Tattoos Years After They Were First Inked

The original design for this tattoo, and the tattoo itself, look really great in the before image below. Everything is crisp and vivid, and the colors just sort of pop. However, the tattoo hasn’t aged as well as some of the others on this list, and we’re not entirely sure why. The embroidery effect has completely vanished, and all of the colors look extremely faded out in the after photo. 

Usually, the simpler tattoos tend to hold up really well, but that hasn’t been the case here. Granted, there are about 20 years between the before and after photos below. In the before photo, you can clearly make out the Latin phrase, “nosce te ipsum,” which means “know thyself.” However, it’s much harder to make out in the photo on the right due to all the fading and blurring. 

Usually, we’d say that it’s a bad idea to get “couple” tattoos, but this couple did it in a really unique way. Instead of getting the other person’s name, they got beautiful matching tattoos. It’s not clear when the after photos were taken, but you can see that a lot of the original color has faded away. However, the lines all look like they’re intact, so it wouldn’t be hard to get some more color. 

The tattoo in this photo is amazing in both the before and after photos. However, you can definitely tell that a lot of detail has been lost since this tattoo was first inked. Everything looks incredibly sharp and vivid in the before photo, while a lot of the lines look like they’ve been smudged in the photo on the right. The before and after photos were taken four years apart. 

Now, this is probably one of the most extreme examples of fading on this list. We don’t have a photo of the tattoo when it was originally done, but we do know that this person waited 25 years to get it touched up and recolored. As you can see, it had faded a lot by then, and it almost looked as though it was about to disappear. The other photo shows the tattoo after an artist touched it up.

This geometric design of a wolf was actually never finished, according to the person who posted the photo. Despite that, it still looks nice, in our opinion. However, all of the delicate line works have faded over the years, taking away from some of the images. The lines in the after photo look a lot thicker and less precise than when the tattoo was first created three years earlier. 

Unlike a lot of other tattoos on this list, the tattoo in this photo was done using bamboo. The bamboo works in a similar way to a tattoo gun, but the artform is more traditional and dates back centuries in Thailand. The tattoo itself was really well done, and it must’ve taken forever to create all those strands of hair. The after photo also doesn’t look too bad, although we’re not sure when it was taken.

Whatever the reason, this style of tattoo seems to really hold well when it comes to fading. These two images have around five years between them, and there has been some obvious fading in the image on the right. The tattoo hasn’t lost any color, but what color is left definitely looks a lot less vibrant. Still, overall, the tattoo looks just fine. A lot of the fading was probably due to the sun. 

The person who posted this image said they didn’t have a picture from when they first got the tattoo, which is a real shame considering how much it’s faded. It’s so faded out that it’s actually kind of hard to imagine what it must’ve looked like when it was still brand new. What we do know is that it’s time for a visit to the tattoo parlor for some touch-ups. 

The person who got this tattoo really went all out with the color and it turned out looking great. The before image is obviously a bit brighter since it was taken when the tattoo was still fresh, but it really hasn’t faded too much in the five years this person’s had it. Some of the red coloring around the wings doesn’t quite pop like it used to but it still looks really unique. 

This tattoo definitely reminds us of a style that you’d expect to see on a sailor. It’s just got a really classic look, even if the image itself is a bit wacky. It shows a wisdom tooth with the word “wise” underneath. The after photo was taken 10 years down the line, and the tattoo has held up remarkably well, especially the red coloring and the shading on the tooth.

Sometimes, the imagery of a tattoo lends itself well to being able to age gracefully. Take this tattoo as an example. While the tattoo definitely looks crisper and sharp in the before image, it still looks incredible, even after having faded a bit. That’s because the image of a rainy, dark street already looks like it should be a bit blurry because of all the rain and shadow used. 

This is one of the older tattoos on this list, and while there is quite a bit of fading, it’s really not that bad. The person who posted the image said they were only 15 years old when they had this tattoo done. The image below was taken 29 years later, and while the rose is in need of some new color, it’s actually kind of amazing that it even still has color. 

