Gen Z’s most popular tattoos revealed as yours could be ‘outdated’ without realising
A tattoo artist has broken down Gen Z’s most popular tattoo trends.
Tattoos have been trendy for decades, but it’s the theme, size, and placement of tattoo that seems to change with time.
For example, in the 90s and noughties, people were covering themselves in dolphins, koi carp, tribal, roses, and tramp stamps.
In 2010’s it was all about moustaches, inspirational quotes, skulls, mandalas and sugar skulls.
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Now? Things are a little different now that Gen Z are adults and entering tattoo parlours.
Fine Lines
First of all, fine lines are now all the rage as TikTokers show off their thin artwork.
Amanda Graves, a tattoo expert, said to Insider that this trend ‘usually consists of super-thin line work’ with ‘very minimal shading'.
"The fine-line style is totally a Gen Z thing to me," she said. "Of course, I have seen other generations get into it, but I think the simplicity and delicacy of the fine-line style is more popular with Gen Z."
Sydney Smith, who has tattooed the likes of Megan Fox told Insider: "There's been a few artists who've been doing it for a while.”
Rihanna and Hailey Bieber are the most famous people have this type of tattoo, so it’s unlikely it’ll become outdated.
Stick and Poke
If you’ve never watched how traditional tattoos were created, you might clench up when you realise it involves a rod and a sharp needle.
This practice has been around for centuries and is created by tapping the needle into the arm and dipping it into ink.
It’s not as precise or thin lined as a machine gun, but it has its own rustic charms.
According to Ryan Ashley, a tattoo artist with more than 1.7 million followers on Instagram: "These tattoos are interesting, I have a stick and poke myself.
“I believe this is how the trend is starting, young kids tattooing each other in their basement. It's primal, but a lot of the time when they are done correctly, stick and poke are actually some of the best tattoos."
"I think the tail end of millennials started to get into it, but I feel it is more of the Gen Z alt crowd that gets these," Graves said.
Thankfully, it’s unlikely this style will go out of trend anytime soon.
Tiny Tattoos
"Gen Z definitely have loved this trend based on what I see lately," Graves told Insider, adding that their style can vary. "Sometimes they are hyper-realistic, sometimes just a word, or sometimes just a little symbol."
"I expect the micro tattoo trend to become commonplace in the tattoo industry. It's only just getting started. I don't think it'll go away anytime soon," Smith said. "It goes beyond the trend of the moment, it's timeless and it can adapt."
Butterfly Tattoo
The classic butterfly tattoo has changed with Gen Z, but it’s here to stay!
Butterfly designs have been simplified by this new generation, and to be honest, they look super cute.
But will they stay?
"I did a lot of butterflies for like a year straight at least and everybody was getting them," Smith said. She predicts the butterfly will stick around for some time but may continue to adapt to the tastes of each generation that follows.
"I don't think it'll necessarily fade out or anything, I just think they're going to change the way that they're done," she said.
Astrology Tattoos
"Knowing your astral chart is totally a staple in specific sections of the Gen Z crowd, and getting it tattooed has been just as popular," Graves told the outlet, and let’s be honest, astrology won’t disappear for a long time.
"I definitely think that right now they're popular and it's going to slowly fade, and then they might come back eventually but just again, in a different way," she said.
She said she thinks ‘the new generation is definitely going to be science-based', but will incorporate astrology elements.
Anime Tattoos
Graves said anime tattoos are big with Gen Z, and it’s unlikely to become an outdated theme right now. But later?
Graves predicts anime tattoos will ‘last for a good while’, but the next generation might not be as interested as Gen Z.
"They most likely will start to fade in popularity with the younger crowd in the next few years," she said.
Lettering Tattoos
Tattoos with other people’s handwriting is sentimental and lovely for many, and you’ll be glad to know the style is going nowhere.
"A lot of people are getting handwriting tattoos," Smith told Insider, as many people request their relative’s lettering on their body.
Textures
As for textures and materials, Ashley thinks these tattoos will continue and actually set trends for the next generation to come.
These tattoos use ink to sketch material textures like metal, stitching, wood, and more.
There are also embroidery-style tattoos which are ‘tattoos that look like fabric,’ she said.
Britt Jones