Why do hand or finger tattoos fade quickly? And, why are a lot of artists hesitate to tattoo small or fine-line designs on this specific area?

There are a few reasons why the skin on our hands and fingers are a bit different than the rest of out bodies:

• Fast Cell Regeneration: The skin on our hands is in constant use, moving, touching everything and getting washed consistently throughout the day. That means we are constantly shedding and regenerating the skin cells in that area. In turn, those same cells hold the pigment of your tattoo and can appear to fade faster as a result.

• Skin on our hands is thinner. The skin on, in-between our hands and fingers is much more textured than other parts. This can affect how ink settles and heals.

Many artists, including myself, love the look of fine-line and dainty finger or hand tattoos. But, here are some of the reasons such designs are cautioned against and considered “risky” to take on.

• Surface Area: Limited space on fingers, in-between fingers, and even some hands, can make it very difficult to control a thin, sharp needle in order to execute a clean design. Intricate designs can be challenging as they can blur, “simple” designs can be difficult because the placement is difficult to stabilise.

• How Tattoos Heal and Ink Spreads: All ink spreads to a degree. It is the nature of healing and your skin aging. “Spreading” is caused by your body’s white blood cells attempting to “carry away” the foreign pigment molecules. In such a small area, that spreading effect can appear much more dramatic, distorting small designs.

• Longevity and the Trade-off of “Fine-Line”: In order to execute fine, thin lines, smaller needle configurations are required. With a thinner, more precise needle, penetrating the skin’s layers is much easier, with minimal skin resistance, requiring a lighter hand pressure to inject ink. However, in doing so, an artist must be careful not to inject ink too deeply into the skin, or “blow-out”, giving the appearance of a bled out sharpie. Because skin on the hands and fingers is thinner, working superficially and then “building up” the pigment in the design can be the better approach. But, does not guarantee the necessary saturation for the tattoo to last. Which is a part of why artists tell clients that finger and hand tattoos do not age well.

• Touch-Ups: Hand and finger tattoos are prone to frequent touch-ups to keep that “crisp” look. Not every client wants to commit to the maintenance of up keeping finger/hand tattoos.

When deciding on finger tattoo designs, consider a simple design with bold or truly black elements. Often the contrast of solid black with negative space or an outline in a design can give you the delicate look you’re wanting to achieve. Follow aftercare instructions and be prepared for at least one touch-up.