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TATOO

33 Small Tattoos Even the Most Needle-Shy Can’t Resist

Aug 2, 2024 12:29 am

Ok
These days there are more reasons than ever to get a tattoo. Tattoos are good for your health (really!) and good for bonding, and you can get one so teeny that all it takes is a dab of makeup and you can hide it if you want.
With more and more celebrities getting inked, their go-to tattoo artists have become celebs in their own rights, one of the largest being JonBoy. We asked the New York tattoo artist whose delicate designs have been spotted on Kendall Jenner and Hailey Baldwin, to take us through his favorite works and most popular spots he's inked. If you didn't want a small tattoo before, we're betting you'll definitely want one now.

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Baby Angel

  • Got a really, really low pain threshold? Behold fine-line tattoos, which are less painful because the needle can't go too deep. "With the fine lines, you have to be light with your hands or you blow it out, which looks blurred and bigger than it should," explains JonBoy, which is why this angel on Kaia Gerber looks so delicate.


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Picasso Inspired

  • With fine-line tattoos like this, you need to keep a close eye on them as they heal. "They’re a little more high-maintenance in the sense that you want to keep them moisturized or they scab, which may fall off too early and take the pigment with it," he explains. "You can tell you need a touch-up within three weeks of the tattoo." (JonBoy offers complimentary touch-ups as a result. Something to keep in mind wherever you go.)



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Tiny Doodles

  • A smattering of celestial doodles feels fresh and is great for the commitment-averse.


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Small Smile

  • Tattoos this delicate have extra perks. One big one? The actual needle-on-skin time is minimal. "These little fine-line tattoos are so quick that your body doesn’t have a chance to go through hours of pain," he says. "It’s more like 15, 20 minutes and you’re done."


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Cluster of Stars

  • The stars are cute on their own, but what makes this tattoo so unique is it's cool placement.


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Whimsical Butterfly

  • Some of JonBoy's tattoos can be so discreet that you wouldn't notice them unless someone pointed them out. (Really, would anyone have noticed Kendall Jenner's white-ink heart on her finger if she hadn't Instagrammed it?) But JonBoy's noticed that some of his clients are getting bolder with their size and placement. "I think people are getting more comfortable with tattoos that show because of how small these tattoos can be," he explains.


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Tiny Birds

  • The reason you see such gorgeous tiny-tat inspo on JonBoy's Insta feed: He's choosy about the designs he does. "I don’t really get to mess with designs that I’m not into," he explains. "I want to be able to feel 110 percent about the tattoo and give my clients the experience they deserve." If a potential tattoo design just isn't his jam, his team will refer another artist off the bat.


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Dainty Diamond

  • Good news for those of us who are terrified of needles: "People think that getting a tattoo behind the ear hurts, but it really doesn't," says JonBoy. "They're always like, 'This isn't as bad as I thought it would be.'"



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Palm Sunrise

  • Get inked on your palms only if your pain tolerance is through the roof. "It's a different method," says JonBoy. "You almost have to sew it into the skin." If just reading that makes you feel a little woozy, this might be a spot to avoid.



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Meaningful Characters

  • If you're going with a foreign character, make sure that it means what you think it means. "I like to think that people have done their research before they get to me because you hear the horror stories," explains JonBoy.



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Bobby Pin

  • Here's the perfect way to make sure you always have a bobby pin on hand (literally). Not many tattoo artists even agree to do tattoos this small, which is partly why JonBoy specializes in them. "I'm better at fine lines than bold ones," he says.


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Itty-Bitty Rose

  • Ankle-crop jeans: a must if you've got a tattoo this cute.


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White Ink

  • White tattoos are as unnoticeable as they get (Kendall Jenner opted for white ink because of her modeling career). "It's a process, but it's worth it," says JonBoy. "But here's the deal with a white tattoo: It's not always going to look white, or it might look like a scar. It looks different on everyone."


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Handwriting

  • When it comes to words or phrases, JonBoy double- and triple-checks that everything is accurate before putting needle to flesh. "I messed up on Jack Nicholson's daughter, who wanted 'Don't Let Me Be Understood,'" he says. "Two minutes later, she came back in bawling and said, 'I wanted it to be "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.'" We ended up fixing it, but now I triple-check."



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Gothic Numbers

  • Tiny tattoos used to catch flak for being too simple—and too tiny. (Of course they did.) "One compliment that resonated with me was, 'You made it okay to do little tattoos'," recalls JonBoy. It opened up a world of possibilities for needle- and commitment-phobes alike.


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Mantra

  • JonBoy's celebrity clientele, like Orange Is the New Black's Danielle Brooks (shown here), is what shot him and his tiny tattoos to fame. It's not so surprising that his books are currently closed—i.e., he's not taking on any new clients—but persistence pays off.


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A Tiny Bouquet

  • Florals are having a moment and look just as pretty on your arm as on your favorite sundress.



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Cheeky Placement

  • Finger tattoos are one of JonBoy's most popular requests, but some tattoo artists won't do them. "There are risks that you're taking as far as fading," he warns. You're constantly washing, rubbing, and touching your hands, which can affect the color—but they look so cool they might just be worth the maintenance. Schedule a consultation with your artist ahead of time to talk about placement and upkeep.


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Hand Tattoos

  • Still, that doesn't mean hand tattoos don't need TLC. "When people get high-motion areas like the finger, the hand, or the foot, we warn them that we can’t guarantee that the ink going to hold as well as somewhere else on their body," says JonBoy.


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Tattooed Rings

  • Some of the most straightforward designs actually take the longest. "This tattoo only took me about 20 minutes, but the process of putting the stencil on takes way more time because I need to make sure everything is precise and placed correctly," says JonBoy.



