25 cute ear tattoos that are perfect for minimalists

"Anytime the skin is compromised there is potential for infection and inflammation," she says. "The process of tattooing is a compromise to the skin."

A more likely side effect of an ear tattoo is keloid scarring, especially for folks with dark skin. She also says anything with cartilage is prone to infection.

After the session, don't be alarmed if your ear feels warm or looks red, as that's totally normal, Denyse says. Like all new tattoos, you have to keep the area well-moisturised and protected from the sun.

Carrie says you don't need anything super fancy for aftercare, just a "simple non-scented and dye-free lotion."

New York City-based artist Ocean Gao typically covers their clients' tattoos with a medical-grade healing bandage, like Second Skin. They suggest A&D Ointment — typically used for nappy rashes — for aftercare but say that many of their clients opt for a tub of Aquaphor, which also works.

There are certain ingredients and products to steer clear of after your appointment. "I tell all my clients to avoid letting shampooing or soap run directly on their ear tattoo for the first one to two days after receiving their tattoo. The same goes for spraying or applying hair products as well in that time frame," Denyse explains. "After the ear tattoo is healed, you can continue using all soaps and hair products as usual."

Toronto-based tattoo artist Rachel Weldon agrees with putting hair products down, but goes a step further and suggests her clients limit moisturising the area during the healing, but only for ear tattoos.

"I have found most people's bodies produce enough natural oil, particularly from their hairline, that it's not necessary," she explains. This may differ from the advice of other artists, so ultimately it's important to ask yours what they recommend.

Tattoos do fade over time, regardless of location, so taking care of them, especially in the healing phase, is key. To better preserve your ink, sunscreen is a must, according to London-based artist Gi, known as Slowpokes. Dr. Gohara says it should be SPF 30 or higher.

Gi etched this floral dot-work tattoo. She hand pokes (which is a form of tattooing that doesn't use a machine) all of her clients' tattoos. Teeny-tiny dots decorate the cartilage and lobe randomly. She added star-shaped flowers, composed of mini specks to the scapha, the mostly flat portion of the upper ear.

These delicate-looking leaves appear on the scapha (if you're not sure what that is, see the previous slide!) as well as the area in front of the ear, gorgeously accenting the body part. Upon a closer look, you'll notice that each leaf is comprised of a grouping of spots. At the base of the leaf, the dots are closer together appearing darker before fanning out to form the rest of the shape and the tip. This style of tattooing gives the finished piece an ombré effect.

These mini diamonds by Gi adorn the ear in a random pattern, extending across to the front of the tragus. It's an example of how simple, itty-bitty specks can form more intricate body art.

Dot and fine line work create the tiny stars and diamonds on the scapha. Gi added more of the dots to lower helix and lobe to create this abstract piece.

This client wanted to cover up a scar, so Gi did exactly that — etching a bold star on top of the former wound. Look closely to see the tiny specks that form diamonds and below it.

Gi hand poked this leafy ink on the scapha of the ear. Its thin leaves branch out from a fine branch that extends from the upper ear to the cusp of the lobe. If you zoom in closer, you'll also see the diamond-shaped grouping of dots.

This barbed wire tattoo, created by Berlin-based artist Sagflap, covers the face, ear, and neck. They drew a net-like pattern that extends from the client's sideburns down to the jaw and across the entire scapha and lobe. The last part of the ink peeks out from behind the ear before ending about halfway down the neck.

This ink is like a tattoo and piercing in one. Belgium-based tattooist Romah drew two rings on her client's upper cartilage area, which mimics a double helix piercing. She added two more fine lines on the lower part of the helix. From afar someone may mistake the bold lines and trio of spots right above the tragus for black jewellery.

This ink by Sagflap covers the scapha, lobe, and part of the cartilage with stars. Each star is different. Zoom in and you'll see each one has different line weights, which makes it that much more fun to look at.

There's no real pattern to these hypnotic squiggles, which feature vibrant blue lines that whip around the ear and even behind it.

Labarca's dot work on this intricate solar system-themed ink is out of this world. Her attention to detail despite the small space is amazing. For each tattoo, she tries to work closely with her clients to bring their dreams to life, which is helpful if you can't decide what you want. "My clients send me multiple ideas, explain their vision, and we do the planning together," she shares. "I create two ideas for them to choose from based on the information shared with me and create something unique for them."

Placing a tattoo behind the ear is an easy way to make it incognito. Weldon created this rose for a client who wanted a simple design that wouldn't "overwhelm the space."

You might mistake this snake tattoo for a piercing if you look too quickly. This simple black snake inked by Gao looks like it's working its way up the ear — and the flared-out tongue at the end really adds the finishing touch.

This eye tattoo may be small in size, but its impact isn't. The simple design complements the two other nearby tattoos, which can almost be mistaken for piercings.

The work of Berlin-based artist María Palomino Sedze (also known as Lady Marion) shows that ear tattoos can go as far as you want them to. Here, she wanted to represent the flow of energy, so she created these angled shapes which almost resemble circuit lines.

Tattoo artist Janine Bond brings the sea to the ear with this blue ombré fish. The Delaware-artist loves freehand drawing her clients' tattoos. For her, the process "makes the drawing itself very organic and allows me to utilise the client’s individual anatomy best."

This fiery ink created by UK-based artist Jack Brown decorates the ear lobe and cartilage as the flames flow up the helix. He completed the flames' outline using the stick and poke method — a form of tattooing that doesn't involve a machine — which is great for those who might not be too keen on hearing the vibrations of a tattoo gun so close to their ears.

Playing around with lines and geometric shapes is a popular option for this area. These simple angled lines extend from the outer ear to the tragus for a futuristic feel.

Tiny, solid triangles come together to form negative space geometrical shapes that wrap around the entire top half of the ear in this fascinating tattoo. Playing around with the shape and size of the design on the ear can result in interesting combinations, whether's it's covering only half the ear or the entire thing.

This charming little elephant is hidden just behind the ear for ink that only shows up when you want it to. Replace it with your favourite animal or another tiny shape you desire.

This tattoo almost looks like an optical illusion with its expert shading. We're impressed with how detailed Bond's dotting technique is on each ray that emerges from the inner ear.

Utilise both the ear and the surrounding area for your new ink, like the above. Denyse tattooed both the snowflake-shaped piece and the vine that cradles the entire bottom half of the ear using dot work.

This is a great spot for teeny figures, like this lightly shaded koi fish. The miniature creature looks like it is swimming peacefully in the ear's curves.

The amount of detail and colour packed into this fantasy tattoo is incredible. The lime green dragon is perfectly perched right on the upper ear and its tail lies alongside the helix.

If you look closely enough, you'll be able to notice all the super tiny dots comprising each leaf. Its gradient effect elevates the little piece of nature.

This article first appeared on Allure.