103 Photos Of Aged Tattoos That Show How The Ink Changes Over The Years

When you’re looking at tattoos on old people, and they are all faded and oddly shaped (the tattoos, not the people), you tend to instantly think about your own ink and - oh lordy! - whether they will look just as bad as the images you see in front of you. Well, we come bearing good news!

Usually, the old people with tattoos you meet had theirs done decades ago, in times of poorer tattooing hygiene, not as good inks, and usually by a not-so-professional artist. So, chances are, your own healed tattoos won’t look anything like that if you choose to get them done by a professional and stick to an aftercare routine.

But, you know, words are words, and it is completely understandable that you might need visual proof of these old tattoos that kept plenty well. That’s why we’ve made this nifty little list of tattoos after years of being done and still looking just as good as they did right after inking. 

Sure, aged tattoos do change a bit as they settle into your skin or get affected by outside forces (nope, I won’t make a Star Wars joke here).

However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be left with a badly faded tattoo where the dolphin that you got inked in the Bahamas over the 2012 spring break will look more like a grayish banana than the majestical sea mammal. Not at all!

This article is definitely living proof that a professionally done tattoo that has been taken care of is just as pretty after decades as when it was done. 

But seeing is believing, right? So why don’t you scroll down below and check out the awesomely aged tattoos that we’ve rounded up in this list? You might be pleasantly surprised by just how good they look!

As usual, don’t be shy to upvote the tattoos that you liked the most and share this article with anyone who wants to get some ink done but is afraid they won’t keep looking awesome after years.