicing your concerns.
Whether you’ve never gotten a tattoo or have taken a break from them for a decade or two, it’s never too late to get some ink. Just make sure you know what you want on your body and that you have a good artist behind you. Once you do, tattoo away!
Next up, wanna get tattooed with your beloved? Here are 45+ non-cringey matching couple tattoo ideas to check out.
