Everything You Need to Know About Micro Tattoos

Micro tattoos are small, fine-line tattoos that are sometimes done with a single needle. They’ve become increasingly popular through social media and celebrity trends over the past few years.

Because micro tattoos are becoming so popular, it’s likely that you will get some requests for these as you begin your career as a tattoo artist. There are some key differences between micro tattoos and larger tattoos that are important to understand to make sure you’re giving clients quality work.

In this article, we’ll cover:

  • Differences between tattooing micro tattoos and larger designs 
  • How micro tattoos age
  • Micro tattoo design ideas

What Are Micro Tattoos?

A very small finished tattoo of a bird landing on a line

Micro tattoos are exactly what they sound like. These tiny tattoos are typically smaller than one inch in size and can be placed almost anywhere on the body.

Why Are Micro Tattoos So Popular?

Micro tattoos tiny lightning bolt

Micro tattoos are gaining popularity amongst celebrities and influencers because of their delicate nature and their ability to hide in plain sight. 

Tiny tattoos are very appealing to people who want to express themselves through tattoos but might not want to go for a larger design.

Are Micro Tattoos Hard to Do?

tiny ladybug Micro tattoos

Micro tattoos require a great deal of attention to detail, very small needle groupings, and thin line work. This makes it more difficult to cover up mistakes.

Because micro tattoos are such small designs, they have to be able to fit into a tiny area without losing any of the details. Additionally, artists have to make sure that when the ink spreads over time, the line work won’t blur together and interfere with the design.

Do Micro Tattoos Last?

A tiny finger tattoo of a bird flying out of a bird cage

While the initial healing process for such a small tattoo is relatively simple, they tend to fade quickly. 

Micro tattoos are small and delicate, so they are prone to fading and can easily be damaged by sun or wear and tear over time. On top of that, the shape of the micro tattoo may change as the skin ages and stretches, and the ink may blur. Because the design is originally so small, these normal changes are much easier to see than with a larger tattoo.

That said, there are still ways to keep them looking their best. Clients can use sunscreen and avoid things that might damage the tattoo like exposing it to chemicals or too much wear and tear. Touch-ups can also be helpful.

Micro Tattoo Design Gallery

Tons of different tattoo styles can be applied to tiny tattoos. The most popular choices for micro tattoo designs include small dots and line work, but there is plenty of potential for more complex designs like micro realism. 

Here is some tiny tattoo design inspiration:

A very small fine line tattoo of a cat holding a balloon
Anatomical heart micro tattoo with gradual shading
This small dog tattoo shows the possibility for micro realism in such a tiny tattoo
Fingers are a very common placement for tiny tattoos
hand tattoo with fine lines and delicate details
one line bird tattoo
Micro realism camera tattoo

Prepare for a Tattooing Career with the Artist Accelerator Program

Understanding the challenges that come with doing micro tattoos is an important step in your journey, but it can also be pretty eye-opening to how difficult tattooing can be. Without the right knowledge, it’s impossible to level up your skills and become a professional tattoo artist. 

However, finding the straight-forward information you need to progress is difficult. And with so much out there online, it’s hard to avoid picking up bad habits from incorrect and outdated resources.

This is one of the biggest struggles new tattooers face, and too many talented artists have given up their goal of getting into tattooing because of the years it would take to unlearn their bad habits. 

That’s why aspiring artists are learning to tattoo with the Artist Accelerator Program’s structured course. As a student, you learn every step of the tattooing process from professional artists with the experience and advice you need to build your skills and create incredible tattoos. 

With the Artist Accelerator, you can stop wasting time searching through incorrect information. You just get the clear, easy-to-understand lessons you need to start improving fast… along with support and personalized feedback from professional artists in our online Mastermind group.

Over 2500 students have already gone through the course, with many of them opening up their own studios. If you want to join them and learn the skills you need to start tattooing full time faster…

Click here to learn more about the Artist Accelerator Program.

Looking for a tattoo apprenticeship?

Tattooing 101's Artist Accelerator 90 day program is the closest thing to a real apprenticeship

  • 500 video modules
  • Professional tattoo artist coaches
  • Private mastermind community
AUTHOR
Nathan Molenaar

Nathan is a licensed professional tattoo artist with over 8 years’ experience working at studios across the globe, including Celebrity Ink, the world's largest tattoo studio chain.

When he's not tattooing, he spends his free time sharing his experience and knowledge with aspiring artists who dream of pursuing a career in the tattooing industry.

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