Ear Tattoos: Here's What You Need To Know

Ear tattoos have become a popular new spot where our clients love getting tattooed. Sometimes, it's strictly about the art of tattoos, but it's also a great way to complement ear piercings if that's your thing. Whether you're covered in ink or being tattooed is relatively new, it's essential to know everything about ear tattoos before committing to getting one.

Ear Tattoos: The Hottest New Trend

There's a lot of debate around whether ear tattoos are job stoppers (ink placement that can potentially limit your options when looking for employment) or not. Still, one thing is sure: your ear tattoo will be seen almost every time people look at you from the side of your body that you get tattooed. Hence, making an informed decision and being confident in your choice is critical, so we've created this guide to all things ear tattoos for you. Let's get into it!

The Pain Scale: How Much Do Ear Tattoos Hurt?

The first question we get when discussing ear tattoos is almost always, 'How much do ear tattoos hurt?' Generally speaking, most people find ear tattoos are minimal/low pain because your artist will tattoo over cartilage rather than bony areas. However, pain tolerance will always vary from person to person.

How Fast Do Ear Tattoos Fade?

Another common question about ear tattoos is how they'll fade over time. The answer is similar to all tattoos: It's really up to you and how well you take care of the skin/area that you've had tattooed.

The skin around the ear is exposed to the sun almost daily, so moisturising it with sunblock will keep it looking crisp and fresh for longer. That said, if your ear tattoo falls out, it's extremely fast and easy for your artist to do a quick touch-up. Most artists offer free touch-ups, too, so ask your artist in advance if they'll do the touch-up for free before you commit if this is important to you.

Choosing a highly skilled artist for your ear tattoos is also essential. If the work isn't of the highest quality using the best inks, it'll increase the fallout rate, leaving you with a patchy tattoo.

If you have any worries or concerns about your ear tattoo, voice them to your artist beforehand, and they'll be able to alleviate any fears for you—the tattoo process, outside of the pain, should be a fun and memorable experience!

How Long Does It Take For Ear Tattoos To Heal?

Ear tattoos tend to heal quickly for most people, especially at the start, right after you've had it freshly inked. Still, it's essential to be careful during the healing process as we use our ears more often than we think with phones, headphones, exposure to the sun, and things like side sleeping or resting our head on things.

Complete healing can take up to 3 or 4 weeks, but this process will always be better if you diligently care for your ears. This means it's important to avoid;

• Too much exposure to the sun.
• Holding objects like phones or headphones against your ear.
• Sleeping on the ear while it's in the process of healing.

As always, when it comes to aftercare and ear tattoos, please consult with your artist on their preferred instructions for aftercare. With that in mind, always keep your tattoo clean, air dry it, pat dry with a clean towel, and keep the tattoo balm on it for the first few days.

Bonus tip: Be aware of your ear tattoo when washing your hair. If you can't hold off on cleaning your hair for the short term, you may need to purchase some dry shampoo or have your partner or friend help you wash your hair to avoid getting soaps inside the healing tattoo wounds.

How Do I Hide My Ear Tattoos?

If you need to cover up your ear tattoos, there are a few ways to do it. Firstly, if you've got long hair, take the natural option and wear it down over your ears to quickly cover it. If you don't have hair and you can wear something on your head, we'd suggest opting for a beanie, hat, or head scarf that can be worn to cover that area for you. Lastly, the final option for everyone is using a foundation that matches your skin tone, which is a great way to cover up an ear tattoo for the day.

Will Ear Tattoos Prevent Me From Finding Work?

Having an ear tattoo can reduce your chances of being hired by certain companies or in some industries. Although attitudes toward tattoos have improved greatly in the modern world, many hiring managers or CEOs still frown on them, especially hands, neck, face, head, and ear tattoos.

You'll find ear tattoos in an eclectic range of styles and sizes, including text, symbolism, tribal, florals, and small pieces featuring things like animals, skeletons, coffins, and much more. The most common placement is along the cartilage of the ear, but you'll find ones behind the ear or on the ear lobe, too.

If you've been searching for some ideas, we've got a bunch of ear tattoo options by senior artist Gemma Dilemma;