The meaning of the skull tattoo can be several things. To religious people, it may be to remind them of their own mortality as well as the beauty of what their lord made underneath their skin. The other common reasons why people get a skull tattoo can vary widely from protection to strength and power. This is a list of the reasons why getting a skull tattoo is a good idea for most people:

Fashion – the number one reason for getting a skull tattoo is for the fashion aspect. Many people see it as a “cool” tattoo option and only get it for the aesthetics and making them feel more hardened.

Strength – the skull is a symbol of strength because it holds the organ responsible for allowing someone to get stronger, a brain.

Power – The skull is a symbol of power in many circles and it has been for centuries. Emperor’s, kings and various rulers have used a head on a stake as a threat to all who opposed them. When these heads rotted away, all that was left was a skull.

Overcoming death – Someone who has died but came back by resuscitation may bear the skull tattoo to remind them that they have stared death in the eye. This could also be for overcoming a tough time in their life.

A past life now changed – the skull can also be used to symbolize that something that was wrong with the person is now gone and is never to come back to haunt them again.

Sugar Skull – a sugar skull represents the day of the dead. It is a festival to honor those children who have died throughout the year. The sugar skull could be a tribute to a loved one who has passed.