Best Tattoo Ideas For Men: A Guide to help males figure out where to best place their tattoo and what to keep in mind along with aftercare and healing.
If you’re looking for a new tattoo, you obviously want to get inspired by cool ideas so you can pick the best designs for you. But finding the most badass tattoos for men can be burdensome. And even before you pick your artwork, it’s important to think about where to get a tattoo and how to choose your design.
To help, we’ve compiled a complete guide to choosing the best tattoos and the different ideas to consider before getting tattooed. Whether you want ink on your sleeve, back, chest, shoulder or arm, here’s a guide on where to get and how to choose a cool tattoo.
Where To Get A Tattoo
One of the first things you should consider when deciding what tattoo to get is placement. While it’s ultimately down to personal preference, there are a few questions worth asking yourself before contacting a tattoo artist.
For one, do you want your tattoo to be visible all the time? And are you looking for something discreet or for a big design meant to turn heads? The size and placement of your artwork is very dependent on these decisions.
Similarly, do you handle pain well? You’ll want to research the least and most painful spots to get a tattoo to determine your pain threshold.
Depending on your answers, here are some of the most popular areas that men like to get inked.
Sleeve Tattoo
Sleeve tattoos have become immensely common in recent years, and for good reason. The arms are some of the most toned parts of a man’s body, so it’s natural to want to bring things to the next level by decorating them in a stylish manner.
You can opt for intricate tattoo designs that cover the entire sleeve or focus solely on the forearm or biceps. Whichever way you go, keep in mind that sleeve tattoos are pretty high-maintenance.
Your arms are exposed to the sun more frequently, which means that tattoos may fade and require touch-ups as the years go by.
Shoulder Tattoo
The shoulder is a prime spot for tattoos, especially among men who hit the punching bag on a regular basis.
If you have well-toned shoulders and want to show them off, getting a tattoo on this part of the body can be incredibly flattering.
Plus, you can easily hide the tattoo with a T-shirt or dress shirt that covers the entire design, which won’t always apply to full-sleeve tattoos.
Back Tattoo
The back is another excellent spot for tattoos. It’s usually covered, so you don’t have to worry about UV lights fading the design over time.
Moreover, the back tends to hold up well as aging occurs unlike, say, the abdomen. An abdomen tattoo can stretch if you gain weight and look distorted. That won’t happen with a back tattoo.
Leg Tattoo
Finally, leg tattoos can help you stand out from the crowd, since they are less common. They also don’t hurt as much, but are more exposed to sunlight, so you might need to touch them up in the future.
Chest Tattoo
Chest tattoos are often big and intricate, as the area allows for a more generous display. Plus, if you want to look tough, a chest tattoo will definitely come in handy.
However, keep in mind that chest tattoos can hurt more than arm or leg tattoos, since we’re talking about a more tender area. This is especially true for the collarbone.
On the same note, since the chest is usually covered by clothes, the artwork will be well-protected from the sun, which makes it a low-maintenance option.
Cool Tattoo Designs For Men
There are endless designs available for men’s tattoos, so you can easily find something to suit your style and personality.
You can even come up with your own design and work closely with the artist to make sure the end result will look exactly how you’re picturing it.
Cool Design Ideas with Meaning
There are plenty of tattoo ideas for men to choose from – skull, dragon, family, cross, angel tattoos, quotes, tribal art, to only name a few.
At the end of the day, you need to pick something that is both meaningful and aesthetically pleasing to you.
Styling
Tattoos come in many shapes and forms. Some are black and white, others employ color in a very effective manner. Some are large and complicated, others discreet and simple.
Think About The Future
When deciding on a certain design, consider what you want the tattoo to remind you of or what you want it to say to the rest of the world.
For instance, getting a skull tattoo on your hand can seem like a cool idea. But you may end up feeling differently in a few years when you’re picking up your kids from school and the other parents give you the stink eye.
The same goes for tattooing your partner’s name on a prominent part of your body – maybe don’t do it after you’ve been together for only a couple of weeks.
Wait To Get Tattooed
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing a design is that trends may come and go, but your tattoo will be forever. That means that choosing a design that is all the rage nowadays but doesn’t really speak to you in a deeper way is not recommended.
Ideally, you would set on a certain design and then wait for at least a couple of months before contacting an artist and scheduling an appointment, to see if your preference changes or not.
How To Get A Tattoo
Once you’ve learned what to know before getting inked and then picked a design and placement, all that’s left is to actually get inked. The first step is to find a reputable tattoo artist with a good track record. That means doing some research by asking around about different artists in your area and looking up online reviews. Checking out the artist’s portfolio is also a must.
While you’re browsing, ask yourself this: does their work make you excited or inspired about your future tattoo? If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track. Otherwise, you should keep looking.
If you already have your eye on a certain artist, it’s good to pay them a visit before scheduling an appointment. That way, you can check out the hygiene standard of the artist and the studio in person and chat with them for a few minutes to figure out if you are comfortable with having them around.
This is especially important if you’re planning to get a large design that entails hours of work. The pain associated with getting a tattoo is uncomfortable enough – you shouldn’t have to endure endless small talk at the same time.
Tattoo Aftercare and Healing
After your tattoo is done, expect some minor bleeding. The artist will clean the area and cover it with a sterile bandage, as well as advise you on proper care. That usually involves applying a small amount of antibacterial ointment to the tattoo on a regular basis until it’s healed.
Healing time varies depending on area, person, and size of the tattoo. Make sure you get a full introduction to the tattoo healing process and definitely ask the artist any questions that cross your mind. Like any important decision in your life, get all the information required upfront to ensure your tattoo heals properly.
As long as you take into consideration the tips above, you should be off to a great start.