Teeny tiny tattoos for first-timers (and those who can't decide what to get next)

Tattoos are more popular than ever, with one in five Brit claiming to have at least one inking.

There’s admittedly an age gap here: the figure changes to almost one in three if you’re below the age of 44, while just one in 10 over-60s have a tattoo. Helen Mirren, included.

Another study, from Remember A Charity, found 5% of us get our first tattoo after the age of 60.

But deciding which tattoo to get is no small feat. You might be concerned about it showing at work, or just finding it hard to settle on the design.

Enter the tiny tattoo.

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The ideal starter, so-called “tiny” tattoos are intricate designs often located in subtle places on the body, such as behind an ear or on the inside of your wrist.

There’s plenty of inspiration to be found online - particularly on Tumblr.

From meaningful phrases to floral designs, the subtle inkings shared on the social media site are a world away from the larger body artworks or “sleeves” often associated with tattoos.

Single needle tattoos produce a beautiful “blink and you’ll miss it” effect, with fine artistic lines that look like someone’s taken to your skin with a calligraphy pen.

Warning: single needle tattoos can be more painful than standard tattoos, but arguably the overall effect is worth it.

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For a tattoo that literally fades into the background, you can also get a white ink version.

Or why not try red ink? This can also produce a more subtle effect than black inkings, especially if you have a darker skin tone.

You can also get subtle jewellery tattoos, so you never have to remember to put any on.

This is especially handy for an alternative engagement or wedding ring.

If you really can’t commit, you can always get a temporary tattoo to test it out first – as these Tumblr users have shown.

This gives you a chance to see if you really like having a certain design on your skin, before you spend the time and money getting a real tattoo.

Choose at your leisure.