19 Real-Life Tattoo Tales That Will Make You Laugh – and Possibly Cry

“I have a few Disney tattoos and some tattoos that I got with my sister that I love, but the most important ink I’ll ever put on my body is this back tattoo that says ‘feel good.’ I got it as a gift for my sister, who has the same phrase on her side, though she got hers years before. During a moment we both needed each other’s strength to get through, I got this message as just another way of letting her know that I’m there with her – everything she goes through, I’m right there by her side, going through it too. I know she feels the same way.” – Sarah Wasilak, fashion editor

“I got this tattoo on a whim one evening after a particularly impassioned anti-Trump march (and a few subsequent glasses of wine) back in January 2017, and it quickly climbed to the top of my favorites. Even though some of the pigment flaked off while healing, and the edges never really lined up perfectly, the message of equality is unwavering. Plus, every time I look at it, I think of my dad and smile. The Human Rights Campaign’s equality sign is one of the only bumper stickers he – an openly gay man – had on the back of his car, so as a queer person myself, getting this tattooed on me feels like I’ve come full-circle, in a way.” – Kelsey Castañon, beauty director

“The traditional name for this tattoo – which I got with two of my cousins on a trip to Samoa last year – is ‘tatau’ and we all got matching ones, and did it the Samoan way: outside in a hut (called a fale in Samoan) and using the traditional stick and poke method with handmade wooden tools. Traditional Polynesian tattoos are super special and often come with a story behind the designs, and my particular one was to honor my grandma. The large diamond shape in the middle represents a shark, a fierce protector, and an animal that my grandma loved. The three markings on each side of the diamond represent three smaller fish (my two cousins and I). It’s super special to me not only because it honors my grandma, but also because we got it done the traditional way and in our motherland.” – Honestine Fraser, social producer

“This tattoo represents the time I climbed to Mount Everest Base Camp and back, two years ago. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’m not the same after having done it. I pushed myself further than I ever thought I could go and learned what I’m really capable of. This tiny mountain tattoo represents all of those big things, and I’m reminded of my strength whenever I look at it.” – Caitlin Gallagher, senior editor, Living

“Most of my tattoos mean something personal to me, but my most recent tattoo is probably the most special, as it’s the first time one garnered more than an eye roll reaction from my old-fashioned 92-year-old Sicilian grandmother. My four cousins and I all got the phrase “Gioia mia” tattooed on us in our nonna’s handwriting. Gioia mia literally translates from Italian to “my joy,” and my nonna uses it as a pet name for all of us. It conveys so much love, and for all of us to have it in her unique handwriting is so sweet now, but will be even more so when she’s one day no longer with us. When I was the first of the cousins to show her the tattoo IRL, she cried and couldn’t believe that her handwriting had magically been inked into my skin. Her reactions to my first eight tattoos were . . . not as lovely.” – Alessia Santoro, family editor

“My favorite tattoo is the piece on my side. It’s of three different flowers to represent my heritage. The lily is the national flower of Italy, the shamrock for Ireland, the cornflower is for Germany. I’m very close with my family and proud of my lineage, and this tattoo represents that for me.” – Jessica Harrington, associate beauty editor

“The only tattoo I have is one I got right after I turned 18. I was a dancer all throughout high school, so once I was old enough I decided to get a pair of pointe shoes tattooed on my wrist. To be honest, I think the tattoo has lost a bit of its meaning over the years, considering I don’t do too much dancing anymore, but it’ll definitely always be special to me since it was my first one.” – Danielle Jackson, assistant beauty editor

“You know the smell of an old book that’s just been cracked open? These are three of the six compounds that make old books smell the way they do. I’m an avid reader and I wanted a ‘book’ tattoo, but something a little different. The amazing Dr. Woo did this tattoo for me, and it’s one of my favorites.” – Renee Rodriquez, executive assistant

“If my tattoos have taught me anything, it’s that spontaneity is key. When I happened to get the opportunity to work with Mike Rubendall, tattoo artist and founder of Kings Ave Tattoo, I was all in. For the first time, I had the chance to actually design the tattoo I wanted instead of picking something randomly off a flash sheet like I had in past – and I panicked.

“Because the opp came through a publicist pal, I begged her to let Mike choose a design for me so I wouldn’t have any of the pressure to do it myself. (Call me dramatic, but I prefer to fall in love with my ink after my fate has been decided for me.) Of course, Mike, being the professional he is, insisted I come in with my own thoughts and designs, which is how I landed on this quote I pulled directly from the lead singer of The 1975 Matty Healy’s arm. (For the record, I would’ve never done that if it hadn’t been a quote by David Shrigley. Stealing another artist’s design is plain plagiarism.) Now, it’s my favorite asset even though it totally crushes my dreams of ever meeting and marrying Matty Healy, as I’m sure he’d be a little put off by my copycat behavior.” – Samantha Sasso, associate beauty editor, Branded Content

