Lotus Flower Tattoo

What You Need To Know About Getting a Lotus Flower Tattoo

The lotus flower is one of the most popular tattoos around the world.

Lotus tattoos have deep roots from the Eastern culture but have found a place in westernized regions not for their beauty, but for their symbolism.

Choosing A Lotus Flower Tattoo

Those that choose a lotus flower for a tattoo generally do it for a specific reason.

Religious or Cultural reasons; Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism
The depiction of the lotus being opened, closed, or partially opened.
Symbolic meaning behind a specific color.

The area of the body where the tattoo will be placed is a personal choice and is dependent upon:

Wanting others to see it or keep it covered and private.
How much pain one can tolerate since certain areas of the body experience more or less pain than other areas.
How much sun exposure the tattoo will get.

Cultural Reason(s) For Getting Lotus Tattoo

For some, getting a lotus flower tattoo comes from cultural references that originate from around the world.

Hinduism

Symbolism: prosperity, beauty, fertility

Representation: eternity, purity, divinity, life, fertility, youth

Hindus believe that each person possesses the spirit of the lotus. The analogy of the lotus flower’s rise from the dark mud to light, reveals how the consciousness evolves from emotional responses to the liberation of the spirit.

There are many deities (gods) in Hinduism that are depicted holding a lotus in their hand. The lotus is believed to be the seat of the deity as divine and pure.The Bhagavad Gita (a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is in Sanskrit translation) notes that the human is commanded to be more like the lotus flower doing work without expecting anything in return.

Humans are to dedicate their labor to God so that they may be like the lotus; standing above the water untouched (symbolic of being untouched by sin.)

Buddhism

The symbolism of Color:

White lotus – purity
Blue lotus – knowledge, wisdom
Pink lotus – Buddha and his teachings

Representation:

Closed lotus bud is representative of “time before enlightenment”
Fully bloomed lotus represents “time of enlightenment”
Partial lotus bloom represents “enlightenment is not reachable at the given time”
Fully bloomed lotus represents “time of enlightenment”
Partial lotus bloom represents “enlightenment is not reachable at the given time”

In Buddhism, the lotus is thought to achieve enlightenment as it rises from mud and then blooms above the water.

The human spirit is born into the darkness of the mud, and through one’s works, they rise up through the waters to be faithful followers.

The overall position that the lotus holds in Buddhism is one that is representational in rebirth through reincarnation.

The Symbolism Of Lotus Tattoo Color

When choosing a lotus flower for a tattoo, some take it a step further and request a specific color because of the symbolic meaning of the color as it relates to their own life.

Pink

The supreme and true lotus of Buddha

Blue

The spirit triumphs over wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge.

Depicted as partially open with the center not visible

Purple

Mystical
Eight petals representational of the noble eightfold path that leads to self-awakening

White

Awakening
Mental Purity
Spiritual Perfection
Lotus represents the womb of the world

Red

Love
Compassion
Symbolic of the heart

Preparing For Your Tattoo

Skin

Don’t get sunburned. Getting a tattoo on skin that is sunburned is extremely painful and causes extensive damage to your skin. Bleeding will be a problem causing the tattoo artist difficulty with the ink becoming diluted from the blood.
Make sure the area to be tattooed is free from any cuts, scratches, or scars.
Moisturize the area to be tattooed 1-2 weeks prior to being tattooed.
Drink lots of water 1 week prior to tattoo to hydrate your skin.
The day of your tattoo, wash the area thoroughly with soap as well as shower the entire body. This helps reduce the bacteria that is present on the skin further reducing the chances of infection.
Don’t shave the area to be tattooed the day of.

Alcohol

Do not drink during or 24 hours prior to your tattoo. Not only is it illegal for the tattoo artist to tattoo with alcohol in your system, but your blood will be thin from the alcohol causing bleeding an extreme danger during tattooing.

Diet

Prior to arriving at your tattoo appointment, eat something that is carb-based to keep your blood sugar elevated. Taking a snack with you might help as well. For some, the intensity of the tattoo needles piercing the skin causes blood sugar levels to drop which then causes light-headedness and even fainting.The day of, do not drink too much caffeine as it can keep you from relaxing during the tattoo.

Research the lotus flower, symbolisms, colors, etc. before deciding on a lotus flower tattoo
Decide if you want a color or black tattoo
Find a tattoo artist based on great (not just good) reviews and one that has knowledge of lotus flowers
checkMake a consultation appointment to talk to the artist and have them do a rendering of what they envision. Make sure you are 100% happy with the rendering. You can always work with the artist to tweak it or make it more personalized
checkBe prepared financially, physically, and mentally before getting your tattoo
checkTake good care of your tattoo afterward
check⦁Shower the day of.
checkMoisturize 1-2 weeks prior to tattoo
checkDrink lots of water

Go to any tattoo studio just because it’s convenient or you think it might be good
Get a tattoo without the artist doing a rendering first that meets your approval
Get a large tattoo if you can’t tolerate pain
Get a tattoo unless you are absolutely sure you want it because it’s going to be a permanent display on your body
Go to a “walk-in” tattoo studio that does tattoos on the spot. Tattoos are not like fast food, but rather artwork that needs to be finely designed and done
Drink during or 24 hours prior to tattoo
Get sunburned
Drink too much caffeine the day of