A tattoo shop owner shares 3 tattoo trends that are overdone and 3 designs that will never go out of style (2024)

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Stu Hepcat is a tattoo artist and owner of Hepcat Tattoos in Glasgow, Scotland.

Hepcat became a tattoo artist in the 1990s and has owned Hepcat Tattoos in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city, since 2009. Hepcat told Insider that while deciding what tattoo to get is a personal choice, he advises clients to avoid choosing a certain design just because it's a trend.

"Something that's supposed to be individual and special can quickly become mass produced," Hepcat said, adding that trends can soon become overdone and go out of style.

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Hepcat said a good rule of thumb is avoiding tattoo designs made famous by celebrities.

"If you see a celebrity that has a tattoo, those are the ones that will date," Hepcat said, adding that an individual should base their design on personal choice.

Hepcat shared three tattoo trends that he believes are overdone, and three designs that will never go out of style.

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Dream catcher tattoos are no longer as popular as they used to be.

Hepcat told Insider that dream-catcher tattoos became popular in 2009 after celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato got the design inked. He said that during this time the number of people requesting the design was excessive, but the interest has since fizzled out.

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The infinity symbol design has had its day, according to Hepcat.

As Insider previously reported, the infinity symbol tattoo is beloved by people who get matching tattoos and those who get the design to honor a loved one.

But Hepcat told Insider that the infinity symbol design — particularly the symbol surrounded by bird silhouettes — became extremely popular in recent years to the point of being overdone.

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Hepcat said he loves lion tattoos, but he fears they're also in danger of being overdone.

Hepcat said that while all animal tattoos can be considered classics, lions are in danger of becoming overdone due to the amount of sports players and celebrities who have them.

"I still think they're great, and pretty cool still. They are just in danger of becoming overdone," Hepcat said, adding that he still gets plenty of requests for the design.

But Hepcat says there are some designs that will never go out of style, such as eagle tattoos.

Hepcat said an eagle tattoo is a classic design that's likely to never go out of fashion due to its long history in the tattoo industry.

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Heart tattoos will be a forever trend.

Hepcat said that that heart tattoos, as well as hearts and skulls tattoos, "will always stand the rest of time because of their history," noting that they have remained popular for years and are likely to remain a classic design.

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Roses are likely to remain popular for a long time, Hepcat says.

While various floral designs have become popular in recent years, the rose is one design that is likely to outlast them all, according to Hepcat.

Just like eagles and hearts, Hepcat said the rose tattoo is timeless due to the design's long history. He said the design has always been used in pop-culture imagery, such as band T-shirts, which helps.

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Getting inked is a personal experience, so go with what feels special to you.

Whether you want to follow a particular tattoo trend or not is a personal choice, Hepcat told Insider. No matter what design you choose, Hepcat said you'll never have a bad tattoo unless it's done badly by your artist.

"At the end of the day, get what you want, it's your body and tattoos are supposed to express individualism, not conformity or fashion," Hepcat said. "Tattoos are not meant to make you fit in, you are meant to use them to stand out. Express your personality and your passions."