Skull tattoos have a wide variety of symbolic meanings, depending on how the skull is used. There are so many ways to depict skulls that they can be used to make statements as diverse as how powerful a person is to how cute and girly he or she is.There are skull tattoos that are meant to be frightening, ones that are drawn to be as realistic as possible and some that are drawn in pink with hearts for eye sockets. The skull is such a universal symbol that it can be adapted to literally any meaning, from religious to political to simply an artistic design with aesthetic merit.
It used to be the case the skull tattoos were only for certain ‘kinds’ of people – those who, for one reason or another wanted a dark and threatening tattoo image. For instance, skull tattoos were – and still are – common prison or gang related tattoos. Those heavily into Goth culture might also want a skull image. For bikers, skull tattoos served as a sort of talisman to protect themselves from death.
Skull tattoos are gaining in popularity. Certainly the image is an appropriate one for tattooing, as the whole idea of a tattoo is that it will stay with you until you die, a permanent part of your mortal body. Some skull tattoos are more varied and more attractive than many people might assume, so they might be a great way to start embracing your dark side!
