18 Tattoos That Are More Than Works of Art

Let’s set aside stereotypes for now. Getting inked can be a powerful means of processing your grief or trauma. According to new research, tattoos can heal the mind as well as adorn the body. Getting a certain symbol or phrase tattooed on you can be a daily reminder of your strength, resiliency, and the fact that you’re alive.

1. “Got my dad’s writing from a birthday card he got me a while back tattooed tonight. Miss you so much!”

2. “I got a letter from my 7-year-old self as a tattoo to remind my 27-year-old self to love myself a bit more.”

3. “My 70yo dad got his first tattoo to honor his love for my 73yo mom for their 50-year anniversary.”

4. “Tattoo I got on my arm of my family portrait. Including my 2 brothers who recently passed.”

5. “Tribute tattoo to my deceased daughter. The heartbeat going down is hers.”

6. “Got a tattoo with my dad for his birthday. He taught me how to play chess when I was 7 and our favorite piece is a rook! ”

7. “Memorial tattoo, nose print of my recently passed pup, Zero”

8. “My dad and I got matching tattoos to honor my mom, who passed away. She will always be our fearless leader.”

9. “New tattoo. My mom wrote me a note before she passed, so I decided to get it tatted.”

10. Sometimes scars inspire our imagination.

11. “Got my first tattoo today based on my lifelong stuffed animal.”

12. “10 of my cousins got matching tattoos for one of us who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.”

13. “Finally finished my memorial tattoo.”

14. A pretty tattoo can heal old scars.

15. “Finally got my late husband’s handwriting tattooed on me nearly 11 years to the day.”

16. Birthmark looks like a map.

17. Tattoos can even cure your old injuries.

18. Tattoos can turn vitiligo into a whole universe.

Want more articles like this one? Be sure to check these out before you go!

• 16 Times Tattoo Artists Turned Scars Into Works of Art
• This Tattoo Artist Immortalizes People’s Beloved Pets by Creating Funny Cartoonish Tattoos
• 10+ of Brad Pitt’s Tattoos and Their Meanings
• 20+ People Showed Their Tattoo Fails and Made the Whole World Smile
• 12 Actors Got Tattoos About the Movies They Acted in, and They Look So Heart-Touching