25 Places on Your Body to Get Tattoos

For tattoo lovers, no area is off limits. Much like a painter, the body becomes your canvas, and every part of your body is free to get the tattoo design of your choice. For those that love tattoos but have not yet decided on the best part of their body to get their next tat design, here is a list of the 25 best places to get a tattoo, as well as a few options for your next design.

Biceps/Upper Arm

Perhaps one of the most common places to get a tattoo, a variety of different designs can go on the bicep area. It is one of the most visible sections of your body (assuming you do not often wear long sleeves) and, more importantly, anything goes. Because the area is so easy to hide, it does not matter what tattoo design you choose. Flaming hearts, skulls, love for your mom - there is no limit to the artwork you choose.

Ankle

Ankles, especially on women (but fine for men) are a great place to get a tattoo. The key here is to choose a tattoo design that is small and easy to make out, like a star or a heart. If you choose something too complicated, it looks to others as though you have a skin color problem.

Wrist

One of the more popular tattoo designs these days is to get a bracelet inked on your arm. People like to switch their accessories all the time, but for those that simply like seeing some color on their wrists, this is a great place to get a design.

Lower Back

Yet another popular location with women, a tattoo on the lower back has gotten a bad rep of late, but it is still a great place to get a more intricate and symmetrical design, especially one that doesn't have a specific meaning. Tribal tattoos are most common, but Chinese lettering is very popular here.

Chest

For men, a tattoo on the chest can be anything. The chest is the place that most men get their larger tattoo designs - as well as an area of skin used as an extension for another piece of artwork that stretches across the entire body. For women, this is less often the case. Most often women place a small tattoo above the breast, rather than something more elaborate. Be careful what you get, as sagging can completely ruin a more elaborate design, and this is far more common on women than men.

Back of the Neck

Like the ankle, the back of the neck is a better place for a small tattoo design, as anything too gaudy could give the impression of being a skin discoloration. But the back of the neck is a good place for a star, a cross, and a variety of other symmetrical designs.

Belly Button

The belly button is one of the most unappreciated areas on the entire body. The same goes with body art, where the belly button can be decorated in multiple ways that are both sexy and artistic.

Wrist

The wrist is yet another area of the body that seems as though it should be used more than it is. Nearly everyone - both male and female - wear some type of bracelet on a daily basis. Most of the time that bracelet is only replaced when it is lost or broken. You can easily decorate your wrist area with a tattoo design, providing you with essentially a permanent bracelet that will never be lost and can always be added to.

Feet

Unlike the ankle, the foot is a great place*for an elaborate design of your choosing. Most of the day you have socks on, and the skin color of your feet often doesn't match the tone of your legs, which see more sun. For that reason, your feet often stand out when they are bare already. So why not decorate them with an attractive piece of artwork that you can show off to others?

Fingers

You have the choice here between an elaborate design that covers an entire finger, or a smaller design that resembles a ring, much in the same way you can decorate your wrists with a bracelet. Full designs that cover an entire finger are often very intriguing, but be sure and check to see how they change the way your hands look before you complete one.

Shoulders

The shoulders are a great place for a tattoo design, especially one that is more decorative than an item (for example, more artistic than simply a skull or something more concrete). Shoulder tattoos often resemble the design style of those on the lower back, as both tend to have the same interesting artistic swing. Tribal tattoos are especially common.

Mons Pubis

Some women like to get a tattoo on the mons pubis, which is the small mound of skin just above the female genitals. There are several designs that can actually look quite good in this area, but be warned that getting inked there can be very painful.

Eyeballs

It happens. Some people enjoy getting a small tattoo on their eyeball. Let this be the last place you get a tattoo, as it is likely the most painful and there are very few designs that truly stand out on the soft tissue.

Buttocks$3C/b>

An incredibly smooth area that few people are going to see unless you let them? A great place for whatever tattoo you desire. The buttocks has a lot of skin is clearly visible, with few bumps that could mess up your design. If you have a specific design that you want more than anything and you are not sure if it will look good anywhere else, the buttocks is the way to go. This area is prone to sagging though, so if you needed an excuse to go to the gym, there you go.

Upper Back

Like the buttocks, the upper back has a great deal of skin and few bumps that can ruin your design. It also does not sag as much. But as is often the case with body art, when something is as visible as your upper back, it is usually a good idea to choose a tattoo design that is more symmetrical. The upper back is also a great place for words and phrases, should you be fond of that type of artwork.

Forearm

There are no special rules about forearm tattoos. Almost every design style seems to work, and rarely does any of the artwork look as though it is a skin discoloration. That said, they are quite visible, so you should make sure your workplace is okay with your ink.

Stomach

Your belly is a great canvas. It has a lot of skin, it is only visible when you want it to be, and when it expands from age/weight gain it usually does so in a fairly fluid manner, so that the design stretches with it.

Scrotum

Some men like to get tattoos on their scrotum. It can be painful and few people are going to see it, but hey - it's skin, and it's yours. Knock yourself out.

Love Handles

Often times the side of your stomach is used to expand other designs, such as those on your chest, back, or stomach. But the side of your body should not be overlooked, and your love handle area can easily fit its own design if you have something unique that will work there.

Hamstrings

The back of your leg tends to stay very fit as you age, so it is a good place to get tattoo designs if you are worried about sagging or stretching ruining the design. Tribal tattoo designs do not work as well here as they do in other areas, but you can still find several decent, more elaborate designs that fit well in this area.

Calves

Calves are a lot like the hamstrings, except there is less skin to fit the design, so it is usually better to keep these designs slightly more simple, unless you are planning on enveloping the entire leg. Some of the more fun designs seem on the calves include peaock feathers and Chinese watercolor.

Face

The most devout tattoo lovers use their entire body as their canvas, and the face is still a part of your body. If it wasn't for the stigma that is associated with those that get face tattoos, one could bet that they would be more common, but unfortunately face tattoos may make it hard to get a job or make a favorable first impression with someone more conservative. That said, don't forget that you can always create very small designs that fit well in these areas. Some people like to put a small star at the edge of their eyebrow, and these are not very gaudy and more socially acceptable.

Top of the Head

If you can commit to being bald, you can commit to a tattoo on your scalp. For many, the tattoo is an extension of one on the neck, but once again, it's still an area of canvas that is perfect for any type of body art.

Front of the Neck

One thing to avoid with any tattoo designs on the front of the neck - you want to make sure it does not blend with a chest tattoo and look as though it is some type of extensive body hair.

Perineum

The final place you can get inked is a place that not even your lovers might see. The perineum is the area of skin between your genitals and your anus - barely viewable even to those that are looking for it. Yet it is still an available patch of skin, and is a fun place to put a small tattoo that is a secret for only you to enjoy. This area is more visible on women than men, so women should be careful to put something that one can appreciate - such as a star, or something else cute and small - while men should make sure that they choose a tattoo design that will not look diseased, like a word or less elaborate drawing.

Your Body is Your Canvas

When it comes to tattoo designs, Every patch of skin on your entire body is yet another space that can be filled with the artwork of your choice. Despite what is outlined above, there are no rules for these areas. If you are passionate about a type of tattoo, and are certain it will not negatively affect your life - get it done. You have nothing to lose.