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Script

  • Scroll through JonBoy's Instagram feed and you'll see that this handwriting pops up pretty often. It's actually his own. "Most of the time, clients are like, 'Hey, I love your handwriting—let's do it that,'" he says.


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Matching Tattoos

  • Go ahead, enlist your BFF or your sister (or even your mom) and get matching tattoos. "Matching tattoos are my favorite thing," says Jonboy. "You get to be part of this bonding moment with a mother and daughter, or sisters, or friends. I love being part of that moment."


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Anklet

  • The idea that tattoos on bony or thin-skinned spots, like the ankle, hurt more than on meatier areas? Consider it debunked. "It’s all about nerve endings, not about what area’s bonier," says JonBoy.


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Freckle Stars

  • "Freckles are okay to tattoo over," he explains. "What’s not okay is to tattoo over moles because you don’t want to break that skin." Plus, your skin cancer checks will be a major pain for your derm.


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Baby Shark

  • So cute!


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Angel Wings

  • "When my team sees someone continuing to email and ask, I make sure they’re put on the list for when my books open up," says JonBoy. Plus, he makes a point to hold pop-ups and walk-in days for non-VIP fans. (P.S. This ankle belongs to JonBoy client Bella Hadid, who got a set of wings to celebrate her debut in the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.)


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Abstract Lines

  • Abstract lines and dots are super popular with JonBoy's clients, especially if you want something more discreet. "I feel like it's easier to live with that than having a big Picasso piece," he says. "That's on their body. It's what they wanted, and it's as much a tattoo as having a sleeve."


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Little Star

  • Blink and you'll miss this tiny star.


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Detailed Feather

  • JonBoy is a perfectionist (an ideal trait in someone who's drawing permanent designs on people). "When I place something on someone's body, I have to make sure that it's perfect," he says. Case in point: this intricate feather.



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Important Date

  • If you're a JonBoy superfan but can't score an appointment with him, no sweat. JonBoy makes sure that potential clients are in good hands. "All my coworkers at West 4 Tattoo are capable of doing the small tattoos that I can do," he says. "I make sure they're getting a good experience."


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Itty Bitty Lettering

  • Simple letters make an important word even more meaningful.


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Mythical Creatures

  • His work is in such high demand (hello, who would not want a winged bunny?) that JonBoy refers potential clients to other artists he trusts—a thing to keep in mind if you ever find yourself in NYC.


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Celeb-Inspired Ink

  • "When celebrities get tattoos, that influences the rest of the world," says JonBoy. Which may be why white ink is so popular—after all, you can spot it (if you know where to look) on celebrities like Kendall Jenner.


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Hand Tattoos

  • Finger tattoos can be super discreet and are perfect for tiny tattoos—but tattoos on the backs of the hands are gaining on them. The upside is that tattoos here age way better. "They won’t fade as fast and the ink won’t spread out as much because the skin isn’t as thin here," explains JonBoy.


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Minimal Portrait

  • The reason you see such gorgeous tiny-tat inspo on JonBoy's Insta feed: He's choosy about the designs he does. "I don’t really get to mess with designs that I’m not into," he explains. "I want to be able to feel 110 percent about the tattoo and give my clients the experience they deserve." If a potential tattoo design just isn't his jam, his team will refer another artist off the bat.


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Dots

  • Dots are kind of a signature for JonBoy, in part because they're like the neutrals of the tattoo world. "A dot looks like a freckle or a birthmark," he says. Yet still they add a little mystery.


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Cosmic Tattoos

  • A bonus of a tiny back tattoo: It's easy to hide whenever, wherever you want. "A lot of my clients are always worried about what their parents are going to think, so I feel like it becomes an area where people can hide it but think, Whoa, that looks good as well," says JonBoy. Sorry, Mom.


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Lightning Bolts

  • "I've got clients who've done their drawings. They come in with the design ready to go, and they've been staring at it for years," says JonBoy. "Then there are other clients who say, 'I have this idea. Here's your reference. Do your thing.' That's the fun part."



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Simple Heart

  • Hearts are hands-down a classic (along with stars and crosses), according to JonBoy. "You're not going to get tired of having a heart or a star on you, as long as it's not so crazy or stylized," he says. "I'd like to think my designs are timeless."


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Coordinates

  • Even a tiny font can be a little too big, depending on where you want the tattoo. "I've had to tell people, 'You have to cut this short or change the design,'" says JonBoy. "You can't fit 10 pounds of sand in a five-pound bag." This is where stenciling is super important since you don't want to run out of room halfway into your tattoo.


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Back Tattoo

  • What's the point of getting a tattoo if you can see it only when you're naked and in front of a mirror? The appeal is in the intimacy, according to JonBoy. "You only show it to the people closest to you," he explains.



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Single Initial

  • A tiny initial can have a big impact with as little time under the needle as possible. "Something like this takes me five to 10 minutes, if that," says JonBoy. "They're so tiny, you can hide them, you can put on a bracelet or a watch, and boom—they're gone."


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Collarbone

  • Simple yet unexpected.


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Needle and Thread

  • Super-detailed designs like this (which will tug the heart strings of any former emo kid) require a steady hand since there's zero room for error.


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Hidden Tattoo

  • Another perk of a center-of-the-back tattoo like this one is that you may forget it's even there. "When you get a tattoo on your back, you don’t see it every day, so it's a good option if you’re a commitment-phobe," says JonBoy.


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Personal Writing

  • Not only is JonBoy's own handwriting a fan favorite, but he loves tattooing it too. "I think people enjoy that and no one else is going to have it," he explains. "You can’t find it on a font website." Comic Sans this is not.


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