Common Tattoo Questions - Finger tattoos

It happened again, one of our clients scheduled a small tattoo, didn't put any notes about the tattoo when making the appointment and when they came in, they said that they wanted a finger tattoo. With the exploding popularity, finger tattoo requests are coming in on a weekly basis.

While finger tattoos are a great way to show-off, or remind ourselves and others in a way that can't easily be hidden, they are far from a "traditional" tattoo.  Even with the popularity of hand and neck tattoos because of the social acceptance, doesn’t mean its always a good idea to go for the fingers, or hands for that matter.

Most people looking to get a finger tattoo have done a little bit of research on the subject, but like most things that we research with the goal of purchasing, we only look for the positives, and best-case-scenarios. 

Finger tattoos are what I call a "novelty" tattoo. Many tattoos are done to be elaborate works of art, with attention to detail in every line, items and icons are strategically placed for maximum impact to the overall design that makes an appealing creation on the wearers skin. The difference with fingers, and other "novelty" areas is the fact that the epidermis layers of skin are thicker, and there is more. This allows these areas to exfoliate more efficiently since they are areas of constant wear and irritation. This leaves less room for the dermis layer. The dermis layer is where the ink is placed, and where it will remain. If ink is placed in the epidermis, it disapates, and ultimately falls, or is rubbed, out. This coupled with the fact that these areas are "high traffic" meaning they are used hundreds of times per day, rubbed on pockets, bumped, holding items, etc... Makes for an area that is not conducive to tattooing. 

That being said, it is certainly possible to tattoo these areas. However, the result is less than satisfactory 80-90% of the time. Meaning, the lines will be thick, blurry lines, small details will disappear, color has a harder time holding, etc... Especially if the tattoo extends beyond the top areas, onto the sides, bottom, or knuckles. Most finger tattoos require multiple touch-ups, and up to 40% won't stay. (This doesn't mean the tattoo will just disappear, it means that certain spots will stay while spots adjacent will not stick, no matter the needle configuration used, no matter the pigment, no matter the artists expertise, no matter what; it's because of the physiology of the makeup of the fingers in certain individuals. 

We do finger tattoos about 3x a month and have vast experience making them look the best they can. But anyone looking into tattooing their finger, needs to be aware of the down sides as well as the up-side of a finger tattoo.

I hope this was informative, or at least made you stop and think. I’m more than happy to discuss your finger tattoo ideas and we can see if getting a finger tattoo is right for you.

Feel free to contact Jon Poulson directly with questions, etc.. You will find him at his private studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, or by clicking here - www.AncientMarksTattoo.com