Beyoncé's Minimalist Finger Tattoos Have the Sweetest Meanings Behind Them
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Beyoncé may have a larger-than-life presence on stage, but when it comes to her body art, she's a true minimalist. The singer only has two known tattoos, both of which are on her fingers and are so subtle that they're easy to miss. What you may not know is that Beyoncé once had a third tat, which she regretted immediately and started the process of getting removed just one week after visiting the tattoo parlor. Since getting that regrettable first tattoo, Beyoncé has chosen her ink carefully, and you can check out the gallery to learn the meanings behind her tiny tattoos.
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Beyoncé's Angel Tattoo
Beyoncé's first tattoo was an angel on her left hip, which she designed together with famed tattoo artist Mister Cartoon. According to a 2002 Los Angeles Times interview with the artist, Beyoncé visited the studio with "no idea what she wanted," and the two "decided on a small angel in prayer." However, it didn't take long for Beyoncé to regret her decision.
She opened up about the tat — and its subsequent removal — during a 2010 interview with People. "When I was 21, I actually did get a tattoo of an angel that I had painted," she said. "It was very, very beautiful. But the next day I woke up, and I was like, 'Oh my God! What did I do?' So literally the next week, I started getting it removed. It's gone now. I went through so many years of pain. I wish I'd taped it for young people to see." She added that she probably wouldn't get another tattoo until she was older or had children, and only if she was ready for "something that's going to be forever."
Beyoncé's IV Tattoo
The singer didn't get another tattoo until 2008, when she got matching tattoos with her husband, JAY-Z. The two got Roman numeral fours on their left ring fingers in lieu of traditional wedding bands, as the number four is a special number in their relationship. Their wedding took place on April 4, and both of them have birthdays on the fourth of the month — Beyoncé on Sept. 4 and JAY-Z on Dec. 4. In honor of their ninth wedding anniversary in 2017, Beyoncé dropped a video on Instagram showing footage from the day they got their matching ink.
The singer later made some slight alterations to the faded ink, which fans noticed after she posted an IG video in September 2017 showing a close-up view of her left hand. She covered the previously red tat with black ink and added a few extra lines, so now the design looks like a combination of a number "4" and the letter "J."
Beyoncé's 3 Dots Tattoo
Right around the same time that fans noticed her altered IV tattoo (and a few months after her twins were born), Beyoncé debuted a tattoo of three little dots on her left ring finger. Though she's never confirmed their meaning, fans think the three dots are meant to symbolize her three children: Blue Ivy, Sir, and Rumi.