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Old People With Tattoos: How Will You Look in 40 Years?

Ever wondered what ageing does to tattoos?
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Walking down the street, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone without a tattoo.

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According to a study done by Pew Research Centre, a staggering 26 per cent of young people aged 18-19 in America have at least one tattoo.

Inking human skin began as a religious or tribal tradition, which has since seeped into Western culture and become a fashion trend. 

As so many people have tattoos, it makes you wonder what they’ll look like in 40 years. 

Inked skin tends to sag, age and wrinkle just like normal skin. So what do old people look like with tattoos?

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As your skin grows and sags, the tattoo shape will most certainly change too.

As for the colour, it won’t surprise you to learn that the ink will fade as the years go by – no matter how much you take care of it.

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When people age, their skin tends to get drier too. Tattoos (and skin) normally require hydration to stay in tip-top shape, so age can affect how fresh and clean it looks. 

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According to tattoo artists, the bigger tattoos are the ones which survive the test of time.

‘The smaller the tattoo, the more likely the tattoo will become an illegible smudge of it’s former self,’ Alex Passapera, a tattoo artist from Rising Dragon Tattoos, told Romper. 

‘Tiny loops and curls will eventually bleed together, creating a mush that is not only impossible to read but not too pretty to look at.’

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