This is a prime example of how a tattoo can fade elegantly. The person who posted the image below said the tattoo was originally inked all the way back in 1966. However, you’d never be able to tell because of its simplicity and timeless design. There’s some fading, but it actually looks like it’s supposed to be that way because of the vintage look and feel of the tattoo.

We love the design of this tattoo and it looked absolutely gorgeous when it was first created. The details are tiny, but they extend right down to the scales of the two snakes wrapping around the flower. If you look closely, you can also make out tiny thorns on the branch. Unfortunately, a lot of the details are lost in the after photo, which was only taken a year later. 

The detail in the image on the left, from when the tattoo was first done, is really incredible. The second photo was taken around four years later, and you can tell that it faded a bit over those four years, but it still looks great. All of the lines are still exact, and the only real difference we can spot is the darkness of the ink. That and the addition in the background. 

We aren’t sure exactly what happened with this tattoo, but we do know that it shouldn’t have faded as much as it has in only two years. The original image, which is actually quite stunning, has lost a lot of its character in the after photo. The dreamy lines in the clouds and in the field aren’t even really there anymore. Perhaps this person exposed their tattoo to a lot of sun right after getting it. 

We’ve seen quite a few skull tattoos that have faded or lost all of their color over the years, but this one still looks good years later. These two photos have six years between them, and as you can see, there has only been a little bit of fading, mainly around the shadowing on the front of the skull. The black in the helmet also isn’t as dark as it once was. 

While there are a lot of tattoos on this list that have aged well, this might be the best one when it comes to fading. There’s really not much fading at all in the after image, even after 10 years. We think that might just be due to the tattoo artist using a very intense red, but whatever the reason, it seems to have worked. This tattoo looks like it’s almost brand new. 

As far as fading goes, this tattoo of a collection of flowers still looks really good. It’s not as sharp as it was when it was still new, but it also hasn’t lost a whole lot of detail. The after photo was taken around four and a half years after the tattoo was first inked, according to the person who uploaded the photo, and most of the detail is still there. 

This tattoo of an eagle and feather is pretty simple, but it still manages to be elegant. It also doesn’t belong to the person who uploaded the photo. Apparently, it belongs to their father, who’s had it for around nine years. Considering the age of the tattoo, it doesn’t look all that bad in the photo on the right. However, it still probably needs to be touched up.

The after image here is probably one of the best on this list, but there are only two years separating each image. Still, the tattoo itself looks like it’s been well taken care of, and we love the flower and insect imagery they used. The only thing we can see that looks a bit off is the bee on her finger, which has faded a lot more than the rest of the tattoo.

The before and after photos below were snapped a little over 12 years apart from one another. And while the tattoo of the queen bee on the left looks a bit more fresh and vivid, the tattoo has aged really well considering the amount of time that’s gone by. Some of the lines that make up the bee’s wings and crown look a bit distorted, but besides that, the rest looks great. 

This is probably one of the more elegantly aged tattoos on this list. You’re not able to tell from just looking at these two images side by side, but they were taken nine years apart. The tattoo looks remarkable to be so old, especially considering it has a lot of color. The only big change is that a lot of the red and pink coloring has faded out, but that’d be easy to replace. 

If you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli, then you’re probably familiar with this cat. It’s name is Jiji the cat. It’s unclear when these two photos were taken since the person who uploaded the image didn’t say, but in the after photo, the tattoo looks almost as good as the day it was first inked. All of the shading and lines are still there, and the entire image still looks really sharp.

Sometimes, simple designs age the best, and this is certainly one of those times. The tattoo shows a couple of trees standing on a hilltop, with a beaming sun overhead and a flower surrounding some waves below. While the original image does look a lot crisper than the image on the right, the after photo was taken around seven years after the person first got the tattoo, which is a pretty long time. 

This image should be instantly recognizable, whether or not you’re familiar with Canadian culture. The tattoo shows the national symbol of Canada, along with some words from the country’s national anthem. There’s also a beautiful view of the forest inside the maple leaf. These two photos were taken around four years apart, and the tattoo has held up really well in that time, only fading and blurring slightly throughout the years. 

