The 15 Best Spots to Hide a Tattoo If You Want to Keep It on the DL
Now that you know the design you want tatted on your body for the rest of your life, you’re ready to go get your new ink, right?! Ehh, not quite. You’ve got lots of things to consider before officially going under the needle, like finding the best tattoo artist, and of course, deciding on the perfect placement of the design.
While some may want to show off their ink for the whole world to see, others might want to have theirs in a more inconspicuous spot. If you’ve found yourself in the latter category and need help deciding on the location for a hidden tattoo, we’ve gotcha covered (literally). From secret finger tattoos to discreet designs on your hip, here are 15 perfect places to get a tattoo that you can easily hide or show off whenever you want.
1. On your chest
Depending on the swimsuit style and cut, this sternum tattoo wouldn’t even be visible when you’re at the pool or the beach. Choose a design that's small and dainty if you really want to keep it well hidden, or go with a larger, more intricate underboob tattoo if you want it to peak out under your bikini top.
A post shared by Rosa Bluestone Perr (@bluestonebabe) on Jan 26, 2020 at 6:10pm PST
2. Inside your lip
No one (except for, ya know, your dentist) would suspect you have a tattoo with a placement like this. If you like the idea of having a tat that only you know about (or that you can surprise people with), this is the spot.
A post shared by c/s ∴jon✞boy∴ p/v (@jonboytattoo) on Sep 29, 2016 at 9:11pm PDT
3. On your neck
A neck tattoo doesn’t sound like it would be all that discreet, but if you want artwork that you can easily cover up but can also put on display just as much, the side or back of your neck are ideal. Wear your hair down or layer on the jewelry and necklaces to conceal it or pull your hair up to show off your work whenever you want.
A post shared by evantattoo (@evantattoo) on Feb 4, 2020 at 11:02am PST
4. Inside your arm
If you'd like everyone to see your tattoo, get tatted on the outside of your arm. If you want to keep it hidden, though, get your design placed inside your bicep or elbow instead. I don’t know your life, but I’m gonna guess that you keep your arms down by your side most of the time, in which case you wouldn’t even need a jacket or long sleeves to cover it if you have a smaller or tiny tattoo.
A post shared by Rosa Bluestone Perr (@bluestonebabe) on Mar 18, 2018 at 5:41pm PDT
5. On your upper thigh
While a thigh tattoo would be pretty visible in a swimsuit, you can easily keep it hidden under pants or a skirt and even a pair of shorts, depending on how large the design is and how short those shorts are.
A post shared by `❈´• 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚍 •` ❈´ (@nothingwildtattoo) on Mar 4, 2020 at 7:52am PST
6. Underneath your finger
Let’s face it—hand tattoos are pretty visible unless you walk around with gloves (again, I don’t know your life). But if you’re obsessed with finger tattoos, you can still make it happen and keep it hidden with the right placement, like the inside of your hand or underneath one of your fingers.
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7. On the side of your finger
For a spot that’s a little less hidden than underneath the finger but still pretty undetectable, try the side of your finger. If you want a little extra help keeping it covered, stack on a few rings. Problem solved.
A post shared by J O J O 🖤 C H R O N I C I N K (@joannamroman) on Jul 8, 2020 at 4:29pm PDT
8. On your collarbone
If the tattoo is small enough, you can have a tattoo hidden in plain sight. This cute little heart tattoo is basically invisible on the collarbone, even when it’s not being concealed with a shirt.
A post shared by Hailey Baldwin Bieber (@haileybieber) on Jul 23, 2019 at 11:06am PDT
9. Behind your ear
If you want to keep your tattoo so hidden that even you can’t see it without some serious contortion skills, get inked behind your ear. Whether you get it near your earlobe or closer to your hairline, a tattoo in this area can be easily covered by either your hair, a headband, your glasses, or even your earrings.
A post shared by Doctor Woo (@_dr_woo_) on Feb 1, 2019 at 1:23pm PST
10. On your sideboob
If you get a tattoo strategically placed high enough on your ribs, you won’t be able to see it, even with a swimsuit on. It would even require some pretty low arm holes on your shirt to be able to put this tattoo on display, but hey, it's possible.
A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Aug 18, 2018 at 1:20pm PDT
11. Down your spine
A tattoo like this would only be visible in open-back clothing, but if the design closely follows the direction of your spine, it might still go relatively unnoticed—unless someone knows to look for it.
A post shared by Bald Babes Ink (@baldbabesink) on Feb 1, 2020 at 6:45am PST
12. On your ear lobe
Think of this tattoo like a piercing that you never take out of your ear. Most people who see it—if they even notice it at all—will probably think it’s an earring anyway.
A post shared by 미정원 타투 (@tattooist_mijeongwon) on Sep 2, 2019 at 5:57am PDT
13. Around your hip
Slightly higher than an upper thigh tattoo, this hip tattoo placement is perfect for a long script design, which can be easily concealed with the elastic of your underwear or swimsuit bottoms. And if you want to put it on display, you can hike up the sides of your bottoms or go with a high-cut swimsuit style.
A post shared by Brittany (@humblebeetattoo) on Feb 15, 2019 at 12:35pm PST
14. Under your underwear line
Slightly more inward than a hip tattoo, this placement falls right above the crease of your thigh. It's pretty much completely covered and as hidden as it gets.
A post shared by MASHA VIVO | MINI TATTOO (@vivotattoo) on May 13, 2020 at 9:04am PDT
15. Above your breast
You’ve heard of the underboob tattoo, but the above-the-boob tattoo is a perfectly good option for a hidden tattoo as well. You can decide to get it slightly outside of the bra cup to show it off with a low-cut top or you can get it placed just below the edge of the cup to keep it undercover.
A post shared by Mini Lau (@mini_tattooer) on Sep 19, 2018 at 8:26am PDT
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