50 Creative Balloon Tattoos

Bet yah didn’t think we could find 50 balloon tattoos. Well, there are actually tons of epic homages to balloons of all shapes, sizes and colors on social media. Balloons go back centuries, however, they weren’t always made of rubber. Instead, in prehistoric times, they were crafted using animal’s bladders—notably pig bladders. In Aztec culture, they fashioned balloons using cat intestines as a sacrifice to the gods.

The modern rubber balloon was invested in 1824 by English scientist Michael Faraday. Faraday is best known for his work in electromagnetism and electrochemistry. He used rubber balloons to hold gases, particularly hydrogen, for his experiments. By the early 20th century, preassembled balloons began being sold in the United States and today, they can be made from a variety of materials—including rubber, latex, neoprene and nylon.

Balloons have become so mainstream that there are even some people with a fetish for them—calling themselves looners. Balloon fetishists act out their looner behavior in different ways, from blowing up balloons to popping them to sitting on them or just lying next to them. The looner community is separated into two distinctive groups—poppers and non-poppers, as not everyone’s fetish comes about in the same way.

In honor of all the balloon lovers (fetish or otherwise) out there, take a peek at 50 of our favorite tattoos by talented artists around the globe. Then let us know your favorite piece from this list in the comments section on social media.