Shoulder Blade Tattoos

Why Shoulder Blade Tattoos?

Just think of all the places on your body that you can wear ink. There's really a lot of space isn't there? So what makes a person choose one location over another? Usually it depends on just how much they want to display their body art.

Some tat enthusiasts are willing to lay it all on the line with bold tattoos that aren't easily concealed. They're willing to let the world see their ink any place, any time. Other ink lovers prefer a little more control over where and when they share their body art.

If you're looking for a spot that can be masculine or feminine, seductive or sensational, yet can still be covered up when you don't feel like sharing then consider the shoulder blade. It's a great canvas, but if you choose to cover it no one will know you even have a tat. This can come in handy if having body art isn't conducive to your current working environment.

Shoulder Tats and Pain

Some people worry about the amount of pain involved in getting a shoulder blade tat. It's true that the shoulder blades typically don't have much body fat to cushion the needle, and everyone has a different pain threshold. Still, many people report that on a scale of one to ten, shoulder blade tattoos rate between a five and a seven in pain intensity. Even this level tends to go down when your endorphins begin to kick in as you settle into the tattooing process. Besides, all tat lovers know that the pain is cathartic and part of the journey.

Popular Designs

Perhaps more than any other tattoo genre, the shoulder blades just seem meant to sport a pair of wings. Whether they feel a real affinity with heavenly bodies, or it's just wishful thinking on their part, a lot of tat enthusiasts have a feathery wing inked on each blade. They are usually angel wings, but butterfly wings and fairy wings have also become quite popular.

Women also seem to favor rose tattoos in this location, while various tribal designs are often favored by men.

Celebrity Shoulder Tats

When you want to know if something is a real trend, look to the celebs. There are enough sporting shoulder blade tattoos to make this location a bona fide phenomenon.

Look who's inking now:

• Pauley Perrette: This offbeat NCSI co-star has a small stick-figure angel on each shoulder blade.
• Angelina Jolie: This well known actress and adoption poster mom has a Buddhist prayer on her left shoulder blade.
• Anthony Kiedis: Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Keidis has a collection of tribal tats, but the tat that stretches across both shoulder blades appears to be Aztec in design.
• Davey Havok: AFI front man of Miss Murder fame, Havok sports a set of black angel wings on his shoulder blades.
• Ben Affleck: Actor and former J-Lo boyfriend Affleck has been photographed with numerous tattoos, including one over his right shoulder blade, although most are probably temporary tats donned for a movie role.
• Stephen Baldwin: Actor and younger brother of Alec Baldwin, Stephen has a tiger tattoo on his left shoulder blade and a indistinguishable design on his right.
• Lloyd Banks: The rapper has "Rotten Apple" inked across his shoulder blades as part of a gangsta mural tribute to New York City.
• David Beckham: The superstar soccer player and Spice girl hubby has a large angel tat with wings outstretched over his blades.
• Kimberly Caldwell: This former American Idol finalist has a musical note with wings on her left shoulder blade.
• Chyna Doll: The former pro wrestler and Surreal Life cast member has a trailing vine of flowers dangling over her left shoulder blade.

Ready to Ink?

So, do you feel ready to commit to ink yet? If you're still not sure your shoulder blade is a perfect location for your next tat, give a temporary tattoo a try. Live with it for a couple of weeks just to get the feel of things. If you decide it's a good location for you, all that's left is to pick your design and a find a really good tat artist to make your vision a reality.