Whilst the individual style and design of a tattoo remains the most important aspect of your newly acquired ink, the placement on the body follows closely in importance. How and where you display your tattoo will have a factor in how it is admired. I first visited a tattoo parlour back in the mid eighties to get my first tattoo, there wasn't a woman in sight. The two resident tattoo artists were both (very macho) males, the waiting room was full of an assortment of bikers, armed forces personnel and young men like me. In fact I don't recall seeing many females frequent my tattoo parlour at all when I was starting my tattoo journey. Any that did walk in were usually accompanying their male partners whilst they got inked. Nowadays the scene is very different. I have personally been tattooed by a very talented female artist. A tattoo studio is no longer a male only testosterone filled haunt. Women have and will continue to get tattooed in their masses and whilst it was once frowned upon by the general public, now it is accepted. My wife is heavily tattooed. I remember the days in the summer when we would walk around the local supermarket and attracted stares of revulsion from young mothers and little old ladies! That doesn't happen anymore, nowadays most women I see in the that supermarket have some sort of tattoo. Some are more heavily tattooed now than my wife! I still maintain, as I did in my article regarding male tattoos, that tattoos look great in most places of the body, regardless of gender. There are however some keys places that are more beneficial to each gender. It is also worth remembering that generally men and women get tattooed for different reasons. Women tend to go for personal tattoos with more meaning behind them, and thus sometimes feel more comfortable hiding them in discrete locations, whereas men tend to like to show their tattoos off. So, if we're talking about places for tattoos on women, which body locations are ideal? 1. Arms. Usually a male preference, women are now expressing their tattoos on their arms. Whilst the muscle definition isn't as pronounced as on the males arm, the advantage of arm placement is that excessive body hair shouldn't be a problem! I've seen some truly fantastic full sleeve designs on women. I think that is the key, long flowing tattoos tend to work better on the slender arms rather than individual designs placed on the biceps and forearms. A point to make here is that there is nothing discreet about the arms. People will see it, and likely more often than on males due to the difference in clothing each gender wears. 2. Chest. Breast tattoos have always been popular, particularly when the placement is at the top of the breast. This area lends itself well to smaller designs. Be advised that, again due to the clothing women tend to wear, this tattoo will be highly visible. 3. Head/Face. You can now have beauty spots, eyeliner and other image enhancing ideas tattooed permanently. I have seen this from time to time on women. It is the only facial tattoo I have seen. A head tattoo is not likely to be an option as women tend to prefer hair on their heads. 4. Neck. Another display issue for women but this can be an advantage. It is common to see women place tattoos on the back of the neck rather than the side. With the benefit of longer hair this tattoo can be hidden discreetly when chosen, or displayed in full glory when the hair is tied back. 5. Back. A very popular location for women, the back offers the benefit of discretion should you choose not to show the tattoo off. The lower back is more preferable as low-cut dresses will still hid the design. Full back pieces will work depending on the design but it is not discreet and is definitely for the hardcore tattoo fan. If you're going for a bigger design a popular choice is to go for something that flows elegantly from one side of the back to another part of the body. 6. Legs Tattooing the upper leg is a favourite female body location. If offers the benefits of discretion but can be showed of in the summer with swimwear. The lower leg is also popular, as are now the ankles and feet which can be showed off in the summer with the right footwear, or hidden when desired. 7. Hands I'm seeing a lot of these nowadays, A popular choice of design is some form of script on the side of the hands. Lets face it, a lady's hand is far more attractive than a guy's hand in that it is likely to be hair free and often adorned with jewellery and polish. A small intricate tattoo can enhance the hand, but this is in no way a discreet location. You need to plan ahead and consider what the tattoo will look like in years to come. The hands are one of the most exposed parts of the body and will suffer from weathering. Colours won't likely last long. There are other areas you could consider as places for tattoos on women but the above points cover the general torso. The important aspects to consider are that if you want to show it off, people have got to be able to see it!
