When it comes to popular flower tattoos, the rose comes out on top with over four million posts with the #rosetattoo hashtag on Instagram. So, why are rose tattoos so popular around the world? The rose can create a compelling tattoo, with its layers of petals and symbolism.
If you are thinking about getting a rose tattoo – whether you want to add it to your body art collection or as your first tattoo – keep reading. Let’s dive into the rose tattoo meaning, rose tattoo placement ideas, and more.
What Do Rose Tattoos Symbolize?
Did you know that roses are found in tarot cards? This flower is featured in The Fool, The Magician, Strength, and Death cards. As each card has a specific meaning, the rose can have varying meanings, too.
As Tarot Teachings explains, the white rose on The Fool card indicates the need to cleanse the mind, while the rose on The Magician card represents spiritual growth. Of the rose in the strength card, Tarot Teachings says,
“…the rose reminds us of the nature of duality, yin-yang, polarity…There are twins to every aspect in life – the rose is a symbol of that universal rule.”
In the Death card, the rose symbolizes transition.
In everyday life, roses often represent love and emotions. Chronic Ink tells,
“A rose tattoo meaning love won or lost has been popular throughout the ages as a symbol of the highest level of passion. Beauty is in balance with emotion with this flower, and no other can replicate its beauty and historical significance.”
Where Is The Best Place To Put A Rose Tattoo?
Choosing a tattoo placement is just as important as choosing a tattoo design. The level of pain you are comfortable with, how often you want to show off your ink, as well as aftercare and your lifestyle will all have an impact on the placement you pick for your mini rose tattoo.
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Rose Tattoo On Hand
If you do not mind your tattoo being on display all the time (and have a career that accepts this) and like the idea of your tattoo always being in your line of vision, a hand rose tattoo might be the right move for you! But, hand tattoos can be tricky.
“Hand tattoos also tend to fade over time due to being placed on a high-movement body part that’s washed and worn away at often, and it’s common for them to heal poorly. This kind of tat also tends to be fairly painful thanks to the thin skin and the boniness of the hand,”
Byrdie
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Rose Tattoo Behind Ear Tattoo
Behind the ear is a great placement for a mini rose tattoo as it is a small area that is suited to a small tattoo. Plus, it is easy to cover up if your hair goes down to your shoulders. Just know that this placement can be on the more painful side, as the skin here is thin and close to the bone.
Also, as this tattoo placement is out of sight, it can be easy to forget about – do not do this! This area is exposed to the sun so it is essential to put on SPF to keep your ink looking crisp.
Rose Tattoo On Neck
Just like with a behind the ear tattoo, a back of the neck tattoo can also be easy to cover up with your hair. Also, just like the former, this placement can be painful as the spine has a ton of nerve endings that can make getting a tattoo here uncomfortable.
“A back of the neck tattoo is usually pretty painful because of the thin skin that covers our spine and cranial nerves. For slightly less pain, you can get inked on the lowest part of your neck near your shoulders, where there’s a little more fat and muscle with slightly thicker skin,”
Hush Anesthetic
Rose Tattoo On Wrist
Being a small surface area, the wrist is a perfect placement choice for a small tattoo design as there will be minimal blank space around the tattoo.
However, due to the thinness of the skin around the wrist, there is an increased chance of tattoo blowout. This is when the lines of a tattoo become blurry and smudged during the healing process.
This smudging effect happens as the ink travels further past the layers of the skin it was meant to stay in, instead spreading out on fat and veins.
One of the best ways to mitigate the chance of tattoo blowout is to get your tat done by a professional tattoo artist. Experienced tattooists are far less likely to make a mistake when it comes to getting the ink on the right layer of the skin.
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Rose Tattoo On Finger
A delicate rose finger tattoo could be perfect for you if you want to see your tat all the time and you have a career that allows for visible body art.
However, just like with hand tattoos, finger tattoos can fade quickly as your fingers are constantly moving and exposed to the sun. If you do decide to get a finger tattoo, know that you will need to get touch-ups sooner than a tattoo in another area.
