Miley Cyrus’ Tattoos

Miley Cyrus has 14 tattoos. Her most recent tattoo is of Roman numerals in her elbow. The pop singer and former Hannah Montana star also has “Just Breathe” on her chest, “Love” in her ear, a dreamcatcher on her side, and an anchor on her right wrist, an ohm symbol of her left wrist, a skull on her ankle, and “Love Never Dies” on her arm.
On her right hand she has 6 tiny tattoos on her fingers: an equal sign, a peace symbol, a cross, a heart, the word “karma,” and an eye.

Just Breathe

'Just Breathe' tattooed under her left breast

Her first tattoo was of the words “Just Breathe” tattooed on the left side of her rib cage. The tattoo was revealed in December 2009, when Miley was only 17 years old. It’s not surprising that Miley’s parents would give her permission to get a tattoo considering that her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, is quite inked himself and her half-brother Trace Cyrus is practically covered in tattoos.
The tattoo is a tribute to her friend Vanessa who died of the lung disease cystic fibrosis in 2007 and her grandfathers who both died of lung cancer. She told Harper’s Bazaar:

“It reminds me not to take things for granted. I mean breathing – that was something none of them could do, the most basic thing. And I put it near my heart, because that is where they will always be.”

Love

the word 'LOVE' on the inside of her right ear.

Miley’s second tattoo is the word “LOVE” on the inside of her right ear. This tattoo was first spotted by the press in May 2010, but Miley had actually gotten the tattoo months before, at the time her father was having a tattoo done. The tattoo and its placement on her ear signifies drowning out negative messages and only hearing the positive things. Miley told Access Hollywood:

“I have ‘Love’ right here to block out all the crap that everyone throws into your ears…I don’t really care about it. [You're] only supposed to hear the things coming from the people that genuinely love you.”

She also told E! News:

“There’s so much negativity in the world and what you only need to hear is all the love. People try to say to me, ‘I just heard someone say this or that about you,’ and I just ignore it because it’s irrelevant. Love is what makes the world go around, and that’s all we need to focus on.”

Dreamcatcher

a large dreamcatcher on her side

In February 2011 Miley had a dreamcatcher tattooed on her right side. This is her largest tattoo to date. A friend told People Magazine:

“It’s a picture of the dream catcher that hangs over her bed with four feathers to represent her four brothers and sisters. The dream catcher is to protect them.”

Dreamcatchers are used in many Native American cultures to protect a person while sleeping. The are hung over the bed and are thought to catch bad dreams and only let good dreams through.
The Cyrus family is part Cherokee and all seem to be inspired by Native American imagery. Miley’s brother Trace has a dreamcatcher on his neck as well as portraits of Geronimo on his hand and back. Father Billy Ray Cyrus has Geronimo and Chief Joseph on his arms.

Anchor

an anchor on her right wrist

Miley Cyrus got an anchor tattooed on wrist by artist Fabio Satori while in Brazil on her Corazon Gitano tour in May 2011. Satori explained that the tattoo represents a feeling of safety to Miley. He said:

“Everyone had an idea in mind and references. She asked me something soft, I made two drawings and she chose one. Miley told her mother that she wanted something that refers to a safe port, something that reminded her that she always has a safe place to return to. The significance of the design is one of hope and a reminder to always have your feet on the ground.”

Om Symbol

Miley Cyrus Om tattoo

In August 2011, Miley Cyrus got a tattoo on her left wrist of the ‘Om’ symbol: ॐ. Om is a sacred symbol in Hinduism. It is a sound or vibration that represents divine energy.

Heart

Miley Cyrus finger heart tattoo

Miley Cyrus has five tattoos on her right hand. The first of these was a small outline of a heart which she had tattooed on her right pinkie finger in September 2010. This tattoo is one that is shared with every member of her family, except for little sister Noah who is still too young for tattoos.
Her father Billy Ray Cyrus was the first to get a heart tattoo and got his in 2008 out of his love for Miley. They were sitting in church when Miley drew a small heart on his hand, between his thumb and index finger. He told Access Hollywood that he “had already declared that day was Miley’s day” and he would do whatever she asked. She wanted to take him to a tattoo parlor, and so he decided to get the heart in ink.
All of Miley’s family members have a heart somewhere on their hands. Miley’s mother Leticia ‘Tish’ Cyrus has the heart tattoo on her pinkie like Miley, though hers appears to be colored in pink. Sister Brandi Cyrus has hers in the same spot as Billy Ray. Brother Trace Cyrus has a solid black heart on his thumb.

Cross

a tiny cross on her ring finger and a line on her middle finger

Peace

a peace sign on the side of her middle finger

Karma

'karma' on her right index finger

In December 2010 she tattooed a tiny cross on the inside of her ring finger. It also looks like there was a small line on the side of her middle finger which has now been turned into a peace sign. In July 2011 she had the word “karma” tattooed along the side of her index finger.
Miley hasn’t spoken to the press about most of her hand tattoos, but she has previously said “I could never get a meaningless tattoo,” so there must be a story behind them.

Equal Sign

Miley Cyrus equal sign tattoo

The one finger tattoo which Miley has spoken about is the equal sign on her ring finger. She got this tattoo in July 2011 and tweeted a photo of the fresh ink with the caption “All LOVE is equal” as a statement in favor of legalized gay marriage. The tattoo caused controversy from opponents of gay marriage, but Miley has stood her ground. In a February 2012 article for Glamour, she wrote:

When I shared a picture of my tattoo on my Twitter page and said, “All LOVE is equal,” a lot of people mocked me—they said, “What happened to you? You used to be a Christian girl!” And I said, “Well, if you were a true Christian, you would have your facts straight. Christianity is about love.”

Eye

Miley Cyrus' "evil eye" tattoo

In March 2012, Miley Cyrus was spotted with what seems to be a tattoo on an eye and her knuckle. The tattoo is on her index finger on her right hand. This is Miley’s most recent ink, bringing her total to 13 tattoos.
It is thought to be a Nazar, a symbol intended to ward off the “evil eye.” If so, it would seem that Miley has a growing interest in foreign cultures and customs. The evil eye is most prevalent in the Middle East, while Miley’s om and “karma” tattoos represent concepts from Hinduism and other Indian religions.

Ankle Tattoo

Miley Cyrus ankle tattoo

Miley Cyrus and her longtime boyfriend actor Liam Hemsworth have matching tattoos on their ankles which were first spotted in August 2011. Though these tattoos have yet to be seen clearly, it is believed that it is a sugar skull.

Love Never Dies

Miley Cyrus "Love Never Dies" tattoo

In February 2012, Miley Cyrus tattooed “Love Never Dies” in small letters on the inside of her left arm, on her bicep.

Roman Numeral

Miley Cyrus roman numeral tattoo

Miley Cyrus’ latest tattoo is of Roman numerals on the inside of her left elbow, which she got in May 2012. This tattoo is still a bit of a mystery as Miley has not spoken about it and it is not obvious what numbers it represents. The numerals are “VIIXCI,” which are the numbers 5, 1, 1, 10, 100, and 1. “VIIXCI” is not a valid Roman numeral and does not actually represent any number by itself. It seems like Miley intended to represent multiple numbers, but because she combined them with no spaces there are many possibilities. The ones which make the most sense are dates. It could be “VI I XCI” which is 6/1/91 (June 1, 1991), or “V II XCI” for 5/1/91 (May 1, 1991), or “VII XCI” for 7/91 (July 1991) — or it could be something else entirely. We’ll just have to wait for Miley to explain it!