75 Jaw-Dropping Extreme Tattoos That Are Next Level

Embracing self-expression continues to be one of the predominant ways that modern individuals differentiate themselves from the pack. While tattoos were once associated with the counterculture that deviated away from cultural norms, they have become much more acceptable and widely beloved. Because of the shift in thought, more people are going all in and getting extreme tattoos that offer optimal self-expression.

Some people just can’t get enough ink! Extreme tattoos can be a way to show an evolution, a transformation, and even if they’ve not been fully conceived from the start, they still have a story to tell viewers. If you have a tattoo, you know how attractive they are. Once you get one, it’s hard to stop! Need proof of it? We’ve found folks with tattoos from top to bottom that truly love the art of tattooing. These individuals might have started with just one tattoo, but now it’s a whole lifestyle. Let’s get extreme!

Check Out These Mesmerizing Extreme Tattoos!

‘Black Alien’

“Anthony Loffredo, who calls himself the ‘black alien’ had his ears, nostrils and even a few fingers removed — sharpened his teeth and dyed them purple; and covered his body in extreme tattoos,” the person who shared this image wrote. What do you think of the results? We believe it’s one of the most shocking extreme tattoos on this list.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Most extreme tattoos are heavy on black ink but this person has leaned into full color. There’s so much movement and energy in these designs.

In Your Face

Unlike the “Black Alien,” who had the tip of their nose surgically removed, this person has chosen to blackout the tip of the nose. It’s still startling but not nearly as extreme.

Drama

Face tattoos are generally dainty but that’s not the case with this person’s extreme tattoos. They seem to dance over the eye and spill down the face.

A Thing of Beauty

Is it just us or do these extreme tattoos fill you with a sense of serenity. There’s something so balanced and peaceful about these patterns.

Ear and All

From up the neck and into the hairline, these extreme tattoos go. They curve onto the face, following the skull’s natural shape. It’s interesting how the artist has managed to continue it over onto the ear as well.

Geometric Realness

Okay! This individual’s extreme tattoos crown the head in cubist shapes in blue and green. No other design on this list looks like this example.

With Some Sub-Dermal Implants

Many people with extreme tattoos are into body modification and sub-dermal implants go hand and hand with bold and over-the-top tattoos. They have really altered the shape of this person’s face.

What Are We Looking At?

We think that the portion of the tattoo is a cover-up and the other half is an existing design. Whatever is happening here, it is certainly unsettling!

Widow’s Peak

Originally believed to be an omen for early widowhood, a widow’s peak is not something you see too often in tattoo form. Do you think it complements the hairstyle or not?

Scratched Through

These sort of chaotic scratch-looking designs are popular among extreme tattoos. It appears that this person also has a sclera tattoo which is a tattooed eyeball.

Splatter

As fans of modern art, we kind of like this abstract splatter paint-style design. The colors are bold and arresting while the black lines give the overall thing a ton of movement and visual interest.

Hansel and Gretel Moment

Well, this is likely one of the few extreme tattoos with subject matter rooted in a fairy tale. A witch’s portrait is at the top over the ear while the silhouette of two children holding hands sits below. This one really creeps us out!

All the Way to the Fingertips

The tattoo artist who completed these sleeve tattoos took them all the way to the beds of the fingernails! It doesn’t get more extreme than that.

Everything But the Face

This individual took her extreme tattoos in a black and grey direction. There’s a lot of coverage and imagery to unpack here, so take a moment to soak it all in.

A Lot to Take In

Here’s another person with extreme tattoos that seem to have more imagery than our eyes can process. Is that a mouth full of sharp teeth with a disco ball inside?

So Many Shapes

Many geometric patterns and shapes form this massive back tattoo. We think it is a handsome piece. We wonder how many hours it took?

Ink in Water

Abstract liquid shapes like this are popular as you’ve seen. This person has really blown up the idea into a really big design that looks like it could also be a sort of topographic map.

Roar!

We find a humongous cat’s face among this person’s extreme tattoos. There’s a ton of black ink here so the warm colors used for the feline really pop.

