Do you like unique? White ink tattoos are pretty much the most unique tattoos that you can get! Stand out from the crowd by getting something so totally different from the usual. We’ve rounded up a cross section of 76 of the most beautiful white ink tattoos across the globe, so check out some inspiration here today.
Historically speaking tattoos have always generally been black in color. Today black is still by far the most popular color of tattoo ink. What is interesting is that in recent years there appears to be an increase in the amount of white ink tattoos people are getting.
White ink tattoos are popular among both males and females. We have put together a list of our favorite 76 of them and will also go in to some detail about why people are choosing white ink, as well as some of the potential benefits and downsides of getting your next tattoo with white ink.
Shoulder design
First of all? Why a white ink tattoo, why not black? White ink tattoos are chosen because they are more subtle than black ink. A lot of the time you cannot even see them, making them a great choice if you don’t want your mom to find out that you got a tattoo.
Love design
So why would you want a tattoo that is hard for people to see? Besides the slight raising of the skin (doesn’t always occur) it can be very hard to see a white ink tattoo. That is of course until you put it under UV light. Under UV light whites glow a blue color, this makes white ink particularly popular amongst the rave and dance music scene.
Back fox
This is an example of freshly done white ink tattoo. You can see the skin is still red and tender but the swelling will subside. When getting a new tattoo in white ink it still requires the right aftercare as would any tattoo.
Wrist atlas
When considering a tattoo, one thing people will consider these days is job prospects. If you get a tattoo will it affect your potential job prospects in the future? If the answer is yes, than maybe a more subtle white ink tattoo is the right answer for you.
Finger tattoos
Here is an example of some white ink tattoos on someone with a bit darker skin tone.
Wrist design
Astrology symbols such as the moon and stars are popular designs to get done in white ink.
Full back design
Another thing to consider when getting white ink tattoos is that the tattooist should have prior experience in doing white ink tattoos as they need to pay a lot of attention to the detail, particularly as it is harder to see than black ink.
Behind the ear
The behind the ear tattoo is more popular these days as a lot of celebrities also get a tattoo here. It’s a good place to put something small and meaningful.
Ring finger tattoo
When considering getting a white tattoo make sure you consider your skin pigment. If you freckle easily do not opt for white ink as your freckles could make the tattoo look strange afterwards and not show up properly.
Wrist tattoo
Also whilst white tattoos may look beautiful sometimes, to others they can also look like some kind of skin condition, particularly if the skin on the tattoo area stays raised.
Diamond
This diamond shape is a very popular tattoo shape. Geometric and simple it is appealing to both males and also females. After all a diamond is a girls best friend!
Star wrist
In the above photo you can see both the finished product as well as the inspiration behind the Converse style 5 pointed star.
Love heart ankle
If you feel like a tattoo but want something a little bit inconspicuous than a white ink design can be a great option for you. Particularly if you just want something small and simple.
Finger arrow
We love simple designs. They’re timeless, subtle and can almost just look like another fashion accessory.
Love heart finger
Getting the love heart design on your ring finger is becoming a popular tradition these days for young couples that get married and want to get a tattoo together as well as the traditional wedding rings. The love heart is small and will only really be noticed if you look hard enough but it will still be just enough to remind them of that special person in their life.
Pattern designs
It is quite popular at the moment for people to get intricate patterns done in white tattoo ink. During the day most people will not be able to see them and then at night the person can go out to a UV lit nightclub and impress people with the cool looking art that suddenly shines bright.
The lion
The lion is a very popular tattoo design for both males and females to get. It is considered the most dominant of the big cats and seen as a symbol for strength, wisdom and courage.
Love heart hand
Simple and poignant. It even works well with the cool ring. We really like this type of design.
Buddhist tattoo
Getting religious symbols tattooed has been popular for a very long time and still remains so today. Some of the most popular religious tattoos come from the Buddhist religion. Besides having a lot deeper meaning they also have a great aesthetic look to their symbology.
Finger tattoos
There’s no denying that there are some beautiful finger tattoo designs out there. A couple of things to consider when getting one are that they can rub off easier than other tattoos, particularly if like the above design they are between two fingers where you shed a lot of skin. Also remember that your boss may not appreciate them as much as you do and some times finger tattoos can be seen as job prospect killers.
The moon
The moon is probably the most popular tattoo to get done in white ink. The reason is that when the UV light hits your tattoo it can shine bright like a moon in the sky would.
Side of ribs
At first we weren’t quite sure what the above tattoo was actually of. At a closer look we noticed its a side on look at the persons x-ray of their spine and hips. This is the kind of tattoo that’s both very cool and potentially very scary when the UV light hits it.
Snowflake tattoo
Snowflake designs are very popular for skiers and snowboarders or simply anyone that loves winter time and the snow.
Paw prints
The hip area is considered quite a sexy area for both males and females to get tattooed. This particular tattoo however is not your typical ‘sexy’ tattoo and looks like its more just paying respect to the persons admiration of dogs.
Cross symbol
The cross tattoo design is likely one of the top 10 most popular tattoos of all time. It has many variations of course and this is that cross in it’s most basic form.
Lace effect
One of the trending things to do amongst females in to tattoos is having a lace effect white ink tattoo. Essentially once the intricate lace style tattoo is finished it will look like the perfect mix between tattoo art and fashion.
Butterfly designs
Everyone’s skin reacts differently to getting tattooed. Whilst on some peoples the skin will raise a lot and on others none at all. It can also depend on the area and even the ink and needles you use to how much the tattoo will scar or raise afterwards.
