InkCraftNeck Tattoo Ideas for Women and Where Hair Falls
27 women's neck tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
Long hair makes the neck one of the most adjustable placements for many women: covered when hair is down, shown when it is tied up. These neck tattoos for women are set beside their flat designs, to judge the scale of each one on the neck itself.
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric tattoo on a woman's neck
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tiger tattoo on a woman's neck
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school dragonfly tattoo on a woman's neck
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative raven tattoo on a woman's neck
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese wolf tattoo on a woman's neck
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative phoenix tattoo on a woman's neck
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line tattoo on a woman's neck
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's neck
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's neck
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tiger tattoo on a woman's neck
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental hummingbird tattoo on a woman's neck
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework compass tattoo on a woman's neck
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line tattoo on a woman's neck
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork sun tattoo on a woman's neck
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese hummingbird tattoo on a woman's neck
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's neck
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's neck
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's neck
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a woman's neck
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork cherry blossom tattoo on a woman's neck
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional rose tattoo on a woman's neck
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a woman's neck
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tattoo on a woman's neck
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a woman's neck
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental anchor tattoo on a woman's neck
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative tattoo on a woman's neck
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a woman's neck
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 27 tattoos on women's necks, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 16
- Colour
- 11
- Most common style
- linework
Hair up, hair down
The nape, just below the hairline and above the top of the spine, is the neck placement hair controls completely. Worn down, long hair hides it; in a ponytail, bun or updo, it is on show. That gives the nape more choice about visibility than any other part of the neck, and a piece there can be as private or as public as the day's hairstyle.
The hairline itself is the top border. Fine short hairs and the shape of the hairline vary a great deal, and a design that tucks up into them looks half hidden, while one set a finger's width below reads clearly. If you ever wear an undercut at the back, the shaved area above that line becomes available too.
The side of a slimmer neck
On a slimmer neck the side offers a narrow vertical strip between the ear and the collarbone, and designs sized for a wider neck wrap too far round it. Tall, narrow subjects, a stem, a feather, a dagger, a line of script running down from behind the ear, fit that strip. Earrings sit at the top of it and necklaces at the bottom, and both frame a side-of-neck piece.
At the base of the neck, necklines take over: a piece low on the nape shows with open and scoop backs and hides under a high-necked top. For how the nape, sides and throat compare for pain, see the neck page.
Common questions
- Can a neck tattoo be hidden with long hair?
- A nape piece, completely, whenever your hair is down. The side of the neck is covered partly, depending on length and where you part it, and the front not at all. If covering it for work matters, the nape gives you that without any change of clothing.
- What should women with short hair know about neck tattoos?
- With a pixie cut or a short crop the nape is on show constantly, so the piece becomes part of how you look every day rather than an occasional reveal. Clean outlines with some open space read at a distance; very fine work at the hairline can blur into the regrowth between cuts.
- How big should a nape tattoo be on a woman?
- Usually no wider than the space between the two cords of muscle either side of the spine, and no taller than from the hairline to the bony bump at the base of the neck. That keeps it on the flat of the nape. A piece that carries on down the spine can be as long as you like.
- Which styles suit a small side or nape tattoo on a woman?
- Linework suits the side of a slimmer neck, where a stem, a hummingbird or a line of script keeps to the narrow strip below the ear. Ornamental pieces fit the nape, centred on the spine and framed by the hairline. Illustrative and blackwork subjects, a tiger or a raven, need a little more room and sit best at the base of the neck, where they can spread towards the shoulders.
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.