Coming to a Point

Tattoos like this that cover pre-existing designs are call “blastover tattoos.” Most of the time we really like seeing the old designs peeking through and this is no exception.

Get Into the Grid

How about a bunch of diamond shapes covering your face? This person thought it was a good idea. They are rather tidy which makes them really contrast with the floral designs next to them.

Protect Ya Neck

This individual has a number of extreme tattoos but its the one on her neck and chest that read the most dramatic. We imagine that felt fantastic.

Dark and Stormy

Here’s another example of a “blastover” design. We love the big shapes employed here that give the design a true graphic quality.

All or Nothing

Okay! We’re not sure what’s going on with the shapes that look like teeth but we’ll bite. There were some really interesting choices made with these extreme tattoos, including a block of red ink on the arm.

Cracked

This bold design looks like a sheet of black, broken glass. We prefer organic shapes and imagery to more geometric ones so this one is a hit in our opinion.

Alt Girl

This girl has an impressive array of tattoos, so impressive in fact, that it’s hard to know where her awesome mesh outfit ends and where her even more awesome tattoos begin. These tattoos are bold and stand out in a way that perfectly matches this Alt Girl’s aesthetic. All in all, her tattoos definitely make you want to remember her.

U Up?

Now, these tattoos will definitely catch your eye in a crowd because colorful can’t even begin to describe it. No matter where you look, you’ll always find something new. Whether it’s the owl with its wings spread on his forehead, or the bugs that are at his collar bones, hiding amongst some flowers. Either way, his tattoos are definitely eye-catching. 

Haunting

This guy’s tattoos are a testament to what a skilled tattoo artist can do with proper shading and understanding of how light works. There’s so much detail packed into each and every single piece of this tattoo that you can see just how much work goes into it. Being able to draw a white dove with minimal shading is awesome. 

The Barber

The person who got this tattoo is a barber by trade, and that’s definitely a big point here. The word barber is printed on the man’s nose and is accompanied by a barber’s pole. In addition to those two tattoos, there’s also a tribute to rock and roll on the man’s upper lip in place of a mustache. It’s unique. 

Bros

Thes two friends have a matching pair of back tattoos, we can only make out some of the image imprinted on their back but that doesn’t really matter, what does matter is that these friends are very dedicated to each other and their friendship. It might also be kind of adorable if that’s your thing. It’s your life, live it!

Even the Eyelids

Even this person’s hair has been altered! We’ve got a ton of busy designs here from a geometric cube pattern on the side of the face to shapes radiating out from around the eyes. A lot of this man’s skin is just tattooed a deep shade of black and a lot of the other ones are covered up by it.

Bros Part II

This guy and his friend are covered in tattoos from head to toe. It just might be a sign that you need to find friends who have the same vibes as you to really have a good time. Because even when they’re covered in ink it’s always a good time when you find a friend. These boys are pretty rad.

Harmony

This face tattoo is breathtaking. It has both floral and celestial motifs and it dances across the face. It is a very cool tattoo that is very clean and pleasing to look at. This tattoo is sure to get you a look of wonder when he’s going about his day-to-day activities. We can’t imagine how much pain this man felt.

The Totality of the Torso

This tattoo of the Buddha is a stunner! Most of the tattoos on display here are done in classic black and grey, but the inclusion of white ink on the torso makes the design really glow. This is also a fairly large chest that covers much of the torso and it’s absolutely beautiful. All in all this tattoo is excellent.

Cheek to Cheek

“Create Yourself.” This tattoo is a brilliant reminder to be the person you want to be, to do that you have to create yourself in the image of what you need and exactly how you want. This individual is clearly taking it to heart as there are a number of bold, personal designs, as well as some intense facial piercings.

Bold & Black

Blackout tattoos have been trending for the last several years and it certainly seems like a painful commitment. It’s clear this person has no fear of the tattoo gun! It’s one of the most extreme tattoos on this list! That’s not the only thing though, look at the intricately designed pattern on their torso and the moth on their chest.

