30 Hand Tattoos for Men

Hand tattoos for men come in a range of styles, sizes, and colors. Hands were once off-limits for tattoos but with sentiment changing around body art and tattoos, they are more common today than ever before. This is especially true for men who tend to go for larger designs on the tops of hands and/or finger tattoos. Skulls, birds, snakes, words, and sayings are all popular subject matter.

We wanted to get a better understanding of the possibilities and limitations of hand tattoos for men so we turned to social media to discover what sorts of designs people are gravitated to. We discovered a variety of hand tattoos for men from small to big, simple to elaborate, and colorful to black. If you are thinking about getting hand tattoos, get inspired by the very cool designs on this list.

Discover the Best Types of Hand Tattoos for Men Below for Some Serious Ink Inspiration.

Life and Death

Let’s kick things off with two contrasting hand tattoos for men. On the left, you see a vibrant, red rose. On the right, you will find something much more morbid in a skull. Going with a different theme for each hand is a popular option.

Abstract Swirl

If a figurative tattoo is not for you, think outside the box for an abstract design that fits your style. Greyish blue and black look great swirling together in the above example.

It Keeps Going

We find a gentle reminder for this hand tattoo. It says, “life goes on.” Choose a dramatic font like for a tattoo that really makes a statement.

Dog and Cat

For these hand tattoos for men we find a cat and dog, both surrounded by florals. There’s also a funny message that reads “plan ahea…” across the fingers. Bravo!

Micro Portrait

Micro tattoos are a huge trend today and we find a few of them on this hand. In the center is a gorgeous portrait of a face.

Blue and Red

If you’re not afraid of color, consider contrasting colors for your hand tattoos for men. One blue and one red rose look glorious next to each other.

Snake, Swallow, and Bands

There doesn’t need to be much rhyme or reason if that’s not your thing. A snake, some thick bands of black, and a small swallow all look great as hand tattoos for men.

More Bird

Here’s another one of the birth hand tattoos for men on this list. Get an animal tattoo to celebrate a love of nature.

Bold Lines

Here are some pretty singular hand tattoos for men. We found a Buddha design on the left and a decorative one on the right with plenty of dots and dashes across the fingers.

#Blessed

An eye in a raincloud sits over the word “blessed” in this very fresh design. This is a very tidy and clean tattoo that has tons of tiny details that are remarkable.

Tiger Time

“In his 60’s and still getting rad tattoos!” the person who shared this image wrote. We must agree that this tiger tattoo looks fierce.

Three Swords

Three beautiful swords cross and a bird compose this hand tattoo. There’s a bit of mystery about this one that we really like.

Three Swords Part II

We guess three swords are popular among hand tattoos for men. Here’s another example with a face and lines that radiate from it.

Bones

Bones or skeleton hand tattoos are a mildly popular trend today among hand tattoos for men. If you’d like something that’s dark and twisty, something similar could be perfect for you.

Heart in Hand

Palm tattoos look cool but we must warn you that they fade over time. In fact, after just a couple of months, you might find the majority of the design erased.

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Thorny Skull

Skulls are hugely popular among hand tattoos for men. Here’s a big one with thorns and other botanical elements. Such drama!

‘Dipped’

Blackout tattoos are an emerging trend and it’s not for the faint of heart. The tips of these fingers have been “blacked out” and tattooed to look as if they’ve been dipped in ink.

The Barber

Okay! Here’s a fun one that is barber-themed. If you’d like to celebrate your line of work, something that signifies your talents could be a wise choice.

Mandala Moment

Two large mandala-inspired tattoos rest on the top of the hands while abstract lines fall over the fingers. The designs read as meditative and calming.

For Bilbo

Here’s the only Lord of the Rings tattoo we saw while researching hand tattoos for men. We find the entrance to Bilbo’s home which is a whimsical and fun design.

Stormy

An umbrella sits on the top of the hand while its handle and some lightning bolts extend down to the fingers. It’s a very creative use of the natural shape of the hand.

Old Meets New

The subject of this tattoo looks like a statue from antiquity but there’s a modern feature, a barcode on the figure’s cheek. Its inclusion makes this design all the more visually interesting and conceptually daring.

It Stings

Tattoo artists are experimenting with white ink more than ever before. It’s been used as a highlight for this black and grey scorpion. It really makes the whole tattoo pop.

‘Don’t Fear, Face Them’

“Don’t Fear, Face Them,” these hand tattoos for men say. The font is totally original and looks, forgive us, “metal.”

Eye Radiating Fine Lines

Eye hand tattoos for men are popular and you’ve seen a couple already on this list. We were attracted to this one because of the ultra-fine lines that radiate from the eye. Those meet a bolder frame for the entire piece. Fantastic!

Traditional Wolf

If you have a passion for old-school, traditional, American tattooing, you might want to turn to the past to inform your design. Artists who specialize in tradition and neo-traditional tattoos can help you realize your vision.

Handy

You can decorate those thumbs with something that appeals to you. For this person, they chose some tools of their trade. Celebrate what you love doing most with your hand tattoos.

Creepy Snake

Here’s a skeletal snake that looks so evocative and creepy in all the right ways. Take a look at the scales of this tattoo that contain so much texture thanks to the technique the artist used to apply it.

Red Moth

Black and red inks look excellent together. If you are considering black hand tattoos for men, try incorporating a little red for contrast and depth.

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Planchette

We leave you with a planchette that’s done with very thick, black lines. It’s such a bold design that it eclipses so many of the designs like it that we’ve seen in the past. Don’t be afraid to go big and bold to make an impact.

There you go! We hope you found some of these hand tattoos for men inspiring. There is no right or wrong way to go about your hand tattoos so be true to yourself and express your unique point of view with a singular design that’s all your own.