You’d never know it, but these two photos were taken 10 years apart. Someone decided to get a tattoo of a really colorful hat, complete with feathers and a ribbon. The hat itself still looks gorgeous 10 years after the tattoo was created. The coloring has only changed slightly, if at all, and the lines still look crisp. There’s only slight blurring around the rim of the hat, but it’s barely noticeable. 

We’re pretty used to seeing tattoos that depict flowers or trees, but this might be the first-ever tattoo we’ve seen of a blackberry plant. When it was first inked, the blackberries themselves had a slight shine to them that made it look like they were being hit by sunlight. However, the after photo, which was taken around five years later, shows that the tattoo has faded a bit over time.

If you’re a fan of dogs, then you’re going to love this one. It’s a tattoo of a cute pug wearing a pair of glasses. Believe it or not, the after photo was taken a decade later. Despite the tattoo being 10 years old, it still looks like it was created last week. The only difference we can make out is that the yellow in the glasses has faded a bit.

There are a couple of tattoos on this list that actually look really cool, even with some slight fading, and this is definitely one of them. We’re not sure what kind of plant this is, but its delicate appearance works well with the slight fading shown in the afterimage. In the second image, it’s almost like the plant is surrounded or slightly covered up by fog. It just works really well.

The designs and colors here are pretty unique. We’re in love with every aspect of this tattoo, from the specific flower designs to the shape of the rabbit. It took someone with quite the imagination to think of a tattoo as unique as this. Unfortunately, some of the vibrant colors have faded in the after photo, which was taken two years later. However, it still looks really great, and it wouldn’t take much time to touch up the colors.

Normally, tattoos of flowers don’t look super great after they’ve suffered from fading, but this tattoo is an exception. You can see in the photo of the tattoo, which was still new, that the tattoo artist used a bit of white ink in the petals. Some four years later and that ink has blurred a bit, but it still looks really stunning, and it’s created an effect all its own.

This tattoo has a lot going for it. Originally designed as album art, it’s colorful, and it might be one of the only thigh tattoos on this list. The after image was taken five years from the time the tattoo was originally inked. There’s definitely been a bit of fading, but it also doesn’t look like it’d be too hard to touch up. The colors are basically just a bit lighter. 

It’s really kind oh hard to notice any kind of differences in the before and after photos below. The second image was taken 10 years after this person got the tattoo but most people wouldn’t be able to tell. Of course, the colors really pop in the original photo, but even after 10 years, there is still plenty of colors left, and none of them have really disappeared, as far as we can tell.

This tattoo looked really great when it was first done. Not only is it unique, but we’re guessing that it reflects a pretty big passion of the wearer. You can almost taste the marshmallow in the image. The photo on the right was taken a year after they got the tattoo, and there’s been a bit of fading, but it’s kind of hard to tell how much due to the lighting. 

We’d love to meet whoever thought up the idea for this tattoo. It’s super unique, but the most surprising thing about it might just be that the photo on the right was taken 10 years after the person first got it. Of course, a lot of the color looks lighter than when it was first inked, but it still looks really good for its age, and all of the original character is there. 

There are a lot of adorable tattoos on this list, but this might be one of the best. This cute little elephant is still charming, even five years after it was first inked. However, there is one noticeable difference between the two images shown below. The bright white ink surrounding some of the designs has faded away, which is really a shame because it just made everything pop out a bit more. 

Okay, so this tattoo is a really simple design, so there were probably never going to be any major changes over time. However, you do expect to see some fading after six years, especially when it comes to dark ink. Yet, it looks like it was gotten last month. There’s some minor fading towards the top but you really have to look closely in order to actually spot it. 

This is another example of how a tattoo can age well. When the bird and surrounding flowers were first inked, they definitely had a lot of pop and color to them. And while some of that has since faded in the image on the right, it’s still just as charming. In fact, the white ink makes the whole thing sort of look like it’s supposed to appear a bit faded.