Swirls & Swirls

This close-up photograph reveals an entire world of intricate design flowing across this person’s entire face. Even the lips have some dazzle to them. The swirls that this person has on their face really look like the crests of the ocean curling in over themselves and crashing down. It’s a beautifully designed tattoo with a whole bunch of personal flavor

‘Tattoos Are My Story’

“My body is my journal, and tattoos are my story,” this person captioned the photo. There’s still room to grow here, but these bold designs are wonderful. Not only that, but we can imagine how many more tattoos can be added here as the story gets longer and longer. This person’s tattoos have a lot of personal meaning to them.

Criss-Cross

Blackout tattooing is a trend that people are really getting behind these days. This person has taken care to extend the design from her neck up onto the face. The result is a linear design that looks like rays of light. This design can also be compared to the hatching marks made by a pencil on a piece of paper.

Off the Chest

Can you spot the death’s-head hawkmoth? Have you clocked the owl? These tattoos range from somewhat tribal-inspired to less abstract. It’s hard to tell where one tattoo starts and the other one stops. These tattoos flow in and out of each other to create an image that almost hypnotizing to see. It covers the whole chest and both his arms.

‘I Am the War’

Skulls are extremely popular designs for extreme tattoos. We must admit, however, that we’ve never seen a very large one over the entire torso. This one also looks very realistic and the shading and artistry here are outstanding. And notice all the other tattoos that are just as developed and shaded. His tattoo artist is definitely good at their job.

Tattooed to the Core

This guy certainly has a lot of variety in his tattoos. ​​Each one is just a small design that’s gotten picked up along the way. It looks like this individual is starting to run out of space! Who knows if any of them have any meaning but hey, tattoo’s don’t really have to have one. It depends on the person.

GoT

You guys. This person has a full-body tattoo inspired by Game of Thrones. Sure, there are some other designs going on but which stand out the most to you? if this is just because of his love for the show, the thought, and care put into this tattoo are definitely to be commended as well. It’s full of spectacular detail.

Sick

What if you want your face to look like you don’t have a face? This very strange tattoo design makes it look like the skin is rotting right off! If you looked at this one too fast, you might just be in for a bit of a jumpscare. It’s surprisingly unnervingly realistic, and the amount of shading here is insane.

A Whole Lot

The person showing off their tattoos here included the caption, “I think I got addicted.” Tattoos are so beautiful and expressive! It’s easy to go overboard. The artistry in these tattoos is certainly beautiful and the different designs here certainly draw your eye to every one of the tattoos. Over time you look your eye is drawn to somewhere new.

In-Line

As you’ve probably noticed eyelids and lips aren’t off the table when it comes to extreme tattoos. The geometric design on the side of his face carries right on across the lips while the line down the other side doesn’t miss the eyelid!  This tattoo draws attention to your face and is pretty cool to look at too. It’s awesome.

Fowl

This individual might give Cardi B a run for her money! A giant peacock tattoo that covers the entire body is one way to go about it! The color, shading, and realism used in this piece are stunning, and the fact that it covers her entire body means that there was potentially a lot of pain that came with it.

Stick a Needle In My…

We’re not going to lie, the sclera tattoos are a bit arresting. We can almost feel our eyes watering just thinking about them.  Some people can just take more than the rest of us. This person’s very bold, face tattoo designs are carried right on through to the whites of the eyes, because, why not? Isn’t this kind of wild.

Just Relax

Black and white tattoos can sometimes just do the job. Of course, colorful tattoos have their merit. Here, we find mostly abstract extreme tattoos all over. In black and white these tattoos seem to fade in and out of each other. It’s almost captivating to see the way the clean lines and faded edges make this series of tattoos exquisite.

Dazzling

This tattoo lover’s nose and eyes have mostly been spared here with minimal designs. This helps keep the face looking open, while still covering the rest with designs you love. Still, though, it seems everything fits right into place with this tattoo because each one fits beside the next perfectly. Despite the variety of each tattoo, they all fit well.

RELATED: 25 Extreme Tattoos That Offer Maximum Expression from Head to Toe

Inked All Over

“Filler” in tattoo parlance refers to small tattoo designs that are no-fuss that fill in space between more intricate and detailed designs. This is a masterclass in it. You can see how none of the “filler” in the tattoos here actually looks like filler. As we said, this is a masterclass in filling up the space. It’s very well done.

