Heartbeat tattoo

A heartbeat tattoo is mostly one line: flat, a sharp peak, flat again. That simplicity is why it works so small. Every design here is drawn in fine line and develops in blue-black, sized for the wrist, the forearm, the collarbone, the upper arm, the back of the neck or the side of a finger.

Ways to draw a pulse

• The pulse line on its own: one quick spike, or a steady run of peaks like an EKG strip.
• Pulse and heart: a heart can sit in the middle of the line, the trace can loop around into a heart, or the beat can cut straight through a heart outline.
• Pulse into peaks: the ECG trace climbs into a mountain ridge, with pines and a tent below.

What people see in a lifeline

For the people who choose one, the line usually stands for being alive. It might mark a recovery, a stretch of resilience, or someone they want to keep close. Our article on heart tattoo meaning covers the beat too.

Want a name, initials or a date worked into the beat? That belongs to a custom tattoo, made from your own design, printed in a minimum of three copies.

From pale to blue-black

Straight off the paper, the line looks pale, almost see-through. Don't judge it yet. Over the next 24 to 48 hours the jagua-based ink develops in the upper layers of your skin and turns blue-black. Application takes two minutes at most if you press firmly; after that, skip water and rubbing for 8 hours. Then showers, swims and workouts are fine, since it's waterproof. Expect up to two weeks on the forearm or neck. Hands and fingers fade sooner, so a pulse on a finger is a shorter affair. It's PPD-free and vegan.

A small heartbeat tattoo is also a simple way to try out a spot before permanent ink. For more thin-line work, see fine line tattoos; for hearts without the beat, there's heart tattoos.