In the endless deluge of searches on our web site for tattoos, tattoo ideas, tattoo designs and tattoo symbols - we are talking about millions of searches, folks! - we get more than a fair smattering of people looking for tattoos for specific body parts. And the searches lead us to believe that there are probably more women than men searching online for tattoo ideas - as you will soon see.
I must confess at this point that when I initially started seeing people looking for tattoo designs and symbols for specific body parts I was puzzled. It somehow seemed backwards to me. My own prejudice was that an individual should choose a tattoo that was important to them first, and then in consultation with a tattoo artist, then decide the best place for the tattoo to be inked. I have since changed my mind. Each of us has to follow our own journey in life and that certainly includes the tattoo and body art path.
Always bear one thing in mind when it comes to tattooing - not all body parts are created equal. The first consideration is that not all the skin on your body is the same, nor will it take tattoo pigment the same way. Some of your skin is designed to form calluses for protection, other skin is designed to crease along joints. Tattoos on elbows, knuckles, knees, and feet are infamous for fading out. Tattoos that cross areas of the body were your skin is designed to crease may result in lines spreading out, a term tattoo artists refer to as "blow-out". A good tattoo artist is not going to want to tattoo any design on you that doesn't reflect well on them as an artist.
Despite the incredible growing popularity and acceptance of tattooing in most places, some tattoos still have an element of stigma attached to them. The first of course is subject matter. Racially or sexually offensive tattoos are always going to be seen in a negative light. But tattooing certain body parts may still offend potential employers - and that includes the military services - and other members of the community, and those body parts are the ones that we can't "cover-up" if we might have to, namely, faces, necks, and hands - and in some instances, feet. Listen closely to your tattoo artists. And take the time to choose your tattoo artists wisely. So here they are in apparent order of preference:
1. Lower Back Tattoos - This is probably the first choice as a location for a woman getting her first tattoo. Sexy, sensual, exposed at the beach but covered up at the office. May be shared with a lover but hidden from the rest of the world - especially parents and Grandma. Celebs like Angelina Jolie her her lower back tiger tattoo and Jessica Alba's bow are two examples of lower back tattoos.
2. Wrist Tattoos - popular with starlets. And can be hidden under a watch or bracelet if need be. Winston Churchill's mother had a snake encircling her wrist. Examples would be Lindsay Lohan for her wrist tattoo "breathe" and Eminem for wrist tattoos.
3. Foot Tattoos - A famous holiday vacation splurge. The problem is that tattoos on feet tend to need a lot of touching up because of their propensity to fade quickly. Carrie Otis and Charlize Theron are known for their foot tattoos.
4. Ankle Tattoos - Popularized by super models Christy Turlington and Stephanie Seymour. Can be very delicate or a bold tribal design.
5. Armband Tattoos (true, not a specific body part) - Was once the staple in tattoo parlors around the world. Seemed like other guy in the frat house had one. Pamela Anderson triggered a wave of barbwire. The tribal armband has bought a lot of tattoo artists a new Harley.
6. Back Tattoos (also, back-piece tattoos) - The largest blank canvas on the human body. Most tattoo artists will advise you to go as large as you can comfortably mange, and then go larger. Tattoos can be an alluring enthusiasm. You may think you just want one - and which tattoo artist hasn't heard that a thousand times or more - but keep in mind when choosing your tattoo design and placement how you might incorporate it into an even larger and more elaborate piece. Check out Lena Headey, 50 Cent & LeBron James for back tattoos.
7. Arm Tattoos (which often specifies, upper arm, lower arm, forearm, shoulder and even sleeves) - see Back Tattoos. A single Koi, can in time, become an entire Japanese inspired sleeve. See Amy Winehouse, David Beckham and Anouk for examples of arm tattoos.
8. Chest Tattoos - Pectorals are a favorite spot to make a man's chest look larger. And before you ladies protest, please see number nine. Examples of chest tattoos are Lenny Kravitz and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
9. Breast Tattoos (we're standing firm on the differences between chests and breasts) - Requests for information about breast tattoos has been so popular over the years that I wrote an article entirely on that premise, called "Gilding the Lily: Why We Tattoo Breasts" Examples are Teri Polo, Christina Ricci's Blue-bird and rapper Eve.
10. Neck Tattoos - Once a taboo area for most tattoo artists and tattoo enthusiasts, the explosion in tattooing in recent years has pushed back the boundaries of what meets the community standards of acceptable body art and tattoos. Where once men and women would have full tattoo body suits, necks hands and feet were left untouched so that an individual could "cover-up" their tattoos with a suit or long dress and pass incognito in a crowd or at certain conservative social functions. Musicians and tattoo artists, individuals whose independent sources of income and public reputation as "outlaws, rogues and scoundrels", has allowed them in recent years to get tattoos that were once entirely associated with gang members or individuals who had spent time in prison. But if you want to get a job in a bank when your garage band folds, you might want to think twice. See Allen Iverson for neck tattoos. Robbie Williams has a neck tattoo as well.
Just out of the Top Ten Tattoo Body Parts were full body-suits, and the traditional Japanese kimono comes immediately to mind, belly tattoos, which is an area of the body made famous by Tommy Lee's "Mayhem" across his abdomen, and legendary rapper and actor Tupac Shakur's "Thug Life" in a similar position. Travis Barker of Blink 182 started out with a Boom Box on his belly before becoming fully tattooed.
Hand tattoos also popped up, as people have long been fascinated by the images and phrases that can be spelled across the four fingers on each hand. This has been a theme picked up in many Hollywood movies, perhaps most famously in Cape Fear - think LOVE and HATE, or LOVE and PAIN. Bold statements to be sure. For examples of hand tattoos, who better than Carey Hart or Jesse James.
And last but definitely not least, we get large numbers of searches for tattoos on what can only be euphemistically called the naughty bits, ie, all the tattoos below the belt or the bikini line. Tattoos below the belly-button - another popular search by the way - and above the pubic hair are quite common requests. However, our suspicions arose, so to speak, when the aforementioned searches were often accompanied by frequent requests for pics and photos. Sounds like some folks were just window shopping! For examples of below the belly button tattoos see Alyssa Milano and Drew Barrymore.
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