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Ear Area Tattoos

JBluewind
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JBluewind Regular

JBluewind

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After a quick search looking for ideas for an ear tattoo, I quickly realized that there are no threads or mentions in existing threads about the ear area. So I'm fixing that. This is a thread for sharing finished ear area tattoos as well as ear area tattoo ideas, experiences, reactions, healing tips, and tattooing experiences.

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9Years Contributor

9Years

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I find it really strange that someone with only 1 small tattoo is comfortable making this statement:

1 hour ago, JBluewind said:

The ear area is a fun place for a small tattoo. The area behind the ear and the back of the ear are good places for a little secret ink. The more visible part of the ear has lots of texture to play with for something unique. Ear tattoos can also be a nice replacement for piercings as well as a beautiful accent to them. From flowers to skulls to geometric, the ear area is only limited by your imagination and the skill of your artist.

 

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JBluewind Regular

JBluewind

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Edit: I deleted that part of the OP. The thread is just about ear area tattoos anyway and I was just trying to give examples. It's not about my tattoos (present or future) or anything. This entire forum has no threads on the subject that I found via the search feature and as an area which many have had inked and many will get inked in the future there should be a place to share information and ideas.

Edited by JBluewind
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dansafcman Initiated

dansafcman

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people with long hair could conceal an ear tattoo easily but not short hair. You could shave your head, get a tattoo on your scalp then let your hair go back again - that would be well hidden. But then, no one would be able to see it even yourself. 

Wouldnt butt cheek be the best place to hide a tattoo ? even at the swimming pool / beach you could cover it, as long as you didnt go for a thong. but if you get want to look at it yourself, or show someone, you could. 

 

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bongsau Champion

bongsau

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I do like the idea of a future behind the ear tattoo though for myself, like silver dollar sized.

Tattooing in/on the ear though makes as much sense as writing "serenity" or some shit on the sides of your finger. Why? To be edgy? It will look silly unless you have a lot of other tattoos going on. That's where the put ID tattoos on animals.

A tattoo on the head will still show through when the hair grows in. You may not be able to fully make out the tattoo once the hair grows in, but there will be something fuzzy showing which will draw more attention to it and people will be curious and ask you.

If you want a secret tattoo, make a proper tattoo on the torso or the thighs and keep it concealed by wearing clothes. If you are worried about going to the beach or pool and people seeing your tattoo...well, maybe tattoo is not for you. It's not for everyone. 

Don't be a tat-tourist.

Edited by bongsau
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JBluewind Regular

JBluewind

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13 hours ago, bongsau said:

I do like the idea of a future behind the ear tattoo though for myself, like silver dollar sized.

Tattooing in/on the ear though makes as much sense as writing "serenity" or some shit on the sides of your finger. Why? To be edgy? It will look silly unless you have a lot of other tattoos going on. That's where the put ID tattoos on animals.

A tattoo on the head will still show through when the hair grows in. You may not be able to fully make out the tattoo once the hair grows in, but there will be something fuzzy showing which will draw more attention to it and people will be curious and ask you.

If you want a secret tattoo, make a proper tattoo on the torso or the thighs and keep it concealed by wearing clothes. If you are worried about going to the beach or pool and people seeing your tattoo...well, maybe tattoo is not for you. It's not for everyone. 

Don't be a tat-tourist.

I like behind the ear too although I imagine it's different for females. A good one looks damn sexy with an updo, but can be hidden for work if need be. A well inked friend of mine told me they hurt like a SOB though, but it makes sense they would (skin on bone + lots of nerves = ouch).

Each person is their own. I've seen lots of flower designs with a piercing in the center online which look great. Speaking as someone who's weird body has never been cool with piercings but is totally fine with ink, I would love a tasteful tattoo on my earlobe and/or upper ear in place of piercings. They're not anymore edgy or silly than any other tattoo. Not everybody can afford a bodysuit and not everyone wants a big piece.

I only have the one piece, but I was torn between behind the ear and on the flat part of my upper ear as my second tattoo to save towards. Behind the ear is the more likely of the two for me because it's less exposed to the sun. If it wasn't for the sun, I would get it on my upper ear so more people would see it.

The reason I'm considering one for myself is personal. The woman who was like my mother all my life passed away over a year ago. She was a singer for 50 years, played multiple instruments, and music was a huge part of her life and who she was. This past month has been hard (with mother's day ads going on). I was missing her and her beautiful kind voice, so I want to get something music themed (probably a treble cleft) behind my ear to remind me that she will always be a part of me. I intend to include something else in a larger piece later on, but it's gonna be a while before I can save up for that (I'm sick most of the time an go to the ER more than I'd like so it will take me 2 to 4 years to save for each calf piece), so that's why I chose something small that I can save up for in just a few months. Information on ear area tattoos is sparse so I thought starting a thread would be a good way for information to be shared on them all in one place for other people having trouble finding information, ideas, and pictures on them. I regret posting it now and I'm pissed off at myself that talking about her has me cry like a child. All I wanted was to make a thread for anyone who was searching for information on ear area tattoos and maybe get some help for myself in the process so I could get something elegant in her memory. 

