Reviewed & updated: December 6, 2022 by Jamie Wilson BA
In search of some inspiration to get your ear inked? Well, we have curated some best of the lot to ease your trouble and flaunt your taste!
Ear tattoos are tiny, cute, and trendy, generally spreading from the inside of the ear to the head, face, and behind your ear.
Due to a relatively smaller surface area of the ear, the tattoo is neat and alluring to the eyes. However, the process is a little problematic and can cause health issues if not done right.
The ear is one of the most sensitive areas of the body and is often regarded as an erogenous zone. Thus tattooing here is readily considered an extremely painful process. Getting inked causes pain, but the ears are not on the top of the list. Due to the presence of cartilages and thin skin, ear tattoos cause moderate pain. To describe it better, the process is irritating and requires a lot of patience from both parties. Ear tattoos can leave your ears sore and red with a headache and dizziness but this stems from the noise produced by the drill so close to the ears and is expected to fade away real soon. Ear tattoos require an aftercare routine more delicate and strict than any other part of your body. But once the area has completely healed, your ear tattoo is as good as any other body art. The aftercare routine is also primal to keep the colour of your tattoo intact for the longest time. That being said, here are some of the most eye-catching ear tattoo ideas to help you decide!
Ear Tattoos With A Skull
This tattoo design portrays a ghastly skull screaming into the ears of the wearer. The flaming skull with its hollow eyes and nose is scary enough. Placing such a tattoo behind the ear presents a dark message that the skull really does whisper into the ears. If you are a fan of gothic art and have a dark personality, this is apt for an ear tattoo.
Using the skull motif in this design, the tattoo artist has incorporated the same dark image tucked on the inside of the helix, medically known as the antihelix. To enhance the beauty of this piece, the details are finely designed with black. Fine ink and shading add fascinating details to this design.
Tiny Ear Tattoo Ideas
As is suggestive from the surface area of an antihelix and concha, small ear tattoos make a real cute embellishment. This cute little paw is a sweet reminder of your best buddy. Bold black ink focuses attention on the piece and is sure to get you loads of compliments! These small tattoos are specifically for those who need to keep them hidden for whatever may be the reason. You can add a tiny heart, a flower, music notes, or anything alike for such more discreet tattoo ideas.
Quirky Ear Tattoo Designs
Express your true self…with a pizza slice. We know your love for pizza, so why not make it a permanent commitment? This tiny tattoo behind your ear is the statement piece bound to turn heads. You can also make such cute tattoos vibrant when placing them behind your ear. Try more such out-of-the-box symbols that resonate the most with you and set your priorities straight!
Look at the genius of this artist and the taste of the wearer! Packed with a cool idea, apt placement, and minimalist approach, this ear tattoo design is enough to make you stand out of the crowd. Black and red on the earlobe are definitely gripping as well as funky.
Ear Tattoos With Abstract Symbols
Here the tattoo is placed near the ear and is relatively less painful than the tattoos in the ear. Geometric symbols as that of a triangle are a cool choice to make your ear tattoo edgy. You could also opt for abstract lines or waves or dots to form a pattern.
Although there are various designs that are popular with men, tattoos with Viking symbols are fairly prominent around the world. The tattoo artist has chosen certain geometrical patterns to ink the head and a few freehand lines that cover the helix and the antihelix. If you admire geometric patterns and elaborate pieces, this ear tattoo might be a unique addition to your skin.
Ear Tattoos With Mandala
This ear tattoo behind the ear is a true gem for all mandala lovers. The intricate patterns and shading add a dimension to this ear tattoo. The pop of colour behind the ear and in the antihelix pours life into the design.
These elaborate mandalas are assuredly pleasing to a person who loves the idea of shapes and patterns. This sacred geometry is brought to life with fine black lines and minute detailing, leaving the ear alone to lower the risk of pain. These behind the ear tattoos are loud with just a lil touch of femininity.
Ear Tattoo Ideas With Animals
This slithering snake moves along the folds of your ear and is a unique suggestion for people with a broader antihelix. If you are afraid of an ear tattoo due to the loud sound of machines, you might as well go for a hand poked ear tattoo like this one. These ear tattoos hurt less and the pain cannot be more than your piercings. Experiment with more such animals like a baby elephant or a bird that interest you and fix an appointment with your tattoo artist!
This behind the ear tattoo is straight from outer space to your skin. The cosmic seahorse holds galaxies in its body displaying glimpses of the universe with white dots. This tattoo as if links the unknown of the earth with the unknown of space. If you love a unique design and want people to notice a bit of it, this enigmatic tattoo might just be your fit.
Tribal Ear Tattoos
Tribal tattoos are worth the mention due to their hype and acceptance among ink lovers. It extends the many ways to know and interact with a culture and learn its idiosyncrasies. This tattoo is a unique beauty drawn from the Hawaiian tribal culture. The tattoo behind the ear represents the moon with its alluring charm and intricate patterns. The tattoo towards the face represents the Sun with its glaring rays portrayed by the sharp geometric patterns and dots. If you are someone who is fascinated by the dualities of life coexisting together, you cannot miss this piece.
Another neo-tribal ear tattoo for a person open to experimentation. The placement of this tattoo brings out the elegance of the helixes coupled with the folds of the ear. This tattoo covers the entire ear especially the inner folds, the targus and the lobes. Since it is a detailed design, you might want to first talk about its pain induction with your tattoo artist.
Colourful Ear Tattoo Designs
One of the impeccable ways to accept your sexuality and honour it is by a pride tattoo. This tattoo is small and indicative of your solidarity with promoting the movement and a sign of tribute to all those who had struggled to come out and feel accepted. The colours of the pride flag are a mark of love and are beautifully portrayed here. The location of this ear tattoo being at the delicate skin might turn to make it a painful ordeal.
The representation of this moon is out of this world, well quite literally. It is rare for behind the ear tattoos to be constructed in ombre and to such perfection. This tattoo with pink and black ink peeps from behind the ear and stands out among others. If you are a fan of a small design, these behind the ear tattoos will be dear to you for the longest time.
Minimal Ear Tattoos
This tattoo design right here takes minimalism to a next level. Covering the earlobe in the shape of a small cuff, this hand-poked tattoo is the sign of a cool and edgy choice. If you like neat tattoos and would opt for less pain, you might like to draw inspiration from this piece.
This behind the ear tattoo shows an effortless way to flaunt a clean line tattoo. Try experimenting with various other symbols that can be drawn with clean lines to comply with minimalism.
Ear Tattoo With Buddha
The Buddha is not a religious figure but a teacher of life. For people with a great affinity to eastern culture and philosophy, Siddhartha is an inspiration to achieve a balance that almost all of us seek in life. This tattoo links ancient philosophy with modern art and brings forth a curious amalgamation. The face of Buddha is accommodated in the antihelix along with a miniature scenery of serenity. Drawing a small face on the inner folds of the ear could cause more pain than the ones with patterns.
Ear tattoos are a delight to a tattoo lover. The process is wrongly considered to be brutally painful and is a big red signal for your health. However, pain is subjective and differs from one person to the other. There are no disastrous after-effects of these tattoos and with proper aftercare and healing, they can be treated as any other tattoo. Being a trendy fashion, ear tattoos are coming up with different variations every day and are widely practised around the world. Here are some more suggestions for you to go through before fixing an appointment with your tattoo artist:
- Ear tattoos with horoscope sign
- Ear tattoos with flowers
- Ear tattoo with a dragon behind the ear
- Ear tattoos with constellation behind the ear
- Ear tattoo with a spider web on the inner folds of the ear
feature image from Pinterest
