Dotwork tattoo on the inner arm

Pain

6/10 · high

Sensible width

6–12 cm

Healing (surface)

10–14 days

Visibility

sometimes visible

Is it a good match?

These are good conditions for fine lines: the skin stays calm and sees little friction, so lines that are crisp when fresh stay that way for a long time. Ageing still happens – don't plan the design smaller than necessary, so the lines still have room between them in ten years.

Black is considered the most durable tattoo ink. With occasional sun, it is enough to put sunscreen on the spot in summer.

More on the style: Dotwork tattoo – every placement at a glance.

What size?

For a dotwork tattoo on the inner arm, a width of about 6–12 cm makes sense. At the lower end that is about half to three quarters of a credit card wide, at the upper end a little wider than a palm.

Because this style works with fine detail, when in doubt go one size up. What looks razor-sharp on three centimetres when fresh needs room over the years so the lines don't merge.

Try the size against your own measurements

How much does it hurt?

On the inner arm, pain sits at about 6 out of 10 – high. For comparison: on the forearm it is about 3, on the upper arm about 3. On the inner arm it is the most sensitive of the three.

Lines tend to feel sharp, fills and shading more like scratching over irritated skin. The more is filled in, the longer the session.

Pain values are our own rough assessment on a scale of 1 to 10, not measurements – every body feels it differently.

All spots on the pain chart

How long does it take to heal?

On the inner arm, the surface is usually closed after 10–14 days; the skin underneath takes several weeks to fully renew.

Fine lines injure the skin less and are often closed at the lower end of the range. They only show their final sharpness after a few weeks, once the top layer of skin has renewed.

Aftercare day by day