Scales

For most people, black and grey is the way to go for a face tattoo. But, that’s certainly not the case for everyone. This individual has leaned into colors and elaborate piercings to create their extreme tattoos. All of the colors here are bright and you can’t stop yourself from looking all over the place. We just can’t stop looking.

Abs of Ink

If your core needs a little work, consider tattooing on a set of washboard abs? Okay. We don’t exactly know what’s going on here and that’s completely fine. Not everyone has to get you or the tattoos that you chose to get. These abs of ink are just one tattoo amongst a selection of others. Either way, it’s your choice.

Beauty

Here, we find a more modest approach. With fun shapes like a heart and diamond, this look is a winner! Paired with a nice number of piercings, this person’s choice of tattoos has a lot of personalization that is unique to her and exactly what she likes. You can see the tattooing get heavier as your work your way down.

Asian-Inspired

This full-body tattoo has an Asian feel to it and we spot many motifs popular in Japanese tattooing. The tattoo extends all the way up the neck and even onto the face. Impressive! You can see how both the colored pants and the black and white just help to enhance each other. The dragon and floral motifs go well together.

No Skin Left Uninked

Mandala-inspired tattoo designs are extremely popular. This person certainly has an adoration for them as they’re tattooed from head to literally on the foot. Now we know the bottom of the foot definitely isn’t a place that you would think to get a tattoo, especially considering how sensitive the bottom of your feet happens to be. This person is dedicated.

Extreme Tattoos Make You Friends

Well, no comment on the vampire fangs, but these two both are sporting some pretty intense face tattoos. One is full of color while the other is done in a deep, black ink. Not to mention the fact that we see the sclera tattoos again. We’re still not quite sure how we feel about this trend. It looks kinda painful.

Fun and Floral

And you thought you loved flowers? This incredible extreme tattoo encompasses all the skin and displays a gorgeous array of flowers. It’s quite pleasing to see how they leave and vines crawl all over this person’s body. And the array of different colored flowers you see is really quite impressive. All the different shades of green really pull it together.

So Cool

People with face tattoos apparently love blue hair! This very cool-looking individual has traditional-style tattoos that look like they could be flash-hanging about. There’s also a mandala-inspired shape that radiates from beneath the ear onto the cheek. In addition to that, you can see that there are even more tattoos on his body, but we can’t tell how they look.

Tattoo Life

This person has a lot of horror-inspired tattoos that cover his entire body. The tattoos that stick out the most, however, are ones that are colored bright red amongst an array of black and white ones. Even his face is covered in tattoos of varying degrees of detail. All these tattoos have got to hold some secret to his personality.

Ornamental

When in doubt, go all out! These very intricate designs are neatly done and cover just about the entire face and even the whole head. This person is covered in intricate designs that lace in and out of each other, and crossfade between each other. It’s not hard to say that this person is dedicated to their personal tattoo aesthetic. 

Just Wild

Here, we find plenty of traditional-style extreme tattoos. There’s no real cohesive theme, but we are seeing a lot of animals in the form of birds, a wolf, an owl, and snails. Not only that, but you can also see the floral theme that plays out across the entire landscape of her tattoos. These tattoos show what she cares about.

The Bomb

The focal point of this person’s face is a repeating shape that extends from the hairline, over the eyes, and all the way to the jawline. We imagine this effect was difficult to do. However, they are very cool extreme tattoos. These face tattoos really prove that people know exactly what they want no matter how permanent it might be.

Doodles

Wow! Black and red really do make a statement here. In what looks, almost like doodles, a design takes over the face and even extends to the ears. Tattoos like this showcase how far you can go with a little bit of red ink, or maybe even a whole lot. That being said, it all depends on who you ask.

Go Nuts!

We venture to guess this tattoo enthusiast didn’t start out on the face, but rather they ran out of places to get tattooed. What a remarkable image of some extreme tattoos. Every single tattoo this person has is greatly detailed and even shaded beautifully. No matter where you look, your eyes always run into something new and somewhat exciting here.

