People Share Epic Tattoos They Are Proud Of

Researchers aren’t entirely sure when tattooing began, but they do know people have been marking their skin with ink for thousands of years. Across cultures and continents, tattoos have served many different purposes. They’ve been used to signify status or religious beliefs, protect against evil, declare love, mark identity, and adorn the body. In some societies, they even functioned as a form of punishment.

As Lars Krutak, author of Indigenous Tattoo Traditions: Humanity through Skin and Ink, writes, “the desire to adorn and heal the body with tattoo is a very ancient part of our human past and culture.”

One of the earliest and most fascinating examples of this comes from Ötzi, the Tyrolean Iceman. After his naturally preserved body was discovered in the Alps in 1991, researchers determined that he had been buried around 3250 B.C., making him older than the tattooed Egyptian mummies that had long been considered the earliest evidence of tattooing.

Ötzi had 61 tattoos—dots and small crosses—on his left wrist, lower legs, lower back, and torso. Although researchers can’t say for certain why he received all of them, their placement near areas of joint and spinal degeneration has led some to suggest they may have served a therapeutic purpose rather than a purely decorative one—an intriguing reminder that, throughout history, tattoos have often meant much more than aesthetics alone.

This is no less true today. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 32% of U.S. adults have at least one tattoo, with 22% having more than one. Among tattooed adults, 69% said honoring or remembering someone or something was a major or minor reason for getting at least one of their tattoos. Nearly half (47%) said they got at least one tattoo to make a statement about their beliefs, and just under a third (32%) said they got at least one to improve their personal appearance.

The same survey also suggests that tattoos have become more mainstream. Eight in ten Americans, both with and without tattoos, said society has become more accepting of tattooed people over the past 20 years.

Across the pond, the picture is remarkably similar. Research by Ipsos for The Guardian found that 31% of British adults also have at least one tattoo. Reporting on the findings, Robert Booth notes that people commonly use tattoos to commemorate milestones, honor loved ones, express personal values, reflect creative passions, improve body image, or process difficult experiences—motivations that echo many of the purposes tattoos have served throughout history.

The Ipsos findings also revealed changing attitudes across generations. Adults aged 35 to 54 were just as likely to have a tattoo as those aged 16 to 34—a finding Booth says reflects many millennials and Gen Xers embracing body art as they “shake off the disapproval of older parents.” They were also twice as likely as the oldest generation to believe there’s no need to cover up tattoos in the workplace—a shift reflected in some institutional policies too.

Writing for the Financial Times, Srinidhi Balakrishnan points to one example: in 2018, the UK’s Metropolitan Police began easing restrictions on visible tattoos. As she observes, “What was once regarded as the preserve of soldiers, sailors and convicts is now a conventional form of self-expression.”

Mainstream acceptance has also reshaped tattoo culture itself. Matt Lodder, an art historian and author of Tattoos: The Untold History of a Modern Art, notes that as tattooing has gotten “bigger,” there are fewer people who are “heavily tattooed”—rather, he says, “There’s a divergence between people that want one or two tattoos and those that are interested in the subculture.”

Speaking to Bored Panda, Caitlyn Long, a tattoo artist at Cape Electric Tattoo in Cape Town, South Africa, echoed a similar sentiment, saying that “when everyone from the punk rock dude in the band to your great-aunt Sally has a tattoo” and everyone becomes an “insider,” tattooing can lose “that little bit of magic, that sense of mystery and rebelliousness it always had.”

Even so, Caitlyn sees this as another stage in tattooing’s constant evolution, with artists adapting to new technology and changing tastes while trying to preserve the craft’s distinctive character. She says, “We just have to adapt and use it to our best advantage and still try and keep that magic.”

Social media has played an important role in that evolution. Speaking to Bored Panda, Caitlyn explained that “Social media has opened up the world so much—being able to see work from all over the world at your fingertips, even being able to communicate with other artists for advice, etc.” It has also allowed artists to showcase their work to a global audience, making it easier than ever to connect with prospective clients beyond their local communities.

For clients, these platforms offer an endless source of inspiration and a way to research artists, styles, and techniques before ever stepping into a studio—something Caitlyn said helps people both find their “best fit” in a tattooer and “understand a little more about the artistry and skill that goes into it.”

That said, you don’t have to be a tattoo artist or even a client to appreciate the images on this list—all shared by members of r/tattoos.

For tattoo enthusiasts and curious admirers alike—yes, even great-aunt Sally—online communities like these have become virtual galleries showcasing the creativity and technical skill that have made tattooing an enduring form of personal expression and artistry—one whose impact extends far beyond the skin.

Keep scrolling to see the rest of the incredible tattoos that caught our eye, and don’t forget to upvote your favorites.

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