Rihanna hand tattoos: Why she almost regretted that New Zealand ink

Rihanna doesn't just get tattoos. She starts movements. You’ve seen it a thousand times—that intricate, henna-style lace crawling up her right hand, framing her knuckles, and disappearing into her sleeve. It’s arguably the most famous hand tattoo on the planet. But here is the thing: it almost didn't look like that.

In fact, that piece was born out of a total "oh no" moment while she was halfway across the world.

The New Zealand chisel incident

Back in 2013, during her Diamonds World Tour, Riri decided to get some ink in New Zealand. She didn't go for a standard needle. Instead, she went the traditional route—Ta Moko. This is a Maori practice where the ink is literally chiseled into the skin using a mallet and a tool called a uhi. It’s brutal. It’s bloody. And honestly? It’s incredibly painful.

The footage of her getting it done went viral because she looked like a total boss, barely flinching as the mallet tapped the ink into her hand. The design was a series of lines and symbols representing hope and symbols of her own journey. But once the adrenaline wore off and the swelling went down, she wasn't feeling it.

She hated it.

It was too heavy, too dark, and it didn't feel like her. Most people would just live with a bad tattoo or hide it under a glove. Not Rihanna. She called her guy, Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy, and basically told him he needed to get to the Dominican Republic immediately.

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The 11-hour rescue mission

Bang Bang and fellow artist Cally-Jo hopped on a plane and met her in the DR. What followed was an absolute marathon. We’re talking 11 hours of drawing, wiping, and re-drawing.

Imagine trying to cover a dark, chiseled tribal tattoo with something "pretty." It’s a nightmare for an artist. Bang Bang has gone on record saying it was one of the most challenging jobs of his career because he had to blend the existing Maori lines into a new, feminine, henna-inspired mandala.

"We drew on her hand from 7 p.m. to midnight," Bang Bang told E! News at the time. "She even took a nap while we were drawing. We started over until we found the direction she liked."

They basically treated her hand like a piece of jewelry. They used the old lines as the skeleton for a much more decorative, lace-like pattern. If you look closely at the finished Rihanna hand tattoos, you can still see the ghosts of the original Maori work peeking through the intricate swirls.

What the hand tattoos actually mean

People always ask if there’s a deep, spiritual meaning to the specific dots and swirls. Honestly? It’s more about the vibe. While the original Maori portion was rooted in Polynesian tradition, the final cover-up was designed to be "decorative, feminine, and sexy." It’s an accessory she can never take off.

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It represents a bridge between two worlds:

1. The Traditional: The raw, painful process of the Maori ink.
2. The Modern: The refined, red carpet-ready aesthetic of Bang Bang’s fine-line work.

Of course, she has other hand ink too. You can’t talk about her hands without mentioning the "Shhh..." on her right index finger or the "Love" on her middle finger. Those became so popular in the late 2000s that every tattoo shop in America was probably sick of tattooing "Shhh" on teenagers' fingers.

The controversy nobody remembers

It wasn't all just "wow, cool art." When she got the cover-up, there was a fair amount of backlash. Some members of the Maori community felt it was disrespectful to get a sacred, traditional tattoo only to "pretty it up" a few weeks later with a different culture’s style (henna).

On the flip side, some South Asian fans felt the use of henna patterns for permanent ink was a bit of cultural "cherry-picking." Rihanna didn't say much about the noise. She just kept rocking it. That’s sort of her thing—she takes what she likes from different cultures and mashes them into a look that eventually becomes "The Rihanna Look."

Practical tips if you want the "Riri" look

If you’re thinking about getting something similar, you need to be realistic. Hand tattoos are a different beast.

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• The Fade Factor: Hands shed skin faster than almost anywhere else. That fine-line detail Rihanna has? It requires a master. If the artist goes too shallow, it disappears. Too deep? It "blows out" and turns into a blurry blue mess.
• The Pain: Even without a mallet and chisel, the tops of the hands and the knuckles are 10/10 on the pain scale. There’s no fat there—just bone and nerves.
• The "Job Stopper": In 2026, tattoos are way more accepted, but hand ink is still a big commitment. You can't hide it in an interview.

How to maintain hand ink

If you do pull the trigger on a design inspired by her, remember that aftercare is everything. Bang Bang recently launched his own skincare line specifically for this. You need to keep the skin hydrated but not "soggy." Avoid sun exposure like the plague during the first month, or those delicate lines will blur before you even get your first touch-up.

Rihanna’s hand tattoos proved that you can fix a "mistake" and turn it into something iconic. It just takes 11 hours, a flight to the Caribbean, and one of the best tattoo artists in the world.

Next Steps for Your Own Ink

If you're serious about getting a hand piece, start by looking for artists who specialize in "Ornamental" or "Blackwork" styles. Don't just walk into any shop with a photo of Rihanna. You need someone who understands how to wrap a design around the moving joints of the hand so it doesn't look distorted when you make a fist. Check their healed portfolio—not just the fresh photos—to see how those tiny lines hold up after a year.