Tattoo Ideas: Hands, Fingers, Palms

How many times have I seen the words "love" and "hate" tattooed across the knuckles of each hand? Honestly, I've lost count. It's fairly common placement for a fairly common phrase, and although it fascinated me the first time I saw it, it has now grown old and tiresome. Luckily, there is always a new wave come to bring in the tide, and along with it flows a plethora of fresh ideas when it comes to hand tattoos. My girlfriend, for example, has the first initial of her ex's name tattooed on her ring finger -- they did this in lieu of exchanging rings and getting engaged like normal people. Obviously, they broke up in the end, and it would've been a much easier engagement to dissolve had they just been able to remove a metal ring from around their fingers and store it in a jewelry box; but neither of them regret their decision nor wish to cover the tat (much to my dismay, when I am feeling selfish and not thinking logically) even though the tattoo is located on a very prominent body part.

Perhaps this is why so many people choose to imprint words and messages on their hands. Other than your face, your hands are the feature you put forward first. We shake hands when meeting and greeting, high five when we're happy and give the thumbs up sign when we've accomplished something, so it makes sense to tattoo our ideals on the body part we use to communicate ideas with. Of course, images can be placed on hands as well, and you'll be amazed at the inventive and extraordinary things people can think up when it comes to body modification: a palm that opens to reveal a third eye, two halves of one heart that only form a whole when the hands are clasped together in prayer, letters on the insides of the knuckles rather than the outside and much, much more.

[images courtesy of bmezine]