With the small canvas comes vast opportunity for creative, complex tattoo designs.
Though the idea of having a tattoo needle digging into the fragile skin of your ear may sound scary and painful, ear tattoos can be beautiful and delicate. Bonus: Often tiny by necessity, these designs are easily hidden, in case tattoos are a no-go in your home or workplace. The possibilities aren’t completely limitless, but the ear offers a several locations for art in spite of its small size, including the lobe, helix, and tragus areas.
The preparation and aftercare for ear tattoos are pretty similar to that of other placements, so if you’ve gotten a tattoo before, this information may not be new. If it’s your first time, there are a few easy ways to prepare for your appointment, from gathering ideas for designs to picking up the best products for aftercare.
How do you prepare for an ear tattoo?
Ahead of the big day, there are three simple things you’ll need to do, according to Ann Arbor-based tattoo artist Carrie Metz-Caporusso, who is a pro at creating tiny tattoos. “It’s always important to get a good night’s sleep, stay well hydrated — I think this is one of the most important ones — and eat a good meal,” they say. Without doing those things, you run the risk of nausea and overall irritability. Who wants to be sleep-deprived, thirsty, or hungry during such an intricate procedure?
Once your artist has set up, it’s finally time for the tattooing. Pain is subjective, so we can’t promise an ear tattoo won’t hurt. Vancouver-based tattoo artist Denyse Labarca tells Allure that they are not as painful as you may think.
She would rate the pain a two or three on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most painful. “A lot of people think the ear will hurt because of the spot and how red it appears but it does not hurt as much as it may look,” she explains. “A lot of my clients fall asleep or say getting their ear tattooed is like a spa treatment. I have had two clients say it felt ticklish!”
What are the risks and pain level of ear tattoos?
Though the pain may not be too intense, like any tattoo there is always a potential risk of scarring, infection, or an allergic reaction to the ink, according to Connecticut-based dermatologist Mona Gohara. “Anytime the skin is compromised there is potential for infection and inflammation,” she says. “The process of tattooing is a compromise to the skin.” A more likely side effect of an ear tattoo is keloidal scarring, especially for folks with darker skin. She also says anything with cartilage is prone to infection.
What’s the aftercare for ear tattoos?
After the session, don’t be alarmed if your ear feels warm or looks red, as that’s totally normal, Labarca says. Like all new tattoos, you have to keep the area well-moisturized and protected from the sun. Metz-Caporusso says you don’t need anything super fancy for aftercare, just a “simple non-scented and dye-free lotion.”
New York City-based artist Ocean Gao typically covers their clients’ tattoos with a medical-grade healing bandage, like Second Skin. They suggest A&D Ointment — typically used for diaper rashes — for aftercare but says that many of their clients opt for a tub of Aquaphor, which also works. (If you want more aftercare products, check out these tattoo artist- and dermatologist-recommended ones here.)
There are certain ingredients and products to steer clear of after your appointment. “I tell all my clients to avoid letting shampooing or soap run directly on their ear tattoo for the first one to two days after receiving their tattoo. The same goes for spraying or applying hair products as well in that time frame,” Labarca explains. “After the ear tattoo is healed, you can continue using all soaps and hair products as usual.”
Toronto-based tattoo artist Rachel Weldon agrees with putting hair products down, but goes a step further and suggests to her clients to limit moisturizing the area during the healing, but only for ear tattoos. “I have found most people’s bodies produce enough natural oil, particularly from their hairline, that it’s not necessary,” she explains. This may differ from the advice of other artists, so ultimately it’s important to ask yours what they recommend.
Tattoos do fade over time, regardless of location, so taking care of them, especially in the healing phase, is key. To better preserve your ink, sunscreen is a must, according to London-based artist Gi, known as Slowpokes. Dr. Gohara says it should be SPF 30 or higher.
Now that you’re equipped with the preparation and aftercare tips, all that’s left is figuring out what you want tattooed. Get all the inspiration you need for your next ink appointment with one of these super cute tattoo designs for ears.
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Courtesy of Instagram/@slowpokes__1/31Dotted Stars on the Outer CartilageGi etched this floral dot-work tattoo. She hand pokes (which is a form of tattooing that doesn’t use a machine) all of her clients’ tattoos. Teeny-tiny dots decorate the cartilage and lobe randomly. She added star-shaped flowers, composed of mini specks to the scapha, the mostly flat portion of the upper ear.