Extreme Tattoos as High Art

A popular motif found in Irezumi (Japanese tattoos) is sakura which are cherry blossoms blown by a storm. This person’s entire body is covered with it. You can see how all the darkest ink here seems to fade into a blue color and blend in amongst the greens. And again we see the tattooed scelera, it seems to be popular.

Studded

This person has added a touch of sparkle by way of face piercings or subdermal implants to make the design pop. All of the really beautifully colored ink help make this design a true inspiration. The pops of color that serve as the background for the tattoo on her forehead are a nice touch to bring out all its uniqueness.

Got Your Back

Wow! These are some of the most intricate extreme tattoos on this list. We find a religious theme for this giant back piece that looks rather dour. This piece is incredibly detailed and dense with shading. The darkest parts of this tattoo seem to be on its arms and even the bursts of red make this tattoo a lovely sight.

Extreme Coverage

Look closely at the arms here and you will find that the blackout tattoo is actually covering other tattoos. We consider these extreme tattoos as there are several layers of ink here. You can also see the implanted piercings in the hands and arms. This blackout tattoo is definitely extreme, we wonder if the one it’s covering up is worse.

Negative Space

Take a look at how the tattoo artist managed to use “negative space” which simply means bare skin to create ornamentation right at the base of the neck. This one looks like it’s something right out of a fantasy movie. It’s cool, and the use of negative space like this isn’t something that you see that often. It’s very neat.

The Abyss

Take a look at this full sleeve tattoo that looks like it’s covered in tentacles. There is just so much ink here that we had to include this offbeat design among other extreme tattoos on this list. Seeing how this tattoo fades in and out from one end to the other is a very cool design choice. It works well!

Heavy Black-Work

From head to toe, this person is covered in thick black lines that run everywhere including onto the ears and the face. What a dramatic look! The cross out’s and scratches make this look super edgy. The locked heart in the center of her chest is almost lost in the inky blackness and it’s possible that you might miss it.

Atlas

The person who shared this image captioned it “Atlas.” Yes, the mythical Trojan who holds the world is the inspiration for these extreme tattoos on the back. It’s a nice reference to greek mythology, and even though this tattoo is fairly simple. The weight that it carries is still there. This guy may have  the world resting on his shoulders. 

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The Maze

We’re not entirely sure how the maze effect was achieved. Perhaps the tattoo artist went over the black ink with white or another color to get the subtle shapes in there. What a wild one! In addition to the negative space question mark underneath the chin, we can’t help but wonder what exactly this tattoo is supposed to mean overall.

Good Night

Here are some very wild extreme tattoos that cover the entire face. We find feather imagery along with a cat-like face on the forehead. The eyelids even have tattoos, saying “good night.” This one might be a little too much for people to even think about getting. The tattoo machine going over the eyelid isn’t that good of an image.

There you go! What did you think of these extreme tattoos? Do you think you could handle that much coverage? We know tattoos that cover the face and body are not going to be for everyone but it is fun to take a look at the ink that braver folks have gotten. If you looked extreme tattoos, you might also want to check out some extreme piercings. If you’re enjoying the scroll, keep going for even more bizarre body art.

Take a Deep Breath & Then Check Out These Wild Extreme Piercings!

A Lot to Unpack

If you’ve ever wanted an extra set of nostrils, you are in luck! You can do as this person has done and gauge holes on his nose and also through his chin. Yikes!

Protect That Neck

Yes, you can get your neck pierced. Here’s a universal piercing that replaces any need for a necklace. Beware of zippers with extreme piercings like these.

More Neck

Ever felt the urge to lace your neck up? We are doubtful many folks have but this person has made it a possibility with four extreme piercings in the neck.

Wink Wink

It’s possible to get your eyelid pierced. Who thought this was a smart idea? We imagine infections at this site are very much possible with the extreme piercings so close to the eye.

Say Cheese!

Here’s a piercing that’s called a “smiley.” These sorts of piercings pierce the tissue between your lips and gums.

