Feelings run deep—and so do couple tattoos. They’re one of the most powerful symbols of friendship or love. Because even if your feelings change, your tattoo stays. That’s something you’ll want to think through very carefully!
Of course, the ideal couple’s tattoo is one whose design you personally love. It shouldn’t depend on your partner or their choice. After all, you’ll be carrying that tattoo with you for the rest of your life, even if your partner or significant other eventually goes their separate way. That might sound a bit too serious—but couple’s tattoos can still look playful, of course. We’ve looked into which couple tattoos are commonly chosen and what you need to know about caring for them!
These couple tattoos are available
Of course, matching tattoos aren’t just for couples, fiancés, and married partners. There’s no law in the world that would forbid a mother and daughter from getting matching tattoos. Siblings often get matching tattoos, as do best friends. Matching tattoos simply show that two people feel a close bond.
You may have seen two people with tattoos that are exactly the same. That’s the most common type of couple’s tattoo. But of course, there are many more options:
- Many people get the other person's initials tattooed, or sometimes their full name or nickname.
- Symbols that represent a shared experience, or a design closely tied to the couple’s relationship, are also popular choices for couple tattoos.
- Two puzzle pieces that fit together are a popular choice for couple tattoos. Alternatively, a heart or another simple design can be tattooed in two halves.
- Couples often choose a date as a tattoo design to commemorate a special day they shared.
- The coordinates of the place where couples met, or that holds some other special significance for them, also make for a great photo opportunity.
This is by no means an exhaustive list! When choosing couple tattoos, you and your partner should decide together what you both like. Make sure that you both genuinely like the designs, independently of each other.
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Ideally, your tattoo shouldn’t be something everyone else has, but rather a personal choice. The same goes for couple tattoos. You decide what you like. And since so many couples, siblings, parents, and children already have birthdates, wedding anniversaries, names, initials, or coordinates inked on their skin, you can of course choose a completely unique couple tattoo.
You can find plenty of couple tattoos to inspire you by using the image search feature on your preferred search engine. Photos of couple tattoos—some more successful than others—are circulating on social media.
Custom-designed scenes or motifs based on shared memories between you and your partner are especially beautiful. The same scenes and motifs, but with a different interpretation—and just like that, your tattoo artist has created a stunning piece that connects you and your partner. By the way, it doesn’t have to be old-school or classic—modern styles often produce particularly striking designs.
What exactly is the nature of your relationship with your partner? You’ve had your ups and downs, and your journey together hasn’t been entirely smooth. Tell your tattoo artist about your story. That way, they can design a custom motif using a single line that perfectly traces your shared journey. Stylistically, this falls under the “fine line” category and, in the end, looks as simple and understated as it is complex.
If you really want to include names, dates, or coordinates, you can customize the design here as well. Why not combine the letters and numbers you want with a simple, personal motif? We’ve also seen motifs in line art (fine line) combined with dates in Morse code.
If things do go wrong: Removal and cover-ups
Not all relationships last a lifetime. Parents and children grow apart, siblings go their separate ways, and couples break up. Maybe you still like your couple’s tattoo. We hope so. Often enough, however, people want to part with their partner tattoo after breaking up with their partner. In that case, there are two options: You can get a cover-up tattoo, or you can have the tattoo removed with laser treatment.
Laser treatment fades the tattoo, and in some cases, individual elements or colors may be completely removed. Smaller tattoos can be removed more or less completely. Whether this works depends on the depth of the tattoo, the colors used, and its size.
With a cover-up, the old tattoo disappears into or beneath a new design. If it has faded enough, it can simply be covered over. You’ll still see a darker shadow, but skilled tattoo artists integrate these shadows into the new design so that they look like they belong there. The second option is to incorporate the prepared, old design. This is best explained with an example. If your tattoo features a small heart with a name and/or a date underneath, the letters and numbers can be faded out. The heart is incorporated into a new, larger design (perhaps a mandala or a complex artwork). Since the new tattoo is larger than the old design, the faded areas disappear beneath the new design and are therefore no longer visible or only very difficult to make out.
How to Care for Your Couple's Tattoo
In general, couple tattoos are cared for just like any other tattoo. Follow the aftercare instructions provided by your tattoo artist. Avoid sunbathing, exercise, and swimming in the first few days after getting the tattoo. A tattoo is an open wound that can be quite large—so you should take care to ensure the wound heals well and without scarring. If a scab forms on the tattoo, please leave it alone. This scab is likely to be colorful, as the body forms it from the wound fluid and any foreign particles it flushes out of the wound. The scab acts as a kind of natural bandage that the body applies. Leave the scab on the wound.
Cover the open wound to keep dirt out. Once a scab has formed, apply a tattoo ointment to aid healing. This will help keep the scab supple and soft. If necessary, cover the tattoo with a breathable bandage. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before treating the tattoo.