You fall asleep and dream of getting a tattoo. Perhaps you see yourself in a tattoo parlor waiting for the work to begin or searching through books to decide on a design. Maybe you see yourself in a reflection and notice the tattoo or long down at your arms, legs, stomach, or feet and see something you’ve never seen before.
What Does It Mean When You Dream of a Tattoo?
Seeing a tattoo in a dream is often a symbol of the need for others to notice you. Dreams about tattoos can represent the need to come out of your shell, release your inhibitions, or cast aside your shyness in favor of being bold and confident.
Tattoo dreams can also represent a quest for self-identity. Tattoos symbolize the desire to present a certain sense of yourself to the world. You choose what you want others to visualize when they first see you.
Dreaming of Getting a Tattoo
Have you recently experienced a painful event? If you dream of getting a tattoo or watching the needles prick your skin, you may need to process a tragic event from your real life.
Sometimes our hearts hurt so much that we visualize painful dreams that cause our bodies to ache.
Wrestling with Past Decisions
Tattoos are permanent; once placed, it takes a lot of time, money, and effort to remove them. If you dream about a tattoo, you may be wrestling with a past decision. Perhaps you feel regretful or remorseful for a previous action but worry that you can’t rectify the past.
Tattoos can also indicate heartbreak and disappointment. Perhaps you want a tattoo to cover up a piece of yourself that you feel uncomfortable with or a flaw that destroyed your past relationship.
Dream About Your Partner’s Tattoos
If you dream about your husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, or wife with a tattoo, you may feel they are trying to cover up something in real life. The tattoo can represent a secret that you think they are hiding or a side of themselves they are unwilling to share.
A tattoo can also signify that your partner is trying to impress you. They may not want a tattoo but decide to get one in your dream to please you.
Tattoos can often appear in our dreams on friends who want to become lovers. They choose a tattoo to woo you.
Dreaming About a Back Tattoo
Back tattoos represent mystery. We present ourselves face first to people, so a back tattoo can symbolize a mysterious part of ourselves we want to reveal.
People usually don’t see what’s behind us, but getting a back tattoo means you want others to see what’s back there.
What part of yourself do you want to reveal to the world? What attribute have you been holding back? This dream can represent the need to share yourself with someone close to you and display the parts you are currently hiding.
Dreaming About a Face Tattoo
Dreams about face tattoos often demonstrate the desire to be noticed. Why would you put something on your face if you didn’t want people to turn to look at you?
Face tattoos represent the need for others to see you for who you are and to believe in your abilities.
But face tattoos can also represent the ugly comparisons that force us to look into the mirror and compare ourselves to those who are stronger, smarter, or prettier.
Dreaming of a Hand Tattoo
If you dream of a hand tattoo, you are looking for companionship or friendship. We often shake hands or use our hands to represent our emotional state while we talk.
We reach out our hands to help others in need and to pick up those who have fallen. Dreaming of a hand tattoo signifies a desire to connect with someone else.
Dream of Getting Tattooed on Your Arms, Legs, and Ankles
The location of the tattoo can change the meaning of your dream. If you dream of seeing an arm tattoo, you may feel weak or unsure of your work and relationships. You may want others to see your strength if you get a tattoo on your bicep.
If you picture a tattoo on your ankle, you may feel the need to fit in with others. You may be concerned that you don’t fit in or that others intentionally leave you out.
Dreaming of leg tattoos may be a sign of required stability. The strength in our legs helps us to stand and walk. If you see a leg tattoo, your life may feel unstable. Perhaps you fear that you can’t stand on your own or that you require the help of others for support.
Removing a Tattoo in Your Dream
If you dream of removing a tattoo, you are unhappy with your past. You have done something you regret and want to make amends for your wrongdoings or erase part of your past.
This dream is about fixing things you dislike or asking for forgiveness.
Dream of a Bad Tattoo
Dreaming of a bad tattoo is also a sign of prior regrets. It often means you are unhappy with your current path in life or feel the need to start on a new trajectory.
What happens to the bad tattoo in your dream? Do you attempt to remove it? Do you reach out to others for help or try to cover it up?
Hiding your tattoo can signify an unwillingness to take a new course in life. You know that you need change but require more time and contemplation to embark upon it.
Common Dream Tattoo Symbols
The shape and color of tattoos say a lot about your dream. Here are a few tattoo images and their meanings:
- Flowers – represent beauty, fragility, and knowledge
- Dragons – power
- Star – fame, and fortune
- Birds – openness and spirituality
- Spider – future difficulties or wickedness
- Cat – lies, and deception
- Tree – stability, and strength
- Snake – wisdom
- Crocodile – ferociousness
- Feather – spirituality
- Heart – a desire for love
- Numbers – questions about life