“More so than other kinds of ink, finger tattoos need retouching at least once every few years. To keep the image looking new, the lines will need to be redrawn,”
Oracle Tattoo Gallery
Rose Tattoo On Ankle
The ankle can be a great spot for a tattoo that can be easily hidden. Plus, this area is quite versatile! You could opt for a tiny single rose on the outside of your ankle, or you could go for an anklet tattoo wrapped around your lower leg dotted with rosebuds.
Rose Tattoo On Hip
The hip is a perfect placement choice for a rose tattoo as the area and the flower are both associated with sensuality.
While there are pros to a hip tattoo including that it is easy to hide and hidden from the damaging rays of the sun, there are cons, too. Due to the placement, a hip tattoo can constantly rub against the waistband of your pants making the design fade quicker.
Rose Tattoo On Ribs
If you like the look of a small tattoo on a large surface area with a lot of blank space, you could opt for a side body tattoo, namely on the ribs. This placement is one of the most painful choices, though, as the skin around your ribs is really thin, and there is less fat here than on most other parts of your body.
Also, aftercare can be tricky here if you are a woman. It is important to not let any tight clothing rub against your tattoo during the healing process, which makes wearing a bra with a fresh ribcage tattoo inadvisable.
Rose Tattoo Ideas
There are many different ways you can go about a rose tattoo. From adding extra elements such as a skull or a dagger, to hyper realistic rose tattoos, find your tattoo ideas below.
Skull With Rose Tattoo
If you are looking for another element for your rose tattoo, a skull can be a great choice as their meanings coincide. These symbols together in a tattoo design are associated with the duality of life, the balance of life and death, and the beautiful moments of life along with the dark and painful.
Black Rose Tattoo
A black rose tattoo is often associated with death and remembrance of a lost loved one. However, as Sorry Mom Shop explains, this tattoo choice can go far beyond grief and death,
“Black roses can also symbolize hope and courage. Sailors and soldiers would ink black tattoos on them before leaving for battle as a sign of hope for their safe return.”
If you want your rose tattoo to be a tribute to someone who has passed, you can consider a dead rose tattoo.
Snake With Rose Tattoo
A snake coiled around a rose can make for a stunning tattoo design. Of its meaning, Certified Tattoo says,
“A snake and rose tattoo can represent many things, but is most commonly associated with danger and love…Danger because the snake is often considered to be a symbol of evil, and love because the rose is thought to be the most romantic flower there is.”
This isn’t the only meaning attached to these reptiles, though. Snakes – due to their ability to shed their skins – can symbolize transformation and rebirth. For the tattooee, this can link to how they must also change and transform as they go through life.
Traditional Rose Tattoo
One of the most popular traditional sailor tattoos is the dagger through the rose. According to Military.com,
“This tattoo means the sailor is loyal and willing to fight anything, even something as sweet and beautiful as a rose.”
This style of tattooing is bold and usually involved stark black lines and saturated colors, but, as seen above, you can opt for purely black ink.
Name With Rose Tattoo
As rose tattoos are often a symbol of love and devotion, you could make this meaning more personalized by adding the name of a loved one. You could have the name across the rose on a banner, or create the stem of the rose with the name.
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Realistic Rose Tattoo
Are you a fan of hyper realistic tattoos? This style works well with a rose tattoo as it really shows off the beauty of this flower.
However, it is important to know that hyper realistic tattoos – even small ones – take a lot of time as there are many details in the design. Therefore expect to pay a higher price.
Due to the level of detail, concentration, and skill this style of tattoo requires, make sure to go to a tattooist who has experience with these types of designs.
Also, this style of tattooing needs a level surface area to actually capture intricate details. Choose an area on your body with enough space for the desired level of detail.
Beautiful, meaningful, and versatile, rose tattoos are popular for a reason. If you’re thinking about getting a mini rose tattoo, take the time to think about other elements that can make your tattoo design more meaningful to you and what placement makes the most sense for you and your lifestyle.
Thinking about the tattoo process as a whole can help guarantee a piece of body art you will always love.