Mandala back piece
One of our favourite styles of designs is the mandala style. It’s very intricate, takes a long time and a lot of line work and precision but the results is absolutely beautiful.
White circles
Geometric and minimalist style designs are very popular tattoo designs nowadays. It can be something as simple as a circle/square however the results on simple tattoos can often look very tasteful and timeless.
His
Another reason that white ink tattoos have become popular in recent years is because some Hollywood celebrities have also had white ink tattoos done. One of the more famous people to recently show off her white ink tattoo was none other than Lindsay Lohan.
Infinity symbol
If you’re not familiar with the infinity symbol, it essentially looks like an eight on its side. Here it has been worked in to a love cursive design signifying the eternal nature of that persons love for something or someone.
Cool chest design
A great example of a piece directly in the center of the chest that has some cool geometric and line work. One of the outer circles of it actually resembles a lotus flower.
Cheek design
Getting your face tattooed can be a big commitment after all it is essentially going to be there for life, looking back at you in the mirror every morning. If you opt for white ink it’s more subtle and a bit less of a commitment so is becoming a bit more popular way of making a statement with younger people.
Back of the neck
Simple symbols and text can work really great with white ink, especially if your just after the slightly raised lettering look and want it to be subtle and beautiful.
Another face design
Tribal tattoo designs are also another popular one to get done in white ink, especially when that tattoo is on your face. Sometimes people will even get the tattoo done in black ink and the highlights done in white so that it looks cool normally as well as under UV ink when the tattoo completely transforms.
Snowflake
Another example of a cool looking snow flake on someones wrist.
Mandala forearm
A beautiful flower style mandala done in white ink.
Feather design
We love interesting feather tattoo designs. They’re very versatile and you can work in a lot of shapes and patterns in to them that have meaning to you to form a great looking overall shape as well.
Side of the head
The great thing about getting tattooed on the side of your head is that you have the option of growing your hair back over that area or shaving your head and revealing more of the tattoo.
Believe
Believe whatever you want to believe. A beautiful example of pretty script.
More script
We love the mixture of blue and white ink on the paper planes above.
Mandala – another look
Here’s another close up look at this beautiful white ink mandala tattoo.
Behind the ear flower
We really love how simple and beautiful the above behind the ear tattoo is.
Fern design
The fern style above is particularly popular amongst New Zealanders.
Contrast
Have a cool tattoo in black ink? Why not get a contrasting version of that tattoo in white ink on your other hand?
Lace design
Another look at this beautiful lace design.
Dove
A beautiful swirly dove on the side of someones ribs. Remember that white ink will fade more than darker inks, meaning it can literally fade in to not be there at all eventually!
Treble clef
White sparrow
Hand mandala
Beat of my heart
“this is not the beat of my heart”
Side of the head
If you’re getting the side of your head or face tattooed you will want to make sure that it’s something you will like forever because you will have to see it in the mirror everyday. This is why simple, timeless designs can work best here.
Mountains
Another great and simple tattoo for someone that loves trekking or exploring in the mountains.
Tree design
Script hand
Cloud leg
Simple arrow
UV light
We’ve mentioned it previously but here is it in action. In the day light they would be beautiful flourishes but hardly noticeable. At night under the UV light they stand out a lot more and really look like you have lights under your skin.
Subtle
Anchor
The anchor remains one of the most popular tattoo designs for both men and women. Along with its traditional meaning of working on or loving the sea, it also has a great aesthetic appeal to it.
Chest piece
Horse design
Back and neck design
Trust no one
French writing
Foreign language tattoos are very popular choices for people when they are traveling overseas and want to get a tattoo to remember the holiday or trip. Be warned though, make sure you pick somewhere safe and with good reviews.
Feather tattoo
Roman numerals
Roman numerals are another popular tattoo for people to get. They generally signify some kind of date such as the date you/someone close to you was born.
Arrow behind the ear
Crown
One of the more popular tattoo styles in recent years is the hand drawn kind of look. What we mean by that is the kind of drawings or doodles you would expect to see in a students text book.
Why is this? Sometimes people will get drawings their child did tattooed on them because they really like the artwork and it also reminds them of their child. Other reasons may include; it was in their favorite children’s book, it’s a illustration they or their friend drew. However more often than not it’s simply because they like the style and design.
Eyebrow placement
Deer tattoo
Braille design
Braille is a language that people who are blind use to read books. They are able to feel the raised lettering which translates in to letters and words. Because tattoos can often raise up from the skin themselves its both a very clever and very practical tattoo to get done.
All the moons
There are 8 cycles of the moon from full to new moon, all beautiful in their own right and here is a great tattoo of all of them down someones spine done in white tattoo ink.
Palm tattoo
The palm is known to be one of the more painful areas of your body to get tattooed because of all the nerve receptors that are located here. It is also and area where your tattoo will likely only last a couple of years before all of it or most of it rubs off so when choosing a tattoo here you need to take great care of it and also may need to get it redone every few years.
Crescent moon
As we mentioned earlier, when it comes to white ink tattoos there is none more popular than that of the moon. We also believe that the most beautifully shaped moon is the crescent moon. Whilst it is not as bright as the full moon it has a great shape and a lot of aesthetic appeal. It’s a great shape to get tattooed on your finger.
The above is also a great example of a close up of a white ink tattoo. Sometimes they can just look like a strange scar that you may have got cutting yourself on some glass, and other times they can look really beautiful and unique. Of course, they will always look better than a black ink tattoo when under UV light as well. Keep in mind though that if the person you are going out with does not know that you have a white ink tattoo sometimes it can be scary for them when it suddenly lights up in the club. Depending on what you’re going for this can either be a good or bad thing!