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Graeme Autobot

Graeme

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@JBluewind Are these tattoos you've seen in real life or in pictures on the Internet?  I did a google image search on "ear tattoos" and nothing that came up is what I would consider good tattooing.  From what I've seen in real life, if you're going to tattoo the inside of the ear you're best sticking with bold and heavy blackwork/tribal.  And if you're going to do that you have to be pretty much fully covered unless you want to look completely ridiculous.  All those delicate flowers and other complicated and intricate designs are not going to hold up to the kind of sun exposure that your ears will get.  Don't get me started on how many obvious photoshop jobs show up when you do that search either.  

 

if you want something to memorialize somebody who you loved and who meant a lot to you, you owe it to her memory to get something nice that is going to last a lifetime.

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bongsau Champion

bongsau

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@JBluewind hey didn't mean to pick on you, I was making more generalized comments about the state of tattooing in the mainstream these days. Nothing is sacred anymore so some of us get a little protective. You are right, to each there own. And I've always 100% supported this aspect of tattooing that you can get whatever you want (provided you find an agreeable tattooist), whatever makes you happy, whatever wild idea you dream up - and you don't need to answer shit to anybody. Good or bad. LST leans heavy on making sure you find the way to the good stuff...

So with that in mind, I don't think tattooing inside/on the ear is wise idea. The skin is is really weird there and the first thing that comes to mind is high potential for blowouts. Intricate and colourful designs will not hold up and the ones you see in google searches look gimmicky. But hey that's my unsolicited opinion.

Stick behind the ear if that's what is speaking to you. It is a good spot.

When/if I eventually get mine I'll recall this thread...but technically it's a head tat ;)

(ps sorry to hear about your mum. Mother's Day was difficult for me as well - the dragonfly in my avatar is my memorial tattoo so I get to see my mom tattoo all the time. So I feel ya. Cry as much and as often as you need. I still do.)

But remember - no cry babies in tattooing :) cheers 

 

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JBluewind Regular

JBluewind

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@Graeme I've only seen one in real life that didn't look like crap (which is the norm for most ink around here unfortunately). She had a little tribal style flower on her upper ear and a rose behind (and 5 or 6 others she named off). She said the ear was weird because it moved a lot and needed a touch up and that behind the ear hurt like a SOB. The one on her ear was faded somewhat, but she tans. It still looked nice though. Most others I've seen IRL are either green or blown out to kingdom come or just bad. I found one online that was a simple black flower with a piercing in the center that looked healed and just looked awesome although I have to agree that too many of them were fresh or photo shopped. I meant it when I said I'd looked at hundreds of pics XD

I agree. That's why I'm saving up. My left calf is going to be color (with a fairy and background) and about going forward. My right is going to be black work with some black and gray and about who I am and where I came from. I'm researching my genealogy now and intend to design something with symbols of my ancestors (currently Irish, Scottish, Native American, and British Isles), a symbol for my home state (probable a bee on apple blossom), and something for Mamaw (incorporating sowing and music) to go along with my atheist symbol (although I'm still brainstorming on how to tie it all together). 

@oboogie That's good to know. I know everybody is different, but it makes me happy that it might not be as bad as she said it was. My pain tolerance is pretty good in general though and it's only a temporary moment of discomfort anyway, so I would be doing it even if you said it felt like a jackhammer on fire. ;)

I feel pretty stupid for crying. It's closer to 2 years now than 1, but it still hurts. I've just being bombarded with mom references the last few weeks and it's really gotten to me. She was the one person who always supported and loved me no matter what.

@bongsau I know you weren't picking on me hun. I'm just unnaturally emotional and tender hearted right now. Between mother's day and my doctor quadrupling my Symbicort (steroid) for the next 6 weeks (my lungs aren't currently working right and I was having constant asthma attacks, one of which even scared the crap out of triage and a nurse at the ER), I have no handle on my emotions.

The community has really helped me a lot. It really helps to be able to bounce ideas off people and be taught how to find a good artist and proper aftercare.

Thanks for the advice! Between oboogie saying behind the ear didn't hurt that bad and your opinion, I'm more confident in getting it behind me ear. I'm torn between a treble cleft and something like this. I kinda fell in love with this, so I might just get a treble cleft now and get that somewhere later.

