Popular back tattoos include nature symbols like sun, moon, and stars. Signs of the zodiac are also popular choices. Even the logo of your very favorite band or musical group is a great tattoo to put on your lower back. Sprawling images that expand horizontally, like flames, barbed wire, and swirly designs are also popular lower back choices.
When tattooing your back, you have a lot of options just because of the expanse of skin available to use. Unlike a dainty ankle tattoo where you are fairly limited on space, you can let the tattoo sprawl as far as you like horizontally or vertically. It can be as big or small as you want it to be.
Just keep in mind the size of the tattoo design you want relative to the size of your back. That teeny little butterfly design sure looks cute on paper, but stuck in the middle of your back it might look too small and out of place. On the other hand, choosing a too-big tattoo can overwhelm your lower back and end up looking distracting and messy instead of sexy. Ask your friends and your tattoo artist for advice about the size of your lower back tattoo.
Let's take the example of the little butterfly tattoo. If you wanted it on your lower back, you could either enlarge the design to feature one big butterfly about the size of a grapefruit, or you could feature the small butterfly surrounded by some type of pattern that you like. Swirling lines, vines, flames, and barbed wire are just a few of the pattern options in tattoos.
A final consideration in getting your sexy lower back tattoo is how your tattoo will look when you are partially clothed. Let me give you an example. A friend of mine was very happy with the ladybug that she had tattooed on her lower back, until we got to the beach. She very quickly realized that in her two-piece swimsuit she looked as if she had a bug crawling out of her shorts! (This is one of the reasons that make an animal tattoo the most risky tattoo for lower backs.) Luckily my friend still likes her tattoo anyway, but consider how your tattoo will appear in different situations.