The 2000s have brought a lot of new ideas to the tattooing world, but one trend that blew up early on in this century and never slowed down is the half sleeve tattoo. The half sleeve tattoo wasn’t quite as popular as the tribal tattoo early on in the 2000s, but it is easily the more popular design these days, and has been for a while now.

First, let’s go over exactly what a half sleeve tattoo actually is. The majority of half sleeve tattoos come in two forms: those that start at the shoulder and go down to the elbow area, and those that start on the back or in the chest area. Either way, they are considered to be half sleeves because they do not cover the entire arm. If someone has a tattoo that starts near the top of their arm and makes it all the way down their wrist, then it is considered to be a full sleeve, or just “sleeve,” tattoo.

One of the main reasons why the half sleeve tattoo is so extremely popular is because it gives the artist a huge canvas to work on. They have a lot more skin to work with and can therefore get a lot more detail into the tat than they would if it were in just one small location. Also, because it wraps around the arm in most cases, they know that there will usually be many more elements inside of the tattoo since it is going to look different depending on the observer’s perspective.

The cylindrical shape of half sleeve tattoos also allows the owners to get a bit more creative with their tattoo designs. An example of this is the very popular snake sleeve tattoo, which wraps around the arm rather than simply going from the top of the shoulder down to the elbow. This gives potential half sleeve owners a world of possibilities, which adds even more excitement to the process.

For working professionals, the half sleeve tattoo allows them to get the big tattoo that they always wanted without it sticking out when they’re wearing their work shirts. Since the tattoo is going to end around their elbows, they can still roll up their sleeves while working and no one would be the wiser. Many employers still don’t want their employees showing ink, so the half sleeve tattoo can be a great way to both have a big tattoo and keep it hidden during the workday.