- Selena Gomez has 16 known tattoos so far.
- Most of her body art is tiny, but she does have two bigger designs, including a larger rose neck tattoo.
- From her semicolon ink to her “Rare” tattoo, each one has a special meaning.
Selena Gomez has been slowly growing her tattoo collection for years. The “Rare” singer has gotten three new pieces of ink in the last four months alone for a grand total of 16 known tattoos to date. From a delicate number “4” on the inside of her arm to represent her best friends to the large praying-hands mural on her upper thigh and the rose neck tattoo on her upper back, each one of Gomez’s tattoos has a special meaning.
Most of her symbolic tattoos are by Keith “Bang Bang” McCurdy from Bang Bang Tattoo in New York City. That includes her three most recent pieces of ink: the “Rare” tattoo behind her ear, the cross along her collarbone, and her latest, a large design on her upper back. Considering Gomez is a master at containing her tiny (and that one not-so-tiny) ink, it’s also possible she has more ink skillfully hidden and will be adding onto the collection again soon.
Get a closer look at all of Gomez’s tattoos and find out what they mean ahead.
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Selena Gomez's Rose Neck Tattoo
In December 2021, Bang Bang gave us a glimpse at Gomez’s latest (and largest) piece of ink: a rose tattoo on her upper back. The design is a pink watercolor rose with black ink dripping down the singer’s back.
Getty / Steve Granitz
Selena Gomez's 6/19/17 Arm Tattoo
The date 6/19/17 on the back of Gomez’s elbow commemorates the date of her kidney transplant. She got the design with her friend and the kidney donor, Francia Raisa.
Getty Images for iHeart
Selena Gomez's Semicolon Tattoo
When 13 Reasons Why wrapped season one in 2017, Gomez (the show’s executive producer) and cast members Tommy Dorfman and Alisha Boe all got semicolon tattoos on their left wrists. The punctuation mark is symbolic of Project Semicolon and represents the importance of suicide prevention.
Getty / David Livingston
Selena Gomez's "G" Tattoo
Behind her left ear, Gomez has a lowercase “g” tattoo from 2015 for her little sister, Gracie.
Getty / Frederick M. Brown
Selena Gomez's "Sunshine" Tattoo
First spotted in 2016, Gomez has the word “Sunshine” inked on her right foot, which is believed to be a tribute to her grandmother. In a photo of the two posted on Twitter, the singer captioned it, “Nana is my sunshine.”
Getty / Jason Merritt
Selena Gomez's "Love Yourself First" Arabic Tattoo
On her back right side, Gomez has the phrase “Love yourself first” tattooed in Arabic. The ink, which she got in 2014, serves as a reminder to the singer to always prioritize herself.
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Selena Gomez's Roman Numeral Tattoo
Often hidden by her hair, Gomez has a Roman numeral tattoo on the back of her neck of the number 76. The tattoo is said to be a tribute to a special family member, which she got in 2012.
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Selena Gomez's Music Note Tattoo
Believed to be the singer’s first tattoo from 2012, Gomez has a small music note on her right wrist. There’s no need to speculate what this one means – music has always been a key part of her life.
