InkCraftLower Back Tattoo Ideas for Women and Waistbands
20 women's lower back tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
The female lower back sits in the deepest part of the waist curve, between the dimples just above the pelvis and the narrowest point of the torso. Most of these lower back tattoos for women are photographed with trousers at the waist, showing where a waistband leaves each piece.
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a woman's lower back
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a woman's lower back
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese octopus tattoo on a woman's lower back
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental fish tattoo on a woman's lower back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework moon tattoo on a woman's lower back
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tattoo on a woman's lower back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's lower back
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line skull tattoo on a woman's lower back
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork wolf tattoo on a woman's lower back
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional dragon tattoo on a woman's lower back
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional flowers tattoo on a woman's lower back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's lower back
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical tattoo on a woman's lower back
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a woman's lower back
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor sunflower tattoo on a woman's lower back
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese tattoo on a woman's lower back
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional roses tattoo on a woman's lower back
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's lower back
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor raven tattoo on a woman's lower back
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric tattoo on a woman's lower back
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 20 tattoos on women's lower backs, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 12
- Colour
- 8
- Most common style
- linework
Rise, crop and the curve above the hips
How much of a lower back piece shows is set by two garments at once: the rise of your trousers or skirt, and the length of your top. High-rise waistbands cover the lower part of the area and low-rise ones leave it open, while a cropped top or the gap when you lean forward reveals the upper part. Knowing which of those you wear most tells you where the bottom edge belongs.
On many women the inward curve of the lower spine is deep, with the waist narrowing above wider hips. A wide design laid across that curve looks slightly foreshortened when you stand straight and opens out when you bend. Shapes wider than they are tall, drawn to follow the curve rather than meet it square, keep their proportions through both.
Pregnancy and leaving room for an epidural
The skin here takes far less stretch in pregnancy than the stomach does. What changes is posture: the curve of the lower back deepens for some months and eases again afterwards, and ornamental or flowing designs come through that looking as they did.
An epidural goes in at the centre of the lower spine, so if a pregnancy is possible, a design that leaves a small open area over the spine keeps that simple. How the spot feels and heals is on the lower back page.
Common questions
- Can you still have an epidural with a lower back tattoo?
- In most cases, yes. It is commonly placed through a healed tattoo or through a gap in it, and only some anaesthetists prefer to avoid inked skin altogether. Mention the tattoo at antenatal appointments, and if you are planning ahead, ask the artist to keep the midline over the spine open.
- How high should a lower back tattoo sit on a woman?
- Set it by the trousers you wear most. With low-rise styles there is room down to the dimples; high-rise waistbands cover that lower strip, so a piece meant to show with them needs to sit higher, nearer the narrowest point of the waist. Try the stencil standing and sitting in those clothes.
- Can a lower back tattoo be joined to a hip piece?
- Yes. The lower back runs round the waist onto the hips, and a design with arms reaching outwards, such as vines, wings or an ornamental band, can be continued onto one or both hips later. Plan the ends to point that way, and check where your bikini or waistband lines cross the join.
- What lower back tattoo designs suit a woman's waist curve?
- Ones wider than they are tall and drawn along the curve: ornamental work spreading from the centre, roses or sunflowers laid sideways, a dragon or a fish bending round towards the hips. Linework keeps a wide piece light where a top rides up, and traditional or watercolour colour reads from further away. A meaningful word or date can sit in small script above the dimples.
See it on your own skin first
InkCraft places a design on a photo of you — scaled, wrapped and shaded to the spot you pick, so you can judge the size against your own body before it is permanent.