25 Sclera Tattoos That Will Poke Your Eyes Out

Andrew Kreeger

4 years ago

Well, we stumbled upon this thing we did not know was actually a thing and, frankly, it’s terrifying. Scleral tattooing is the practice of tattooing the sclera, or white part of the human eye. Yes, people are getting their eyeballs tattooed. We thought we’d seen it all, but no, the world keeps offering up more madness in the year of our Lord 2020.

The dye is not injected into the tissue, but between two layers of the eye, where it spreads out over a wide area. The process is not common, but it’s a growing trend. Dear 2020, we’re tired. Please let us find peace. Because we can’t look away, we decided to take a deep dive into the world of eye tattooing to see how these sclera tattoos are fairing in the world. Here are 25 sclera tattoo pictures that will simultaneously make you wonder about everything and nothing at all. These images are not for the faint of heart so consider yourself warned. *gulp*

Black and Red

Here’s a good primer. These eyeball tattoos are black. Black ink is injected and after about 12 hours the ink spreads from the site of injection and fills the entire white of the eye. Her red hair really makes those black eyes pop.

Dark Eyes

Here’s another example. This person’s chestnut-colored eyes really shine against all that black ink.

A Nurturing Gaze

Just because people get a sclera tattoo doesn’t mean they’re monsters! It’s just another form of tattoo that only changes the appearance not the goodness of the person inside. It’s so jarring to see, but it’s not the movies, it’s real life.

Not Just Black Ink

The person who shared this image described that it was taken right after the tattoo injection. See how it looks like swirling clouds? The ink hasn’t fully saturated yet. Also, it’s not only done with black ink! Purple is another popular color.

Colorful

Either this is a result of photoshop, or this person has had two different inks injected which have not yet mixed yet. Either way, it’s interesting to look at.

Black Eye

Here’s another person who has just finished the procedure black ink seems to saturate the fastest. The person who shared this image captioned it, “I got a black eye.” Yes, you did.

Blue & Yellow

Who says the eyes need be matching colors? Here, we find a blue eye and a highlighter-yellow one. This looks so strange, but do you, colorful eyeball-lover.

Be Yourself

Eye tattoos are popular among the body modification community because they bring such a transformative appearance once done. As you’ll see on this list, many people use sclera tattoos to help them achieve a certain look.

Christmas?

Here’s another mismatched pair. Green and red have always read as Christmas colors when paired together. Perhaps it’s this person’s favorite holiday?

Purple Eye

Here’s another eye that’s just been injected with purple ink. It takes time to fully spread and looks absolutely bizarre before it does.

Baby Blues

With the whites of her eyes now dyed blue, those brown eyes truly pop. This person shared a Marilyn Monroe quote in the caption: “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

Lashes

In general, the color black makes things appear smaller. So, when people had black ink to their eyes it can sometimes make the eyes look small or sunken in. These fake lashes have solved the problem.

Aqua

There’s a lot to unpack about this photo. Take your time with this one. We do like the color ink chosen for the eyes.

Eyeball Tattoos and Transformers?

To be 100% transparent, we shared this photo with you because the person with the sclera tattoos looked so young and they were holding a toy. It was very jarring when we first saw it.

Indigo Ink

This person must be feeling pretty timeless because they shared one single word as a caption for this image: “atemporal.” Okay.

Dazzling

Dark eyes with the whites blacked out give such a surreal effect.

Blue & Green

Some people like to wear brightly colored contacts in addition to the sclera tattoos. Otherworldy, right?

Just a Touch

This person has chosen a rather subtle purplish-grey ink that doesn’t seem to saturate as much. It gives a much different effect than the brighter or darker examples we’ve seen on this list.

Bright Eyes

We had to share this image with you for two reasons. First, the cropping of it is so strange it gives it an almost eerie vibe. Second, the way the light is being caught in the iris paired with the black backdrop is wild.

A Whole Mood

Live your life folks. The image was shared with some warning about modifications and that people considering it should be doing it for the “right reasons.” They also urge people to do their research and learn as much as possible before making a commitment.

She’s Feeling Blue

This pastel blue, almost green sclera contrasts so intensely with the deep brown of the iris. We chose this image to give you a super clear view.

Jeepers Creepers…

We see some more purple eyes here. You’ve also seen not one, but two split tongues today! How’s life treating you now?

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We Got It

This person wants you to check out those black peepers. Honestly, what will we think of next?

Pastels

We share this image with you to show how colorful eyeballs can create a whole look. While the tattoos are predominately in black ink, there are some pastels and purples that add to the overall feel we assume this person was going for.

Windows to the Soul

Deep blue seas right in the eye sockets. With a couple of tattoos on the face for good measure, this person isn’t missing an opportunity for ink all over.

There you go! 25 examples of scleral tattooing. These eyeball tattoos are risky. Some have resulted in pain, permanent eye damage, blindness, and even loss of the eye.