95 Aged Tattoos That Show How Much Tattoos Change After Years

“Tattoos are permanent. What are you going to do with them when you’re older?” Probably every tattooed person has heard this question at some point in their inked life. Or maybe you’re the person usually asking this question, and you’re here out of curiosity about how aged tattoos actually look. It’s a legitimate question, just slightly annoying because we tattooed people know perfectly well that our designs will stay with us forever — tattoo laser removal excluded.

Let’s start by saying that seniors with tattoos totally rock, and it’s never too late to get one. My own grandma got her first ink at the age of 84 in 2016, and she has loved it dearly ever since. Of course, there’s the one-million-dollar question: How do old tattoos look, considering how much skin changes throughout a lifetime?

When you think of tattoos, you probably picture fresh, bold designs that scream with youthful energy — but I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Tattoos can change a lot after many years, some to the point of being barely recognizable, due to exposure to the elements and natural aging. This is even more true for those tattoos that haven’t seen an ounce of sunscreen or proper hydration since being imprinted on the skin. And trust me when I say that adequate aftercare, which lasts forever, makes an insane difference. Let’s add that some body parts, like fingers, are not too fond of ink and will make your design prematurely fade like cotton candy in water.

That said, you’ll be happy to know that most people don’t regret getting inked in the least and sport their faded tattoos with pride! If you’re now even more curious about the appearance of tattoos after years, say no more. Here’s a picture collection of healed tattoos that show the before and after of both colorful and totally black tattoos so you can see the difference yourself. They may change in color, texture, and shape, but rest assured, they will always hold a special place in their owners’ hearts!

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January 2020 Vs. June 2022

Aged tattoos of a dog show fading and detail changes over time, highlighting tattoo transformation.

54points

95 Aged Tattoos That Show How Much Tattoos Change After Years

January 2020 Vs. June 2022

Then And Now. How My Colorful Tattoo Held Up Over 26 Years. By Dave Fox In '96, Philadelphia, Pa

A Little Over 5 Years And About A 20 Lb Weight Gain Apart

15 Year Old Work

What Aging And 20 Years Can Do To A Tattoo. I Watched My Father Get This Tattoo When I Was A Kid. The Second Picture Was Taking Just Before He Passed

A Sailor Jerry Tattoo Aged 53 Years, Really Cool To See

Day 0 Vs. 10 Years Later (Tattoo By Kerry Irvine Of Skunx)

1 Year Old Tattoo

Fine Line Tattoo By Greg Howell In Fredericksburg Va. Healed 4.5 Years

My 83 Year Old Dad's Tattoos

Fresh Vs. 1 Year Healed, On My Right Hip

24 Year Old Mark Mahoney Fine Line Tattoo

14 Years

12 Year Old Roland Topor Illustration

Almost 2 Years Aged, Happy So Far!

Fresh Vs. 4 Years Old

White Lettering Tattoo Fresh And 1.5 Years Healed

Fresh Vs. 5.5 Years Later. Lost Some Weight Since Then And Am Really Happy With How It Aged Considering I Have Eczema

Fresh Vs. 2 Years Later

A Little Hard To Take A Photo Of This One. Fresh Vs. 3 Years Healed!

Six Year Old Watercolor Tattoo By Royal Jafarov, NYC

Fresh Vs. 3 Years Healed. Possible Filter Used By Tattoo Artist On The Fresh Picture

Almost 9 Year Old Tattoo On My Ribs

Coming Up On Ten Years. Still Looks Great

5.5 Years Healed

Fresh, And 8 Years Old

Delicate Floral Half Sleeve 2018 And Now (About 2.5 Years Aged) - Done By Kelsey Havel At Greenlion In Grand Rapids, MI

7 Years Apart

2 Weeks Vs. 5 Years

Fresh December 2018, Now February 2022

7 Years Of My Linework Rose

15 Years Old Vs. Refreshed Last Year

Dragon Tattoo, 20 Years Later

Plague Doctor. May 2020 Vs. Jan 2023

2.5 Year Old Single Needle Skeleton

Traditional Thigh Piece - 1.5 Years Later. Artist Is Jimmy Snaz

My 4 Years Old Anchor Tattoo

Just Wanted To Show How Better The Big Pieces Hold In Comparison To The Smaller More Detailed Ones

1 Year Healed! Done By Kelly Doty At Hellheim Gallery In Salem, MA

Eagle Coverup Is 47 Years Old And The Flower Behind Is Older Than That

My First Tattoo Aged 21 Years. First Time I've Looked At It Close Up In Years. I'm Impressed With How Good It Looks Still

My Friend's Tattoo. Thought Ya'll Would Be Interested In Seeing This Baby Aged

Watercolor - Fresh Vs. 5 Years Healed

6 Year Old Realism Of My Cat

First Color Tattoo Is 10 Years Old Today

Two Years Ago And Now - What Do You Think?

Fine Line Tattoo 3 Years

Happy Halloween! Fresh Vs. 5 Years

My 25 Year Old Line Work (Done In 1996)

Fresh, 5 Years Healed And The 50+ Year Old Tattoo It Was Based On

For Anyone Wondering How Finger Tattoos Age When You Work In A Kitchen. August 2020 Vs. April 2021. 9 Months

One Year Old Vs. New

Minutes After Vs. A Year And A Half

2 Years And 1 Month Old! Some Of The Line Work In The Tail Is Missing Now Because Of Eczema

Wondering How Watercolour Holds Up? This Baby Is 10 Years Old

5 Years Of My Lion

Touch Up And Recolour On This Cute Fairy

Fresh And Aged (4 Years) Artist In Finland. Cost 400€

Footsteps On The Beach With A Modern Twist July 2017 (Fresh) And July 2022 (Today)

Single Needle, Fresh Vs. 4 Years

Fine Line After 2 Years

First Tattoo, Fresh And About 1,5 Years Later

7 Year Old Finger Tattoo. My Tattoo, Done By Myrhwan At Giahi, Switzerland

Aged Rose

3.5 Year Old Fineline Tattoo

2018 Vs. 2021 (Tattoo By Caesar Bacchvs)

New Vs. 3 Year Old Fine Line Tatttoo

My First Tattoo - 6 Years Aged

Reworking A 22 Year Old Tattoo With Old English Font

One Year Apart - Traditional Crying Heart

21st Tattoo Hitmontop, Done On February 26, 2015

Fresh Vs. Aged 8 Years. Could Use A Touch Up, But Still Love It Scars And All

March 2018 Vs. Now

Coconut Crab

2 Years

8 Years Old - No More Colour

43rd Respect Swords, Done On April 20, 2019

Mermaid

4 Year Old Thigh Pieces! Fresh (Jan 2018) Vs. Now (Jan 2022) Lost A Fair Amount Of Detail But I Still Love It!