Barbed Wire Tattoo: Meaning

What is the meaning of a barbed wire tattoo?

Introduction

Despite the fact that barbed wire tattoos used to be hugely popular in the 1990s, before slowly fizzling out and becoming less desirable, tattoo artists have recently noticed a distinct increase in the amount of people requesting these unique designs.

A tattoo is something unique to each person who has one.

Each one features a slightly different design, with no two being exactly alike, regardless of the tattoo artist creating them.

Because of this, people can have whatever designs they like, no matter what anybody else thinks.

This is part of the reason why barbed wire tattoos are slowly making a comeback.

Whereas barbed wire tattoos and tribal tattoos were once considered quintessentially 90s, they are once again growing in popularity, especially barbed wire designs. But why are barbed wire tattoos becoming mainstream again?

Well, it partly comes down to the meaning and symbolism behind them.

So, what are some of the more prominent barbed wire tattoo meaning explanations?

Well, that’s what we’re going to be exploring below.

Here are several barbed wire tattoo meanings explained.

Barbed Wire Tattoo – Meanings:

To Represent Protection

The best thing about tattoos is the fact that the meanings behind them can be as deep and as symbolic as you like.

Sometimes a person may have a barb wire tattoo because it represents something deeply personal and meaningful to them.

Other times they may have one just because it looks cool.

One key reason why people often ask for barbed wire tattoos is because they represent protection.

Barbed wire is, of course, a protective measure used around fields and buildings to stop people/animals from getting in, or indeed, from getting out.

For people looking for a tattoo that represents protection, this makes perfect sense.

Whether it’s a father protecting his family, or a person looking for spiritual protection, perhaps from a guardian angel, a barbed wire tattoo is the perfect design to represent precisely that.

For Pamela Anderson Fans

Pamela Anderson was the object of desire for many a man, and woman too for that matter, during the 1990s and beyond.

Not only was she a household name, she was also a feminist icon and a huge name in the world of entertainment too.

Now, those who are fans of Pamela will know that she has a very unique barbed wire tattoo on her arm.

She would also star in a 1996 movie called Barb Wire, which was every bit as insane and entertaining as you might expect for a 90s movie.

Based upon a comic book, the post-apocalyptic movie sees Pam’s character ‘Barb Wire’ working as a bounty hunter and mercenary to make ends meet.

Ultimately, it comes down to her to stop a bioweapon from falling into the wrong hands and destroying what’s left of the planet.

Pam got the tattoo in 1995 as her character was supposed to have a barbed wire tattoo on her arm.

Rather than having to sit for hours in makeup, she decided to get a temporary tattoo of the design.

She liked it so much that she then opted to get the real thing.

Therefore, another possible barbed wire tattoo meaning could simply be that fans of Pam are looking to emulate their hero and pay tribute to her. Pretty neat, right?

To Represent Being Trapped

Barbed wire is designed to keep people or animals in somewhere, or out of somewhere.

Therefore, people who feel trapped, marginalized, or imprisoned often choose to get a barbed wire tattoo created.

Some people, for example, struggle with their own identity.

They feel trapped inside a body that they don’t feel is their own.

They feel as if they have to dress a certain way, or act a certain way, just to conform to other people’s standards. A barbed wire tattoo represents this.

In their minds, they’re trapped inside a body, like a prisoner in jail, or a farm animal in a field, unable to escape.

They long for freedom, which in this case is emotional freedom, yet they feel as if they’re unable to achieve this.

A barbed wire tattoo, or a tattoo design featuring barbed wire elements, is a great way to represent this.

To Represent Danger

Another fairly common barbed wire tattoo meaning that we need to explore today, is that of danger.

Barbed wire is sharp, jagged, and dangerous. If you fall into it or cut yourself on it, you’re in for a world of hurt.

Not only that, but just the sight of it conjures up images of danger.

You tend to find barbed wire in dangerous places.

Places where people shouldn’t venture to, or trespass into.

We see barbed wire and a voice inside our brain tells us to stay away.

People who want to look dangerous, or portray themselves as dangerous, may therefore decide to get a tattoo featuring a barbed wire design.

To Keep People Away

Contrary to what Hollywood movies and daytime soap operas may tell us, not everybody wants to be approached by complete strangers, or engage in meaningless small talk on the way to work in a morning, or at the local park at the weekend, just for the sake of socializing. A barbed wire tattoo is a great way to display this.

Some people don’t consider themselves to be “people pleasers,” and if you’re not a people person, a barbed wire tattoo is an effective way of emphasizing that.

Remember, barbed wire is designed to keep people away.

Some people, therefore, who just want a bit of peace and quiet, often get barbed wire tattoos to display their disdain for meaningless small talk or social interactions with complete strangers.

To Represent Suffering and/or Past Trauma

People who have been hurt in the past, or who are perhaps suffering, mentally or physically, may also choose to get a barbed wire tattoo.

Barbed wire keeps animals and people out/in somewhere because the sharp barbed points are painful.

Just as the wire itself causes pain, the tattoo may represent a particularly physically or emotionally painful period in a person’s life.

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