Slash, guitarist for Guns ‘N Roses and several other bands, is the ultimate bad boy rocker, with his long curly hair, sunglasses, cigarettes, and tattoos.  Slash’s many tattoos have even inspired fans to get the same images inked onto their own bodies, making a little piece of Slash a permanent mark in their lives, carrying him and his art wherever they go. Variety is the Spice of Life Even When it Comes to Tattoos Slash has a variety of different tattoos all over his body, and each tattoo that can be found on him represents something unique and meaningful to him.  He apparently even sketched his own tattoos, thanks to his innate talent for drawing. On Slash’s right bicep, he has a tattoo of a caricature of himself in a red shirt holding a rose in his teeth.  His signature thick, long black hair covers the eyes, and the word “Slash” is tattooed underneath the image. In tribute to his current band, Velvet Revolver, Slash has a tattoo inked onto the underside of his right forearm.  The image is a silhouette of a woman that is also the cover of the band’s album titled “Contraband.”  The woman is drawn with a gun holster on her leg.  It’s an image involving a little bit of sex appeal combined with power, kind of like Slash himself. On the back of Slash’s left shoulder is yet another tattoo.  This one is often referred to as the “snakepit tattoo” because it is the logo of yet another one of his musical projects, a band called Slash’s Snakepit. Slash pays tribute to the band that made him famous and who he is today, Guns ‘N Roses, on his left bicep.  There, imagery associated with the band, namely a skull wearing a top hat surrounded by roses, can be found.  The image also includes the letters “D.T.U.D.”, which represent “drink till you drop.”  And beneath those letters are the words “Forever Until.” He also had his son’s name, London, tattooed on his lower back, and his other son’s name, Cash, was inked onto his upper abdomen.  Further paying tribute to his family, his wife’s name, Perla, is permanently found on his left forearm, adorned with a rose. And Slash loves his cigarettes, which are displayed on a couple of his tattoos, including one of a pair of lips with a cigarette in them on his right shoulder, and a top hat-wearing cat smoking a cigarette on the lower right side of his abdomen. Meanings Behind the Ink As you can tell, Slash’s tattoos are not just meaningless empty images strewn all over his body.  Rather, each is a representation of a unique time in his life, his various musical projects, and the most important people to him.  Clearly, he has taken the time to really think about what he wanted permanently inked onto his body, and most of his tattoos are found in places, like his arms and shoulders, that are exposed so that fans can see the artwork and even mimic some of them for their own tattoos.

People often get tattoos that are meaningful to them in one way or another, and it is no different for celebrities.  After all, tattoos are not always merely about an interesting looking design.  Sometimes they carry real significance, like a lesson or even a memory.  They can either have symbolic meanings through their imagery or flat-out state a personal belief in words. Foreign Language Tattoos Some people take it a step further and get a statement tattooed on their bodies that is written in a foreign language.  There must be something about having a phrase filled with cultural undertones inked on your body.  Onlookers need to ask what it says, what it signifies, and you can prove your knowledge of the world by reading the phrase in its native language before translating it.  This must be what Hayden Panettier’s intent was when she got an Italian phrase inked down the left side of her back. The “Heroes” starlet thought she was getting a tattoo with impact, with great meaning, with insight.  Her intention was to be inked with a charismatic phrase written in one of the world’s most beautiful languages.  Instead, she got an extra letter and a whole lot of press photos of her back, with the media mocking her decision.  So much for showing off her tattoo with open-back dresses. Misspelling Ruins Meaningful Tattoo Unfortunately, Hayden should have maybe checked with Rosetta Stone before making the commitment to have the words, “Live without regrets” in Italian flowing down her back because, though the words are spelled “Vivere sensa rimpianti,” her back reads “Vivere senza rimipianti.”  See the extra letter “i”?  It is sort of ironic how her tattoo, reminding her to leave the past behind her and live without regrets, would be seen by most as a regret in and of itself, due to it being misspelled.  Instead, Hayden is holding her head up high, and not letting a little mistake like an extra letter ruin what could be an inspiring message for her fans and for herself every time she looks at her back in the mirror. A Positive Reaction to a Mistake Hayden got the tattoo to remember that everyone deals with disappointments in life, and that everyone falls down but you need to pick yourself up.  And she is living up to her motto of not living with regrets, even when it comes to her permanent tattoo.  She reacted by jokingly saying that if you get a tattoo in a foreign language, you just shouldn’t visit that country or anyplace where that language would be spoken.  But, more importantly, she realizes the mistake and is keeping it just the way it is, at least for now.  Being that it is placed on her back, she can rest assured that she won’t have to see it all the time, and she can forget about the misspelling.  So, despite everyone talking about it, Hayden recognizes that it was a mistake, but instead of regretting it, she is going to live with it and do just as it says, “live without regrets.”

Many people the world around have been mesmerized by the unique and passionate music of John Mayer for years.  His artistic and poetic words, his emotion-riddled voice, his electrifying stage presence; these dynamics and others have come together to bring about something inherently unique; to corroborate the style of music that could only rightfully be known as John Mayer. Mayer has ever maintained an identity completely individual from the labels of the modern day genres of music.  Some would call his style rock, some alternative, or any number of other things, but it remains uniquely his.  Also unique and personally reflective are a number of the tattoos John Mayer has marked himself with.  Ever artistic in areas beyond his music, his tattoos offer a representative and artistic insight into his life and work as a successful singer and songwriter that has won many hearts. Home and Life On the back of his left arm is tattooed the word “Home.” On the back of his right arm is tattooed the word “Life.” Significance is drawn when putting these words together.  “Home Life” is a song from the album “Heavier Things,” an album that garnered positive critical reviews and earned much recognition for Mayer. Home Life is a song that holds a great deal of personal application and relevance for Mayer, offering insight into his yearning for a home life, rather than a life always on the road. The Koi Fish Found on his right shoulder is one of Mayer’s very first tattoos: a koi fish. The inspiration for this tattoo came as a result of the time Mayer spent in Japan. Greatly tied to ancient beliefs and mythology, the koi fish is held to be representative of perseverance, advancement, aspiration, and strength. Additionally, the koi fish is said to be a symbol of courage and gaining the ability to overcome hurdles in life; this belief, in particular, is important to Mayer. 77 Seen less often by fans (and very likely to their dismay) is a tattoo of the number 77 on the left side of Mayer’s chest. Simpler in meaning yet no less significant, this tattoo is a tribute to Mayer’s birth year, 1977. The Sleeve Likely John Mayer’s most noticeable and well known tattoo is the full sleeve on his left arm, which was inked over a long period of time and completed in April of 2008.  The detail, when closely examined, is striking; it is clear that great time was put forth in the work. The first portion completed was a decorated rectangle on the bicep with the letters SRV as a representation of, and tribute to his idol, Stevie Ray Vaughn. Stevie Ray Vaughn’s blues music served as Mayer’s muse for the development of his own style of music. Gradually, various vibrant floral designs and dragon designs were added. A true sleeve, the tattoo wraps around the entire arm from wrist to shoulder. Other Tattoos 1. A Japanese-inspired tattoo on his left inner bicep. 2. Three squares on his forearm that are being filled at different times. 3. Symbolic Japanese peonies included in the sleeve.