28 Heartless Tattoo Ideas
Renée Bu
Table of Contents
About Heartless Tattoos
Despite all of life’s miracles, joys, and happy moments, there’s no denying that we’re living in a cold world.
With countless wars, and segregation based on sex, race, and class, it should come as no surprise that some people have completely given in and given up on having any kind of heart.
However, can we blame them? When life’s cruelty is non-stop, can we be shocked that some people choose to proudly wear their lack of a heart with a heartless tattoo?
Consider the heartless tattoo the complete opposite of wearing your heart on your sleeve.
This tattoo is one that will receive more questions than praise (depending on how well it’s done) but that doesn’t make it any less unique and desirable for many ink addicts and people looking for the perfect first tattoo.
Nonetheless, a heartless tattoo is not for the faint of heart. It’s a specific design with a lot of connotations yet it still remains a popular tattoo.
Whether you’re deciding on your first tattoo design or simply enjoy satisfying your own curiosity, continue reading this guide to discover more about this tattoo.
We’ll give you some heartless tattoo ideas, explain the meaning of the tattoo, and show you several heartless tattoo designs.
What Do Heartless Tattoos Mean And Symbolize?
Before you race down to your local tattoo parlor to get your own heartless tattoo, it’s best to know what this specific design means or symbolizes. So we’ll explain the heartless tattoo meaning below.
To be frank, this tattoo isn’t the most poetic or complex. Some actually find it rather arrogant or trollish but rest assured that even the most unusual tattoos mean something to the wearer.
Although there’s no recorded or official meaning for this contemporary design, we can form our own conclusions.
- The most obvious reason one might get a heartless tattoo is because they’re heartless. If the inhumanity of the world isn’t enough to drive the warmth out of one’s heart, the world’s viciousness coupled with the wearer’s own personal history and tribulations could cause this reaction. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a chance at a love-filled life.
- Another reason one might get a heartless tattoo is for the conversation. Believe it or not, many people have taken to permanently inking their bodies with whacky images or sarcastic slogans as a way to break the ice with new faces.
While one could debate that a heartless tattoo isn’t the most approachable design, there’s no denying it won’t raise a few questions.
- Sentimental reasons are often common causes for a slew of tattoo designs. Whether the word ‘heartless’ is a play on words from an instance in their past, or simply a word associated with the name of someone they adore, even a heartless tattoo meaning can be rooted in love.
Where To Get A Heartless Tattoo
Tattoos are rather expensive, so you’ll want to take good care of them. Staying hydrated, listening to the aftercare advice of your artist, and not skipping out on the SPF (yes, even in the winter) will make sure your tattoo has a long lifespan.
Now, if only selecting a placement for your tattoo was so easy. While some people walk into their tattoo appointment with a vision of their design and placement, others only make it to the design aspect of the planning process.
This should come as no surprise since the skin is the largest organ meaning it’s also a large canvas. So there are many spots you can choose for your tattoo. In fact, a heartless tattoo can live on any of these places:
- Face
A face tattoo sounds like a terrifying process, and it has been reported to hurt more than most common tattoo areas, but it’s not impossible. Plenty of entertainers have face tattoos and some have multiple face tattoos.
While I could never suggest etching a heartless tattoo across your forehead—unless that’s your style—there are plenty of other areas where this tattoo would be a cute addition. If you find the forehead too forward, opt for your cheeks, cheekbone, above your eyebrow, down the side of your face, or right underneath the eye.
- Neck
Your neck isn’t only for nuzzling. Consider it real estate for your heartless tattoo. With the sides, back, and front of the neck, there’s a variety of tattoo styles you can place there.
- Shoulder
The front, back, and side of the shoulder make great places for a heartless tattoo. You can scale the tattoo wide enough to go from shoulder to shoulder or start the design on one shoulder and have it continued on the other.
- Back
Design options are endless when you consider tattooing your back. With a canvas so large you’ll have ample opportunity to get as massive, artistic, or as aesthetically pleasing as you wish.
