Tattoos mean different things to different people around the world. For some they’re nothing more than a fashion statement, while others get them for cultural reasons, like the Māori for instance. ɱaпy get them as a memento of a ᴛι̇ɱe, place, or person. But some people choose to get a tattoo for an entirely different reason, such as to cover up a scar for example.
Check out this list compiled by Bored Panda, and our previous one, to see for yourself what we mean. Some of them conceal the scar tissue completely, while others cleverly interact with them, turning what was once something considered unsightly into something truly beautiful. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite! (h/t: Revelist)
Custom Tattoo DesignReport
beautiful-nightmares12Report
“What inspired me to get tattoos to cover my scars was so whenever I was down or having a bad day, I could look down at my newly painted arm and remember that overcoming something can lead to beautiful things. My next step is to cover the scars of my other arm and my leg. It’s never easy, but by getting them covered up, it’s a little bit like closure.” — Lauren S.
Lauren S.Report
“I got a Sylvia Plath tattoo. She’s my absolute favorite poet/author. Her quote ‘I am. I am. I am’ (from her book ‘The Bell Jar’) symbolizes that suicide could’ve been the end for me, but I’m here, ‘I am’ I am here, I am alive and I am determined to get through this. The cat is Sylvia’s drawing called ‘Curious French Cat’ and it also symbolizes self-harm and depression — but how it’s not the answer anymore.” — Shannon P.
Shannon PReport
“I saw this quote back when I was in seventh grade. I knew one day that I will have this tatted on me. I didn’t start self-harming until sophomore year in high school. As a freshmen in college last year, I finally got this quote on my body.” — Zari S.
Zari S.Report
brustkrebs_tattoosReport
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Jaylandtoy Remoriras tattooReport
BelfastTattooCollectiveReport
Typical Hungarian tulip, that we can observe as an element on traditional furniture decoration, used to cover up a deep scar left after an ateroma removal.
the.dishyReport
Lady came in today with this gnarly scar from skin cancer and all she wanted was to hide it even if it didnt hold up.
stevierandallynReport
“Self-harm was a way I coped with my depressive and suicidal episodes. I would feel all this anger built up inside of me and I wanted to find some kind of release. But with depression, I wanted to hurt myself because I felt like I deserved it. So, my arms would almost be covered in cuts daily. It all started with a small cut as a cry for help, but very quickly turned into an addiction. When I had motivation to get better, I wanted something beautiful on my arm to cover these scars up. Now, I have a tattoo that says ‘This too shall pass’ with a peony that symbolizes healing. Whenever I have urges to self-harm, I instantly look to my arm to where I usually cut and I see this beautiful tattoo with a meaningful message and I just cry it out until the feeling has passed. It has helped me, and has also sparked up the conversation of mental health with others! It’s more than just a tattoo, it’s my journey to recovery.” — Reshmi C.
Reshmi C.Report
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ashtray_arts_tattoosReport
This is my second tattoo, done on June 5, 2012. I came across this phrase a few months ago and knew right away that I wanted it done. To make a very long story short, I’ve gone through ɱaпy surgeries, severe allergies, and overall tons of health issues throughout my life (you can sort of see part of my main scar here that goes across my entire stomach and bottom left side). The number one reaction I hate getting is one like “Poor Lauren, that’s so terrible, I feel so bad for you!”. I don’t like to be pitied and felt sorry for over issues that I cannot control. I was born with what life gave me, and I’ve always just dealt with it without sitting around and feeling sorry for myself or wanting pity from others.
betterthanthebesttattoosReport
Daedra Art & Tattoo – Flavia CarvalhoReport
jannickewiesehansenReport
She received that scar from a nasty car accident. It was the other persons fault! Thankfully i was able to work over the scar, some can be super difficult to work on.
ferbzillaReport
brustkrebs_tattoosReport
pundy83_is_a_girl_on_missionReport
dandi_craniumtattooReport
fuchsbau_taetowierhandwerkReport
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Daedra Art & Tattoo – Flavia CarvalhoReport
In the legend of Zelda, particularly in the ocarina of ᴛι̇ɱe and majoras mask, you can capture pink recovery fairies in bottles and release them to heal you. If you die while you’re in battle and you have a recovery fairy, it will automatically revive you, effectively giving yourself another chance to beat the boss. I got my tattoo as a reminder to myself that even though i don’t have a recovery fairy on hand, there’s still hope and I don’t still have another chance to try.
Caitlin EricksonReport
