15 Best Fine-Line Tattoo Ideas—Plus How To Keep Yours From Fading

First came watercolor tattoos, then tiny tattoos, and now the latest tattoo trend taking over? Fine-line tattoos. So if you’ve been seeing them all over your friends’ hip bones, wrists, shoulders, and Instas—nope, you’re not imagining it. These super-sweet minimalist tattoos are made up of—you guessed it—very fine lines and are created using just a single tattoo needle (versus three or more needles needed to create the bold lines and bright colors in traditional tattoos). And it’s no surprise they’ve been trending for so long: They make great hidden tattoos, they allow for a lot more precise detailing, and they’re just really freaking cute.

But if you’re not yet convinced that this needs to be your next (or first) tattoo, I brought even more proof in the form of 15 very pretty fine-line tattoo ideas and inspo (including a cute elephant and minimalist heart tattoo). But before we get to that, I chatted with two tattoo artists to understand what makes a fine-line tattoo plus very important details like how to care for them and how much $$ you’ll have to drop to get one.

Meet the experts

• Tann Parker is a tattoo consultant based in Brooklyn who specializes in hand-poked tattoos. Parker is also the founder of Ink the Diaspora, a platform that works to challenge colorism and racism in the tattoo industry.
• Rosa Perr Bluestone is a tattoo artist based in Brooklyn who specializes in stick-and-poke tattoos.

What is the fine-line tattoo style?

Unlike traditional tattoos, which are created by a group of three or more needles for a thicker design, fine-line tattoos are created by just a single tattoo needle to leave you with super-fine lines and minimalist designs. You’ll recognize them for their delicate nature, says tattoo artist Rosa Perr Bluestone. You won’t see a lot of shading or bright colors but instead a lot of simple, linear designs and intricate details. “Fine-line tattoos are daintier and less bold than a regular tattoo,” says tattoo consultant Tann Parker. “There’s a sense of, Oh, this is actually for me and not necessarily for it to be shown off.” (Or, you know, take a billion selfies and show yours off to the world like I would.)

Do fine-line tattoos go away?

“There’s no reason a fine-line tattoo should fade any faster than a thicker-lined tattoo,” Bluestone says. The fading of a tattoo is inevitable over time, thanks to our skin’s natural instinct to slowly remove foreign substances (helpful but not helpful, you know?). According to Bluestone, the rate of fading depends on where it is on your body, the experience of the tattoo artist, and how much sun exposure your tattoo will get.

You can prepare and protect your tattoo by deep-diving on tattoo artists’ Instagrams, asking to see pictures of their healed tattoo work, and ordering a tattoo-friendly sunscreen with SPF 30 or more ahead of time. And for even more precaution, Parker says to ask your tattoo artist what their retouch policy is and if you can come back to them in two to three years if you need one.

Are fine-line tattoos more expensive?

The factors that play into the cost are the same for fine-line tattoos as they are for other tattoos: size, color, and the time it takes to complete them. But if you have a fine-line tattoo of a single heart outline with no shading, it’ll likely cost less than a larger, more intricate tattoo. (And this is exactly why consultations with your tattoo artist are so important, so you can hammer out these details and make sure you’re comfortable with the cost.)

Ready for your new ink? Cool, let’s get to the inspo. Ahead, 15 of the prettiest fine-line tattoos on Instagram.