Put a Ring On It

Who needs rings when you can easily have your finger pierced. We don’t understand the appeal of this baby. Can you put your finger on it?

Six

Yes, you are seeing six different extreme piercings in this person’s tongue. Do you think this decision was made in good taste?

Go Big

Here’s one stretched earlobe that is just so extreme. If you want a piece of jewelry the size of a dinner plate hanging from your ear, now you know that it’s possible!

“Mutant Man”

This person’s Instagram handle is Mutant Man Official. We must say he does not resemble anyone we know! If you can touch it, apparently it’s possible to pierce.

Brace Yourself

This person has a whole lot of gauges going on. The extreme piercings in his ear nearly make them unrecognizable.

Who Needs Hair?

Who needs hair when you can have a metal mohawk? We find subdermal implants beneath each spike to anchor these to the skin. Do you think this person sleeps with the spikes on?

RELATED: 25 Extreme Face Piercings That Are Anything But Superficial

Horns

We find a couple of extreme piercings in the form of subdermal implants on this person’s head. They look like little mounds or horns. Also, take note of the three piercings through the bottom lip.

Gummy

Here are some examples of piercings you can get in your gums and teeth, because, why not? People have figured out how to pierce just about anything.

Boop!

You can mimic a rhino with your very own piercing through the tip of your nose. Ouch! We hope the person with this nose piercing is happy with it!

Give a Hand

Not even the webbing between your fingers is safe from the needle! We find extreme piercings in the form of subdermal implants.

This Looks Surgical

We guess you can bore a hole through your foot. We’re not sure how this person even walks on it.

Take a Deep Breath

This is nightmare fuel. Giant gauges in the cheeks make this person’s face see-through. We don’t know how this person eats with these extreme piercings. We definitely do not want to find out!

Right Through the Face

Here’s a piercing that goes from beneath the tongue through the bottom of the chin. If you maintained consciousness so far, we’re impressed. Seeing a person impaled through the face is not a pretty picture.

Nothing That Dangles Is Safe

Yep, folks get their uvulas pierced. It’s one of the extreme piercings that we have no idea how piercers don’t get their fingers bitten off. Scary stuff!

Collar Bones

The person who shared this image claimed that the piercings go underneath the clavicles. So, this is more like a crime scene than extreme piercings. Ow!

Metal Eyebrows

Who needs real eyebrows? They’re overrated, right? We find them replaced with tattoos and a row of piercings beneath some subdermal implants among other extreme piercings.

Another Look

Here’s another look at the same individual. We did not think you got the full picture from that profile photo. So, feast your eyes on all of these extreme piercings.

Right Through the Nose

You can get your nose pierced in a variety of ways but you can take it to the extreme by going through your entire nose with a bar. Conversely, you could get both nostrils pierced in the same place.

This Poor Tongue

That’s four extreme piercings underneath the tongue for this individual. Should you want to brutally maim the underside of your tongue, now you know that it’s more than possible!

Hundreds

You could spend the better part of an afternoon counting all of the extreme piercings on this person’s body. Each stud represents a subdermal implant that’s shoved under the skin to anchor each little shiny stud.

More Nose

Flu season must be a doozie for this person who has two stretched nostrils. He’s put a straw through to demonstrate that the piercing goes entirely through the nose.

Spiked

You can make your cheeks look like swiss cheese with a ton of extreme piercings like these. Is supposed to look like a smile?

Lip

We find a stretched lip among other extreme piercings in this image. We honestly wonder how someone can speak with something like this in.

Between the Bars

This person clearly wants to protect his eyes behind a set of bars, right? The person in this photo does not look too happy about it. We hope everything works out!

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Down the Spine

This person must be a stomach sleeper because these extreme piercings down the spine look like they would really hurt to land on. Keep it weird, folks!

There you go! We hope you enjoyed this possibly debilitating list of extreme piercings. As you’ve seen, just about anything and anywhere can be pierced. Where there’s a will there’s a person waiting with a needle to give a poke. Extreme piercings are a huge trend among members of the body mod community. We respect their choices despite not fully understanding why! Do you!