8 Meaningful Lung Tattoo Ideas And Designs
Wholesome body art designs featuring a fundamental body organ and its deep symbolism.
Lucas Cummins is an Ohio-based tattoo artist who has been making his mark on the tattoo industry for the past 2 years. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for vibrant expression, Lucas specializes in neo-traditional, color, and abstract style tattoos.
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Experience: 3 yearsManjari is a beauty and lifestyle writer with over three years of experience in writing across different niches, including beauty, health, wellness, and technology. She first discovered her passion for writing in school and has since honed her craft to perfection.
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Experience: 7 yearsAnjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.
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Joyce Joyson is a beauty and lifestyle writer with over a year of experience crafting short-form content for the beauty, fashion, and lifestyle niches. She has a triple majors bachelor’s degree in History, Political Science, and Geography from IIS University and a master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Kristu Jayanti College.
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Lung tattoos are an odd body art motif for some, yet a symbol of a passionate life for others. They symbolize the importance of life and are a growing trend noted in the tattoo art space. Whether you prefer a tiny minimalist outline of the lungs or a graphic, detailed, realistic anatomical rendition, there are various creative ways to illustrate a lung tattoo that fits your aesthetic style and expresses the heartfelt philosophies you live by. Here is a list of some of the best lung tattoo designs from the internet, along with our unique takes on them in a quirky and wholesome catalog that can inspire you. Keep reading to check them out.
In This Article
Symbolism Of Lung Tattoos
The lungs are one of the most vital organs in the human body that support respiratory functions, helping us breathe and support our sustenance. Although it scientifically has a very clear importance, it can also have some deeply meaningful interpretations, such as:
- Expressing appreciation for life and the capacity to breathe freely
- Fighting or overcoming a health condition affecting the lungs
- Honoring the memory of a close one lost to a lung disease
- Spreading awareness about lung diseases such as lung cancer and pulmonary diseases, or highlighting the dangers of smoking
A wearer may add additional elements to their lung tattoos to personalize and enhance the symbolism of their tattoo. For creative tips and visual ideas, scroll down to the next section.
8 Meaningful Lung Tattoo Ideas
Your lung tattoo speaks of your eccentric aesthetic expression and your emotional depth that helps you find deep symbolism in unusual things. The following tattoo designs give a face to your thoughts and experiences, making for wonderful eternal memoirs. Scroll below to check them out.
1. Lung Cancer Tattoo
If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with lung cancer, this can be a powerful tattoo to represent your journey. It serves as a medal of your resilient nature to fight your harrowing circumstances while also creating awareness about this seldom-talked-about cancer. You may depict lung cancer in your tattoo by simply getting an outline of a pair of lungs along with a cancer ribbon as shown above. If your aesthetic has a more graphic tone to it, you may show a pair of lungs with one detailed with healthy branches while the other is darkly shaded to highlight the disease.
2. Lung Cancer Ribbon Tattoo
All types of cancers in the world are depicted with a small ribbon looped at the top and intersected at the bottom. Different colors denote the specific type of cancer they indicate. For lung cancer, the universal cancer ribbon is in white. You may get a simple lung cancer ribbon tattoo subtly shaded with white ink with light grays used for shading as demonstrated in the hand tattoo above. Or you may simply leave the outline of the ribbon colorless and it would convey only as much as you would like to disclose at a glance.
3. Minimalist Lung Tattoo
A minimalist approach to your lung tattoo is the best if you are the type to be vocal about the things that matter to you, but you do not wish to be too loud about it. Get a simple outline of a pair of lungs that details just the basics like the windpipe starting from the top and branching into each lung. Smaller single-line branches spread out to the entirety of the lungs, just like your high school textbooks illustrated them. This tattoo expresses your gratitude for healthy lungs and the gift of breath in a subtle, yet noticeable manner.
4. Wrist Lung Cancer Ribbon Tattoo
The wrist is a delicate and intimate placement for your lung cancer tattoo that conveys your deep-felt emotion for the disease to an extent. This placement is a vulnerable spot with thin skin, and see-through veins, which can help one detect your life force. A small and simple white lung cancer ribbon on the wrist can be a testament to the impact the disease has had on you and your loved ones. You may also add a little flower and words of strength and kindness to your tattoo that can help cheer you up from time to time.
5. Lung Tattoo With Flowers
Adding flowers to your tattoo instantly livens it up and endows it with positive meanings. There are many ways to incorporate flowers into your lung tattoo. The above image shows an example of elaborate floral detailing. The bronchi within the lungs are shown to bloom into a variety of flowers and foliage. For extra emphasis, there is also a floral bouquet underscoring the lungs. The choice of flowers and a mindfully put-together color palette can further intensify the meaning, polishing your self-expression through these refreshing blooms.
6. Mom Lung Cancer Ribbon Tattoo
This lung cancer ribbon tattoo takes a personal and more serious undertone as it highlights the person it is dedicated to. A mother, despite her soft and tender love, poses as one of the strongest idols in our lives as they charge through life with their selfless, loving nature. This tattoo is a tribute to a mother who was previously diagnosed with the disease, is presently fighting it, or succumbed to it. Go for a simple and sober tattoo featuring a white lung cancer ribbon with the word “mom” tattooed in a basic but pretty font, to dedicate it to the strong leading lady of your life.
7. Pearl Lung Cancer Tattoo
A pearl symbolizes natural beauty cultivated through patience and resilience as an oyster turns adversity, turning the trapped impurities within it into a shimmering and precious little object. Certain cultures also associate pearls with longevity, protection, and healing. Pairing this object with your lung cancer tattoo can symbolize hope and determination to live a full and meaningful life despite an adversity such as cancer. You can add the pearls to your tattoo as shown above, where a couple of realistically shaded pearls serve as embellishments on the cancer ribbon. You can also create the cancer ribbon by illustrating a string of pearls into the cancer ribbon symbol.
8. Lung Cancer Survivor Tattoo
A lung cancer survivor tattoo highlights a cause for celebration as a previously diagnosed individual braves through countless challenges to defeat this terrible disease. There are many ways to incorporate this concept in your tattoo, the easiest one shown above where a ribbon with “survivor” written on it is wrapped around a realistically detailed and shaded pair of lungs. You may also add relevant dates or years to your tattoo to signify the time it took to defeat and heal from the disease.
A lung tattoo may not seem like the most attractive tattoo option in theory, but depending on an individual’s personal experience, worldview, and imagination, it can hold a vibrant world of deep and meaningful symbolism. The first and most obvious symbolism is for an individual to honor the blessing of breath or healthy lungs if they are battling any form of health condition affecting the lungs. Especially if the lung disease in question is cancer, the addition of a pearly white cancer ribbon draws attention to the cause, allowing the individual to talk about their views, experiences, and learnings. Otherwise, it can be a gratitude tattoo, decorating the lungs with a colorful bouquet of flowers as a thanks to each breath they are able to take without fighting for it. Further, addition of specific words, phrases, or other design elements can further elevate the meaning and appearance of your lung tattoo. Taking cues from our designs above, and giving some thought to appropriate placements can help you design your own wholesome and cherished lung tattoo.
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