Thank you for understanding. Your tattoo is beautiful. Having something beautiful to remind you of her is the same reason I have for wanting one. A lot of people don't get it and think I should be over it by now, so I catch crap for still crying over losing her and missing her. Her kids say I was "just a grandkid" (save my dad), but she considered me her youngest daughter and often referred to me as such. My biological mother was abusive, so I stayed with her all the time going home just to see dad after he got off work (her house was walking distance). She helped me study for tests, taught me to read and cook, sang me to sleep, got me ready for school (waking me up singing Red Red Robbin by Doris Day), listened, and was always there for me. When she had stroke, it was me that moved in her home, cared for her day and night, did her therapy, and nursed her back to health when her kids wanted to just stick her in a nursing home. When she sold her car and home and moved into a retirement home ten years later, I visited all the time and took her out whenever she asked (sometime surprising her with a trip to the movies). When she died, her other kids took over and had a funeral that would have made her mad and ignored anything I said (we had discussed what she wanted but again "just a grandkid") and refused to so much as let me put her favorite socks (rainbow fuzzy knee highs she wore on cool nights) in the coffin. Dad was too upset to argue with them and just let them do whatever. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.

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byzantine Regular

byzantine

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My first tattoo was behind my ear...of...(drum roll) a sailor jerry anchor! it looks like absolute crap now but I still have affection for it. For a first tattoo though, it killed. Thought my head was going to explode. 

Honestly @JBluewind I wouldn't advise getting your first on your head. It ages badly, hurts like hell and can't be hidden too easily. I would urge you to reconsider placement and even getting the tattoo as it's not a decision you want to make when you're in an emotional place - wait until you level out, lurk here more, then reconsider. Take care. 

 

 

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oboogie Hero

oboogie

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My first tattoo was behind my ear...of...(drum roll) a sailor jerry anchor! it looks like absolute crap now but I still have affection for it. For a first tattoo though, it killed. Thought my head was going to explode. 

Honestly @JBluewind I wouldn't advise getting your first on your head. It ages badly, hurts like hell and can't be hidden too easily. I would urge you to reconsider placement and even getting the tattoo as it's not a decision you want to make when you're in an emotional place - wait until you level out, lurk here more, then reconsider. Take care. 

 

It isn't her first. She has one other one. But yes, I agree she should wait.

I can't figure out why mine didn't hurt. But yeah. It didn't. I just felt my skull vibrating.

 

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Devious6 Champion

Devious6

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When I commanded an Army Artillery Battery back in 1983/84 it was a missile unit and we had some female soldiers, NCOs and officers. One day during an inspection I began to chew out a young female soldier because she was wearing blue star earrings - not allowed in uniform. After I got done, she reached up and tugged on her ear lobes. Yup. Tattoos. :13_upside_down:

 

Although my experience in tattoos is limited, I've had a lot of experience working with people who are facing tragedies and the emotions that go with it. Making a decision to get a tattoo like this - given the timing and emotion - is not something I'd recommend, either. Wait. Heal. Consider. Maybe you'll come to the same decision later...and maybe not.

 

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JBluewind Regular

JBluewind

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@bongsau I decided to save the clef heart for my right calf piece since I realized it would go so well with my other piece. It will combine my love of music and my love of Mamaw for it nicely.

I like your red robin suggestion for behind the ear, but I've been having a hard time finding anything I like for it. I would like to at least go in with an idea of what I want. I really like black work, but since you can't tell it's a robin with that I was thinking of going neo traditional, new school, or cartoon for this. I want something with good lines so it won't age too terribly. Everything I've found so far has been either realism or sparrows with robin colors. It's really gotten on my nerves to be honest -_-

@byzantine This would actually be my second tattoo. My first is an atheist symbol on my ankle I designed myself. The new site won't let me update my bio on mobile so that's why it still says what it does. I know it will probably kill, but it's a small spot so it will be over quick.

As far as waiting until I'm in less of an emotional place? I don't think I ever will be. I miss her every day just as badly as when I lost her. It doesn't help that I've recently lost everything thanks to an asshole I was with for 7 years who took my house and kept my furniture and savings when he left me for a 21 year old before my 30th birthday. I have been going to counseling and got on low dose Paxil which has helped. I just want something positive on me to remind me of her and that she will always be a part of me. I think it will really cathartic.

@marley mission I like behind the ear because it's not as visible as other face area tattoos. I'm also sincerely thinking of getting black work fake piercing tattoos on my ears later on.

@oboogie Because you are a beast that's why! ;)

@Devious6 That's story was awesome! Love love love it :D

Part of the reason I want this is to help me focus more on the positive rather than the negative. I sincerely think it would beg good for me.

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