Her firsttattoo 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.”
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.”
“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.”
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.”
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.”
Miley hasn’t spoken to the press about why she had any of these hand tattoos done, but she has previously said “I could never get a meaningless tattoo,” so there must be a story behind them.
The one finger tattoo which Miley has spoken about is the equal sign on her ring finger, added in July 2011, which she tweeted a photo of with the caption “All LOVE is equal.” This is believed to be a statement in favor of gay marriage.
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