As summer starts to wind down, so begin some of the best months of the year to get a new tattoo. Though tail tats, butterflies, and fruit portraits [1] were predicted to dominate the body-art scene this summer, as the fall months — and particularly Halloween [2] — start to approach once more, you may be tempted to cement your love for the holiday, so why not do so by getting some fresh ink [3]? But not just any tattoo will do this fall — you should probably consider a skeleton or skull tattoo.
Skeleton and skull tattoos are perfect if you are a fan of all things spooky but may not want to get a horror, or more graphic, tattoo [4]. The design of these tattoos can be extremely versatile, and in fact, different skeleton- and skull-tattoo designs also have different meanings. Sugar-skull [5] tattoos, for example, hail from Mexican culture, and the vibrant colors used to decorate the designs are typically seen as a way to celebrate and honor the dead. A human-skeleton tattoo, on the other hand, could serve as a reminder for the wearer "to stay on their newly found path of righteousness and to not go back to their pasts," according to tattooseo.com [6].
Whatever your reasons for wanting a skull or skeleton tattoo are, if you're looking for inspiration for your own piece, take a look at some of the best skeleton- and skull-tattoo designs from Instagram ahead.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Hyperrealistic Skull
There's nothing that increases the spooky factor of a skull tattoo than a hyperrealistic design. Get a realistic-looking tattoo like the one seen here for a design that will turn heads.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Dancing Skeleton
Skeleton tattoos can have a touch of whimsy to them as well! Dancing skeletons are extremely popular on their own, but add celestial elements like the moon and stars to your next skeleton tattoo for a fun take on the design.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Cartoon Skeleton
Nineties cartoon designs were predicted to be a big trend in 2022. So why not combine the two designs and get your skeleton tattoo in a colorful '90s-cartoon style?
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skeleton Hand Holding a Rose
Blue roses are often used to symbolize mystery, so incorporating a skeleton-hand tattoo in a blue rose design is an elegant way to play up the design's spooky factor.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Plant Skulls
Another summer 2022 tattoo prediction? Plants and fruits. Take your skull tattoo to greener pastures with the addition of plant details like the design seen here.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Sugar Skull
Sugar skulls hail from Mexico and are traditionally seen on the Day of the Dead. These designs are typically used to pay homage to people who have passed away and to celebrate the life that they once had. Play with different color placements to get your own unique sugar-skull-tattoo design.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Bull-Skull Tattoo
Bulls are known to be a symbol of strength. Put a twist on your traditional skull tattoo design and incorporate a bull skull instead of a traditional human-skull design.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skeleton Hand Tattoo
Getting a skeleton tattoo on your hand feels like having a constant accessory that you can dress up. If you're someone who always wears hand jewelry or has your nails done, keep your skeleton hand tattoo simple and straightforward like the one seen here.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skull-and-Rose Tattoo
Incorporate your love of roses into your skull tattoo by fusing the two designs together. Who says you have to choose?
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skeleton-Hand Tattoo
Couples tattoos are cute, but there's nothing that says "Till Death Do Us Part" quite like a tattoo of two skeleton hands making a romantic pinky promise.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Bull-Skull Tattoo
Take your bull-skull tattoo to new heights by literally increasing the size of your tattoo. This design features gorgeous floral- and animal-print designs, and the upper-leg location allows space for the entirety of the tattoo without it looking crowded.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skull Tattoo Sleeve
One of the easiest ways to incorporate your skull tattoo into a sleeve is to use it as the starting design and then extrapolate on the additional pieces as you go. Doing this allows your sleeve to be cohesive and on theme.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Minimal Bull-Skull Tattoo
If you like your tattoos to be more discreet, get them in a hard-to-see location like the ankle. Be sure to also keep the design small and dainty, like the skull tattoo seen here.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skull-and-Rose Tattoo
Another clever way to incorporate roses into your skull tattoo is to use the flowers as an accent piece in the skull. The roses in this portrait act as eyes and a little bowtie.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Traditional Skull Tattoo
This traditional skull tattoo is perfect for anyone who wants to keep the look of a normal skull tattoo but add small details to their design. Play around with the shadows in a traditional skull tattoo and add touches like the swirled lines seen here for a finish that is completely unique.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skull Tattoo Sleeve
This skull tattoo sleeve incorporates other elements like trees and a winding roads into the design, giving the tattoo an eerie feel.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Skull Tattoo With Sword
Another cool way to jazz up a minimal traditional skull tattoo? Adding additional designs like the sword seen here.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Animals and Skulls
One way to make your skull tattoo stand out even more is to make it the background of a larger design. The skull tattoos in this portrait are incorporated into a big-cat design and hidden so well, it might take a few tries to see them.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Sugar Skull
If you're someone who likes your sugar-skull tattoo devoid of color, play around with other elements of the design like the shape of the skull. This design features a sugar-skull tattoo with the jaw off its hinges.
The Best Skeleton and Skull Tattoos: Bull-Skull Tattoo
This bull-skull tattoo keeps the design fairly straightforward and will only be seen whenever the wearer wants it to be. Another fantastic design for minimalists or people who want their tattoos easily hidden.