While the lower back has been considered a tacky place to tattoo, don’t let that discourage you from incorporating it in your design. A heartless individual wouldn’t mind naysayers anyway.
- Arms
Arms are a no-brainer for tattoos. This is often due to the massive amount of area your arms possess. From the biceps to the wrist, you could create a very big design, tattoo multiple micro designs, or create a script that wraps around the entire arm.
- Hands
Hands are for shaking, clapping, praying, and tattooing. Hands were once considered an unprofessional area for tattooing but in recent years we’ve seen more than just creative professionals with hand tatts.
The sides of the fingers offer enough space for a delicate script while the palm and back of the hand are perfect for larger scaled heartless tattoos.
- Leg
Like the arm, the leg offers a vast selection of space for your heartless tattoo. Consider an image of a heart on your upper thigh with a seductive script underneath or stretch your hardcore tattoo across both of your knees. Don’t count out your ankles or your shins either. Both places make great canvases for tattoos of any kind.
- Foot
Stand on your cold heart statement when you get a heartless tattoo on your foot. A tattoo on the top of your foot is one you’ll always have a great view of, but the bottom of your foot makes for an even cheekier tattoo.
How Much Do Heartless Tattoos Cost?
There’s no simple answer to how much a heartless tattoo costs, or any tattoo for that matter.
A tattoo purchase is far different than buying a brand new car or the latest trendy sneakers and this is due to the many factors that determine the final cost of your tattoo.
In addition to this, most—if not all—tattoo artists require a deposit before they begin any work.
Even still, these factors play a role in determining the price of your tattoo:
- The artist: First and foremost, every tattoo artist is different. Whether the artist you’ve selected is self-taught, self-employed, or tattooing out of a parlor, each one has a set price list they determine based on their skillset, tattoo history, and the other following factors.
- Size: Go big or go home—but be prepared to pay the price. Oftentimes, the price of a tattoo will increase when the size of the design is large or extremely detailed (i.e. a large back piece).
- Color: Coloring your tattoo requires a different skill set and oftentimes more time. Both of these components result in a pricier tattoo.
- Time: When it comes to the price of your tattoo, time is one of the biggest deciding factors. Some designs are so detailed they require more than one appointment—in which case the artist will charge by the hour.
28 Best Heartless Tattoo Designs
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History Of Heartless Tattoos
While I would love to spin a dramatic and scandalous tale about the history of the heartless tattoo, there isn’t one. The tattoo has no recorded origin, nor does it date back to a certain era.
As for history, we do know that the heartless tattoo was a design choice in the 90s.
Late West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur was known to have the word ‘HEARTLESS’ tattooed just above the skull and crossbones he had tattooed on his right bicep.
Tupac had his own personal yet poetic reasons for this tattoo but this doesn’t determine the design’s history.
We can only assume the tattoo has been around for years. And with no official reason for the body art idea, the lack of history comes as no surprise.
Which Celebrities Have A Heartless Tattoo?
Celebrities may not be just like us but we do seem to share some similarities with Hollywood stars. For instance, one thing we have in common is tattoo ideas.
It seems that even the rich and famous go after tattoo designs that appease us regular folk. Heartless tattoo designs aren’t a common design amongst stylish social circles in Tinseltown but there are a few celebrities with the unconventional design.
“Said Sum” rapper Moneybagg Yo is known for his vast collection of tattoos which nearly cover his entire body. Amongst his money bag tattoo and other unique designs, the Memphis rapper has a heartless tattoo right below his hairline.
Gone but never forgotten, Tupac was another rapper with a heartless tattoo. The California-loving artist is most remembered for his iconic ‘THUG LIFE’ abdomen tattoo—which has been duplicated in a variety of ways. But this wasn’t the only design on his body.
While his stomach tatt remains as legendary as he is, the heartless tattoo that once branded the late rapper’s arm is just as noteworthy.
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