Counteract the sharp, deep pain with the sting of getting a tattoo. Engrave the sorrow on your skin and let it bear witness to your loss. We’ll help you find the best broken heart tattoos today. Let’s dive into the ideas and meaning behind the ink.
Best Broken Heart Tattoos
A broken heart tattoo signifies loss
“It’s okay to not be okay”, is a tattoo idea with a broken heart quote that sums it all up.
Losing a loved one is something that everyone will experience if they live long enough. It’s a painful shock whether it’s a parent, sibling, friend, lover, or beloved pet. Many people choose to memorialize their loss with a tattoo because it’s a permanent display of love and sorrow.
What we hope for is that as the tattoo heals and the ink gradually becomes less vibrant through the years, the ache becomes more manageable.
Getting a broken heart tattoo when someone dies
If you choose to honor a lost loved one by getting a broken heart tattoo, perhaps you’ll want to include their name or a symbol that represents them. These inclusions make for a very meaningful tattoo.
Two other things to consider include where to place the tattoo and what style you’d prefer. If you have other tattoos, maybe you’d like them to match. Sometimes, however, collectors want a special tattoo to stand out, especially if it will be visible to other people.
Are there broken heart tattoo designs for guys?
Don’t limit yourself to a certain style based on what other people might think. Tattoos are personal – even if the world can see it, it’s your body that’s the canvas. With that said, this particularly violent and expressive broken heart tattoo would probably be considered something guys would choose. It’s gory, bloody, and a perfect representation of what it feels like to have your heart ripped out.
Broken heart tattoo after a breakup
Sometimes things just don’t work out. Or worse, someone has betrayed you. When a relationship ends, it sucks regardless. The companionship, love, and thrill from living you used to have are gone.
It’s time to ink a new tattoo over your ex-lover’s name and move on. We felt like this was the perfect symbol for the end of a relationship. Two people separate, each taking a piece of the magic that once made up a full heart of love.
A broken heart can be mended tattoo
We took one look at this tattoo and thought, “Damn, somebody’s a survivor”. They’ve had their heart ripped apart and yet they found the strength to hold on. It ain’t pretty but you gotta give them respect. The design displays both vulnerability and toughness; a damaged past and hope for a better future.
Broken heart tattoo for a woman
Here’s a broken heart tattoo with a script that can be interpreted in at least two different ways. First, we took it to mean that the person was done with a bad relationship, as in “You don’t need (to deal with) this (anymore)”.
But on second glance, we thought maybe it signifies something darker. What if another person represented by the hands is ripping apart the tattoo collector’s heart and telling them they don’t deserve love?
The tattoo placement looks to be on a forearm so it would be easily viewable by others. What do you think it means?
Broken heart tattoo for shattered dreams
Another popular idea is the broken glass tattoo heart. The word “shattered” comes to mind, as in shattered dreams. We also remembered that line from an 80s song, “shot through the heart and you’re to blame”. Although truthfully, this tattoo looks more like a window after Bobby hit the baseball through it. In any case, now there’s a big hole in the middle of this broken heart. What’s a person to do?
Broken heart tattoo to show you’ve moved on
We came up with at least two interpretations of this tattoo. What if it is a Christian who let go of religion to be true to who they are, specifically someone who is LGBTI+. Both aspects preach love, but only one is inclusive. Leaving treasured beliefs behind would certainly cause someone to have a broken heart, but the hope of a better future might be worth it.
The next thought we had is of a person who sees their heart (or love) as both a restriction and a celebration.
In the end, we were hung up on the tiny fish-like blob of color near the bottom of the heart. Or is it a bag of treasure dropping? Maybe it’s simply part of the watercolor tattoo design.
A broken heart escaping tattoo
If you’ve been burned in love, you might wish to flee any further pain by keeping your heart locked up and inaccessible. Then give it wings to fly away.
Truly, we’d love to know what this tattoo means to the owner. Obviously, the wounded heart has been repaired but is still bleeding. The lacey bat wings uplifting it are a nice touch. And we love the beautiful shading and 3D look.
No more broken hearts allowed tattoo
Out of all the heart broken tattoo designs we saw, this one actually made us smile. It’s direct and to the point, right on the person’s chest, a stark reminder that you’ll need special permission to enter this heart. After all, it’s been stitched up before and it’s still bleeding, so perhaps limited access is a good idea after all.
How much does a broken heart tattoo cost?
After all the pain and suffering you’ve gone through it would be nice if a broken heart tattoo was free. Unfortunately, the artist may request payment for their hard work.
A small broken heart tattoo flash design might cost you less than 100 bucks, but a large original created in collaboration with the artist might go as high as $2000.
It’s best to visit the studio and consult with the artist to find out how much it will cost you to wear your (broken) heart on your sleeve.