One of the most popular places on the body for women to get tattoos is the lower back. This is also one of the most controversial places on the body for people of either gender to get tattooed. That’s because there are a lot of myths associated with lower back tattoos, myths that persist to this day despite the fact that tattoos of all kinds have gotten more mainstream and are seen across a diverse body of people. In order to dispel those myths, it’s important to take a look at what they are and why they simply are not true.
The biggest myth associated with lower back tattoos is that the women who get them are promiscuous. As soon as you say it out loud, you realize how ridiculous this sounds. Women get tattoos (including lower back tattoos) for a whole variety of different reasons and most of them don’t have anything to do with signaling their sexuality to others. However, there became a widespread acceptance of the myth that women who wear tattoos on their lower backs are putting a target on themselves that draws men’s eyes to their bodies with the intention of sexual suggestion. Of all of the myths about lower back tattoos that are out there, this is the one that is most dangerous.
Women are not the only targets of lower back tattoo myths, though. In fact, coming a close second to the myth about promiscuity is the myth that lower back tattoos should only be on women and not on men. Many men who have taken an interest in getting a tattoo on the small of their back have opted not to get this type of tattoo because of the ridicule that they faced from people who found out about their plans. Men who do opt to get these kinds of tattoos often face assumptions about their sexuality, which also are not true.
Finally, there is a persistent belief that there are only certain types of tattoos that should be obtained on the lower back. Because of the other myths, it is believed that these tattoos should be flirty, girly and sexy. A woman who liked sun tattoos might be pressured to look at sun tattoos that were suggestive such as a female-looking sun with long eyelashes and a winking smile. Alternatively, she might be encouraged to avoid sun tattoos and get something like a heart or a butterfly instead.
All of the myths that surround lower back tattoos are based on the idea that the only people who should get them are women and the only reason that they should get them is to indicate to society’s men that she is sexually available. Considering that tattoos are permanent and availability is transitory, this is clearly an absurd foundation for a myth. And yet lower back tattoos continue to be viewed in this way by a large percentage of people who are out there hitting the bars and scoping out the tattoos on the other patrons.
When getting a tattoo, you should think about two things: the design that you want and the message that you’re sending to the world. If you’re in love with lower back tattoos and sun tattoos and you’re committed to the idea of getting one even though you’re a man, you should feel confident in your choice and get inked. However, you’ll have to be aware that there are myths out there which are going to follow you around whether you like it or not. People will make assumptions about you based on the choices that you make with your tattoos. If you’ve got the self-esteem and confidence to pull it off, then this won’t be a problem. But if you’re someone who is sensitive to peer pressure then you might want to re-think the location or design of your tattoo.