Courtesy of Instagram/@slowpokes__2/31Swaying Leaves on the Scapha and Outer EarThese delicate-looking leaves appear on the scapha (if you’re not sure what that is, see the previous slide!) as well as the area in front of the ear, gorgeously accenting the body part. Upon a closer look, you’ll notice that each leaf is comprised of a grouping of spots. At the base of the leaf, the dots are closer together appearing darker before fanning out to form the rest of the shape and the tip. This style of tattooing gives the finished piece an ombré effect.
Courtesy of Instagram/@slowpokes__3/31Spotted Diamonds on Helix and TragusThese mini diamonds by Gi adorn the ear in a random pattern, extending across to the front of the tragus. It’s an example of how simple, itty-bitty specks can form more intricate body art.
Courtesy of Instagram/@slowpokes__4/31StarstruckDot and fine line work create the tiny stars and diamonds on the scapha. Gi added more of the dots to lower helix and lobe to create this abstract piece.
Courtesy of Instagram/@slowpokes__5/31Twinkling Coverup on the Back of the EarThis client wanted to cover up a scar, so Gi did exactly that — etching a bold star on top of the former wound. Look closely to see the tiny specks that form diamonds and below it.
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Courtesy of Instagram/@slowpokes__6/31Just a DotGi hand poked this leafy ink on the scapha of the ear. Its thin leaves branch out from a fine branch that extends from the upper ear to the cusp of the lobe. If you zoom in closer, you’ll also see the diamond-shaped grouping of dots.
Courtesy of Instagram/@sagflap7/31Barbed MadnessThis barbed wire tattoo, created by Berlin-based artist Sagflap, covers the face, ear, and neck. They drew a net-like pattern that extends from the client’s sideburns down to the jaw and across the entire scapha and lobe. The last part of the ink peeks out from behind the ear before ending about halfway down the neck.
Courtesy of Instagram/@romahtattoos 8/31Slim Lines on the Outer CartilageThis ink is like a tattoo and piercing in one. Belgium-based tattooist Romah drew two rings on her client’s upper cartilage area, which mimics a double helix piercing. She added two more fine lines on the lower part of the helix. From afar someone may mistake the bold lines and trio of spots right above the tragus for black jewelry.
Courtesy of Instagram/@sagflap9/31Star StuddedThis ink by Sagflap covers the scapha, lobe, and part of the cartilage with stars. Each star is different. Zoom in and you’ll see each one has different line weights, which makes it that much more fun to look at.
Courtesy of Instagram/@sagflap10/31Blue Swirls on the Whole EarThere’s no real pattern to these hypnotic squiggles, which feature vibrant blue lines that whip around the ear and even behind it.
Courtesy of Instagram/@xdenyse11/31Starry NightLabarca’s dot work on this intricate solar system-themed ink is out of this world. Her attention to detail despite the small space is amazing. For each tattoo, she tries to work closely with her clients to bring their dreams to life, which is helpful if you can’t decide what you want. “My clients send me multiple ideas, explain their vision, and we do the planning together,” she shares. “I create two ideas for them to choose from based on the information shared with me and create something unique for them.”
Courtesy of Instagram/@halloweenink12/31A Rose Behind the EarPlacing a tattoo behind the ear is an easy way to make it incognito. Weldon created this rose for a client who wanted a simple design that wouldn’t “overwhelm the space.”
Courtesy of Instagram/@𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦.phag13/31Snake Slithering on the Lobe and Outer CartilageYou might mistake this snake tattoo for a piercing if you look too quickly. This simple black snake inked by Gao looks like it’s working its way up the ear — and the flared-out tongue at the end really adds the finishing touch.
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Courtesy of Instagram/@xdenyse14/31I Got My Eyes On YouThis eye tattoo may be small in size, but its impact isn’t. The simple design complements the two other nearby tattoos, which can almost be mistaken for piercings.
Courtesy of Instagram/@jane.air.tattoo15/31One With NatureRussian tattoo artist Tatiana Nikandrova loves tattooing leaves, like these, because of how organic they look on the ear. This design, in particular, flows from the helix toward the tragus. Nikandrova tells Allure that she tries to lean away from “super detailed works” and more towards “simple but recognizable” designs when creating an ear tattoo.
Courtesy of Instagram/@ladymarion_tattooer16/31Let It FlowThe work of Berlin-based artist María Palomino Sedze (also known as Lady Marion) shows that ear tattoos can go as far as you want them to. Here, she wanted to represent the flow of energy, so she created these angled shapes which almost resemble circuit lines.
Courtesy of Instagram/@j9illustration17/31Under the SeaTattoo artist Janine Bond brings the sea to the ear with this blue ombré fish. The Delaware-artist loves freehand drawing her clients’ tattoos. For her, the process “makes the drawing itself very organic and allows me to utilize the client’s individual anatomy best.”
