InkCraftFemale Stomach Tattoo Designs, Navel to Waistband
18 women's stomach tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
A stomach piece on a woman is framed by clothing from both ends, the hem of a top above and the waistband below, with the navel between them. These female stomach tattoos are shown with a crop top or a lifted top, each placed on the belly.
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional wolf tattoo on a woman's stomach
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a woman's stomach
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional peony tattoo on a woman's stomach
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative tattoo on a woman's stomach
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical lips tattoo on a woman's stomach
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative flower tattoo on a woman's stomach
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric eagle tattoo on a woman's stomach
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's stomach
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's stomach
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's stomach
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's stomach
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative tattoo on a woman's stomach
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's stomach
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork moth tattoo on a woman's stomach
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork lion tattoo on a woman's stomach
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's stomach
- geometric · colourTry it on — Color geometric dragon tattoo on a woman's stomach
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's stomach
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 18 tattoos on women's stomachs, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 13
- Colour
- 5
- Most common style
- dotwork
Between the crop top and the waistband
The strip of stomach that everyday clothes show is set by two lines: where your tops end and where your trousers or skirts sit. A crop top with a high waistband leaves only a band around the navel, and a low rise opens the area below it. Designs sized for that band, wider than they are tall and centred on the navel, are seen whole in those clothes; taller pieces running from the ribs to the waistband show whole mostly in swimwear.
The navel is the centre of every stomach composition and a fixed point that itself changes shape over the years. Pieces that frame it, a sun, a flower opening around it, ornament radiating outwards, look planned; ones sitting just to one side can look like a near miss.
Pregnancy and stretch marks
No skin on the body changes more in pregnancy than the front of the stomach, and the area below the navel usually stretches most. A tattoo there stretches with it and often settles back closely afterwards, though not always exactly: stretch marks can run through the ink, and looser skin can soften fine lines. Some women wait until after a planned pregnancy; others choose a flowing subject, or place the design above the navel, where the stretch is usually less.
Most artists will not tattoo during pregnancy, so if one is planned soon, the timing makes the decision for you. For how the area feels and heals, see the stomach page.
Common questions
- Should I wait until after pregnancy for a stomach tattoo?
- If a pregnancy is planned within a year or two, waiting is the safer choice, because you can then design for the skin you actually have. If not, go ahead with a flowing design. Many stomach pieces come back close to their original shape, and one that does not can usually be refreshed or reworked by a good artist.
- Can you tattoo over stretch marks on the stomach?
- Yes, once they have faded from red or purple to pale silver, which can take a year or more. Settled marks take ink slightly differently from the skin around them, so an artist will usually suggest a design with texture and movement that blends them in, rather than a flat block of colour across them.
- Where should a stomach tattoo sit to show with a crop top?
- Centred on the navel and kept inside the gap between the hem and the waistband of the clothes you wear most. Hold the stencil in place while wearing them, then sit down: the belly folds slightly when seated, and a piece placed right on that fold is the one that looks creased.
- Which tattoo styles suit a woman's stomach?
- Neo-traditional and illustrative pieces suit the band between hem and waistband: a peony, a moth or an eagle with open wings, spread sideways across the belly. Dotwork and geometric ornament radiate well from the navel. On the lower stomach, which stretches most in pregnancy, shaded designs with soft edges come through changes that would bend precise geometry.
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.