“This is my most recent tattoo, which is only partially why I love it. My other tattoos are much smaller, so I was a little nervous about doing a piece this size, but I wanted to make sure I’d be able to honor the detail and line work my artist – the lovely Hannah Kang in New York City – is known for. It turned out incredible, and over a year later, it still looks as sharp as the day I got it. Plus, it’s one of the tattoos that I’ve gotten for my family, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart.” – Riyana Straetker, family editor, Voices

“This was done by East at Shamrock Social Club. I love the way his single needle cursive looks. The word ‘eunoia’ means many things. It can refer to a state of ‘normal’ mental health, it means ‘goodwill toward others,’ and it’s also the shortest English word containing all 5 vowels. I chose it because it also means ‘beautiful thinking’ and I liked the idea of having beautiful thoughts tattooed on me.” – RR

“As an avid reader and Harry Potter fan, I decided to get the chapter stars tattooed on my wrist as an ode to series that has meant so much to me over the years. While I’m disappointed in J.K. Rowling’s recent transphobic comments, I’m reminded of what Daniel Radcliffe wrote about how the bond you make to a story is sacred. For me, Harry Potter is home and a place of comfort, love, and acceptance, and these stars remind me of that.” – Tara Block, content director, Growth and Strategic Features

“I have a matching tattoo with my twin sister. We got compasses that point toward each other’s first name initial: mine points north toward Natasha and hers points south toward me. This represents the fact that no matter where we go in life, we’ll always find our way back to each other. We individualized our tattoos, too, so they are similar but not identical. Mine has a quill at the end and only features an N, and hers has both an N and an S and is also a bit smaller. Placement differs as well: mine is on my back and hers is on her ankle. They are the same but different, just like us.” – Samantha Brodsky, assistant editor, Fitness

“My favorite tattoo is the sunflower that’s on the inner part of my bicep just above my elbow. Not only are sunflowers my favorite flower but it’s also the exact illustration seen in my favorite poem ‘sunflowers’ by Rupi Kaur in her book, The Sun and Her Flowers. The poem reads, ‘despite knowing they won’t be here for long, they still choose to live their brightest lives.’ I loved the poem and the small, minimalist artwork so much that immediately after reading it I knew I had to get the tattoo. To this day, I still smile when I look at it because it serves as a daily reminder to live my life the same way a sunflower would.” – Genesis Rivas, assistant beauty editor, Makeup.com

“With the horse tattoo, my friend literally illustrated a horse pattern, and I was, like, ‘I need that on my body.’ With the triangle tattoo, I just wanted all the Harry Potter fans out there to know that I feel them, I love them, and I want to ride into the sunset on Buckbeak’s back with them.” – Rachael Clemmons, contributor

“Tattoos are typically a way to commemorate or celebrate something, but I’ve come to find my favorite tattoos on myself are ones that just look really pretty – they don’t necessarily have a deeper meaning. I got this one a couple of years ago and out of all my tattoos, it’s hands down my favorite. 33 is my lucky number, so I guess it does have a bit of meaning, but I love it because the design, size, and line work came out exactly as I imagined it (which doesn’t always happen with tattoos). The artist was incredibly easy to work with, he didn’t try to push his creative opinion or suggestions on me (which happens more than you think it would with tattoos). Finding the right artist for what you’re envisioning can sometimes make or break the finished product.” – Kelsey Kennick, editorial operations manager

“The tiny anthurium stem and lemon on my wrist was hand-poked by the amazing artistKelli Kikcio, the co-owner ofWelcome Home Studio in Brooklyn. She normally does these incredible, sprawling still lifes that are pretty large, so I was super excited when she agreed to do a small version for me. If you can get an appointment with Kelli or Welcome Home’s other co-owner, Tea Leigh, I highly recommend grabbing it. The experience of getting tattooed in their studio is one of a kind – warm, supportive, and welcoming.” – Aviel Kanter, associate director, Branded Content

“This tattoo was a whim that wasn’t really a whim. I got it on a dare from my college roommate, but I had honestly wanted this tattoo for a while, so it wasn’t out of left field. I love writing, have always loved writing, and wanted to honor that somehow. And I love this tattoo for its simplicity. It honors my love of writing easily and without need for flair. I also love it for a sillier reason: I’m someone who, if not for laws about tattoo age, would have had band lyrics tattooed all over my body by the age of 18. I’m always falling in love with quotes to a painful extent and thinking, ‘This! This is the one I get tattooed.’ Luckily, I’ve gained some self-control since high school, and realized those tattoos aren’t always the best idea (shout out to all the bands with awful lead singers in them who am very glad I did not get tattooed on me). Now, with quotation marks on my leg, I can fill in any quote there in my mind. I’m quoting everything I love all at once with this tattoo, without having to commit or pick and choose. Also, I know the marks are backward, but the tattoo artist kind of scared me and I figure it makes it unique?” – Bryce Aston, copy editor