Many people choose to get inked as a form of self-expression and individuality. While a tattoo can be something as silly as an inside joke or random graphic, others can be vibrant pieces that rival art in museums. The demand for talented and skilled tattoo artists has grown, and many have taken to social media to showcase their work and connect with fans.

These tattoo artists have amassed large followings on social media platforms like Instagram, where they share their impressive artwork and offer insights into their creative process. In this article, we'll take a closer look at some of the top tattoo influencers on Instagram and dive into their metrics. Ready to see some of the coolest designs? Let's get right in!

@_dr_woo_

• Followers: 1.8M
• Average Likes Per Post: 5k
• Engagement Rate: .28%

First up, we have Brian Woo, also known as Dr. Woo! Dr. Woo is a famous, Los Angeles-based tattoo artist known for his “unique and intricate single needle designs.” His client roster features a number of celebrities, including Drake. Dr. Woo’s passion for tattoos began at 13, where he and his friends would play with ink and needles after school. After high school, Dr. Woo apprenticed under veteran tattoo artist Mark Mahoney at the Shamrock Social Club for three years (1). 

Dr. Woo has 1.7M followers on Instagram, making him one of the top tattoo influencers. His audience is mainly female with a 67.23% vs 32.77% split. In terms of age, the majority are women ages 25-34. Other than having a Los Angeles based audience (6.42%), other followers are from New York City (3.02%), London (2.28%), Mexico City (1.20%), and Paris (1.01%).

Love fashion and want to keep up with viral trendsetters? Check out these fastest growing beauty influencers on Instagram here!

@bangbangnyc

• Followers: 2.5M
• Average Likes Per Post: 24.7k
• Engagement Rate: 1.00%

Next on our list of top tattoo influencers is Keith “Bang Bang” McCurdy. Bang Bang is New York-based tattoo artist who is also a favorite among celebrities, including Rihanna and LeBron James. Bang Bang has recently collaborated with researchers to invent Magic Ink, a light-sensitive ink that appear and disappear in response to different UV wavelengths and white light (2). Artists that work at his shop are also well-known tattoo influencers.

Bang Bang has 2.4M followers on Instagram. His audience is similar to Dr. Woo’s with 64.11% female vs 35.89% male. Women ages 25-34 are his largest segment at 29.45% representation. This is closely followed by women ages 18-24 at 24.41%. His followers are mainly from New York City (7.02%), Los Angeles (2.84%), London (1.77%), Mexico City (0.96%), and ​​São Paulo (​​0.94%). 

Fashion is always-changing, and so are the lists of trending influencers. Check out the fastest growing fashion influencers on TikTok at this Tensor blog.

@miryamlumpini

• Followers: 310.7k
• Average Likes Per Post: 5.9k
• Engagement Rate: 1.90%

Miryam Lumpini is a Swedish-born, Los Angeles-based, Black tattoo artist who goes by ​​"The Witch Doctor" to heal people through art (3). Growing up in the countryside, Lumpini remarks that the isolation helped her develop artistically, as she would get inspiration from artists in magezines. Lumpini first started tattooing at age 17 and now has celebrity clientele also like Jhené Aiko and Skrillex (3). Lumpini’s style includes bold colors and a lot of contrast (3).

The Witch Doctor has 310K followers on Instagram. This tattoo influencer has a 66.63% female and 33.37% male audience. Women ages 25-34 make up her top segment. Her followers are mostly from these cities: Los Angeles (6.91%), New York City (4.19%), Atlanta (1.95%), Chicago (1.81%), and London (1.21%). And speaking of big cities, check out these top urban lifestyle influencers!

@dotstolines

• Followers: 481.7k
• Average Likes Per Post: 6k
• Engagement Rate: 1.24%

Chaim Machlev was born in Israel and was a project manager at an IT company there before getting his first tattoo. He wasn’t really an artistic child or had any inclination toward tattoos, but he soon became obsessed. After having his first tattoo at age 30, an experience he’d describe as “spiritual,” Machlev decided to leave his old life behind and move to Berlin to become a tattoo artist (4). 

Machlev describes his designs as “individualized, minimalist, and geometric” but hesitates to limit his style by labeling it. Instead, he customizes his designs to the shape of his clients’ body structures (4).

As one of the biggest tattoo influencers, Machlev has 482K followers on Instagram. His followers are from São Paulo (2.30%), Mexico City (2.22%), Los Angeles (1.90%), New York City (1.57%), and London (1.54%). His largest segment is males ages 25-34, and his secondary audience is women ages 25-34. 

New York is full of the most creative artists in the world. Check out these stylish NYC fashion influencers at this Tensor blog!

@sashaunisex

• Followers: 669.7k
• Average Views: 97.3k
• Average Likes Per Post: 7.5k
• Engagement Rate: 1.07%

Sasha Unisex is a tattoo artist from Ukraine, known for her colorful and geometric animal designs. Sasha’s tattoo work looks as if they’re right from a painting, which her audience gets to see her paint in watercolor on her Instagram page. 

Sasha Unisex has 699K followers on Instagram. Her followers are from Moscow (3.72%), São Paulo (2.28%), Mexico City (2.13%), Saint Petersburg (1.88%), and New York City (1.59%). Her audience is primarily women (70.81% to 29.19%), and the largest segment is women ages 25-34 (32.22%). Her stories get an average of 33.6k views. 

Conclusion

As you can see, most top tattoo influencers are renown tatoo artists who are also successful business owners. Each artist has a distinct style and approach that attract people from all over the world. If you've been thinking about getting a tattoo, hopefully these influencers have got you inspired! If you were looking for new designs to reference, we hope these influencers gave you some stellar ideas.

Sources: 

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/fashion/dr-woo-the-tattoo-artist-for-the-hollywood-set.html 
2. https://www.gq.com/story/bang-bang-magic-ink 
3. https://www.essence.com/feature/miryam-lumpini-is-taking-on-the-male-dominated-world-of-tattooing/ 
4. http://voyagela.com/interview/conversations-with-chaim-machlev/ 

Blog written by Jessica Lu