TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Small is big: Stuff to think about before getting a micro tattoo
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Inked for life: Getting a micro tattoo may be all the rage, but Revolver Tattoos cofounder Christine So cautions against using DIY hand-poke kits. Instead, she recommends consulting a tattoo artist so you get the design you want, as it's (usually) for life. (Courtesy of Christine So) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Christine So)
M
icro tattoos have been growing in popularity over the last few years. They’re exactly what they sound like, small tattoos, and are generally favored for their simple and minimalist designs. Trends aside, be sure to have a long and hard think before getting one!
Micro tattoos might be the right choice for people who like their skin art simple. It is not a new style of tattoo, but the term certainly is. Since the tattoos are smaller in size, they require lower maintenance.
"From what I know, the trend came from South Korea. Many of my customers brought their preferred designs and I checked: they were from South Korea," said Mawar Pajouw, a tattoo artist and the owner of Pajouw Tattoos.
There are some things that make micro tattoos different from conventional ones. For instance, some colors typically used for traditional styles, especially black, might not suit the smaller designs and finer details of micro tattoos, which are more prone to blowout, where the ink spreads beyond the original design to leave a blurred effect.
Mawar said that most of his customers who requested micro tattoos were women, ranging from twentysomethings to over 50s. Popular designs include line work, doodles and "cutesy" illustrations.
Many people prefer micro tattoos as a way to express themselves in a simpler, low-key manner.
More from The Weekender
Jakarta’s padel moment
From FOMO to full-blown obsession, padel has captured the city. What comes next may depend less on courts and more on the communities that grow around them.
The battle over memory
And why the government’s plan to rewrite its history books should alarm us all.
Are younger workers getting something right about work?
As micro-retirements gain traction, Gen Z and young millennials are challenging traditional ideas of ambition, success and when it’s okay to pause.
