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Published 15:21 19 Jul 2026 GMT
The ‘three dot’ tattoo, often resembling a lineless triangle, has recently drawn attention for its particularly dark and controversial meaning.
Body art has dipped in and out of popular culture over centuries, with different signs and symbols denoting specific meanings, significance, and context, and the three-dotted tattoo is no different.
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While the inky engraving has long been associated with religious purposes, spirituality, and personal resilience, it has also become linked to less desirable affiliations. More specifically: gangs and prison culture in parts of the world, leading some people to warn others not to ignore it.
Traditionally, the three-dot tattoo was steeped in religious significance, with some using it to represent the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, while others saw it as symbolizing the cycle of life: birth, life and death.
In more recent decades, however, the design has taken on a different meaning, especially in criminal circles.
In the United States, the three dots are commonly associated with the phrase "Mi Vida Loca" , Spanish for "My Crazy Life." Rather than representing membership of one specific gang, the tattoo is often linked to gang culture or a criminal lifestyle, particularly within prison communities.
A symmetrical interpretation also exists concurrently in Russia, where the three dots have also been connected to criminal status, trust among inmates, or ties to influential figures in the country's prison underworld.
After learning about this association, some people online admitted they had no idea the tattoo could carry such a message.
One X user wrote: "If you see someone with a three-point tattoo, run as far as you can."
Another joked: "Seemed like a snake bite but am guessing it not a snake right."
A third added: "Imagine explaining this to your grandma."
Germany has its own history with the tattoo, although reports suggest some people adopted the three-dot design during the 1980s simply as a symbol of punk culture and rebellion, rather than anything linked to organized crime.
The tattoo is most commonly found between the thumb and index finger or beneath the eye, although its placement often depends on the meaning the wearer intends to convey.
Experts also warn against jumping to conclusions.
Ink Ppl reports, "The three dots tattoo can still be misinterpreted, particularly in law enforcement circles."
Ultimately, if you don’t want to be inadvertently caught up in a gang war, it may be advisable to avoid it altogether and create an alternative.
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Published 11:46 03 Oct 2019 GMT
Body art can be traced back to the formative years of humanity — from ritualistic meanings to associations steeped in beauty, spirituality, and freedom of expression.
In recent times, being tattooed in a certain area with a specific symbol can often indicate a particular meaning, and in the criminal underworld, the teardrop under the eye has become synonymous with murder and jail time.
A lesser-known symbol is the so-called ‘five dot tattoo’ — a small design that is usually tattooed on a person’s hand. The tattoo, also known as the quincunx, the intricate, almost imperceptible pattern, will be in the shape of a square with a central dot.
Similar to its ink-based ancestor, the teardrop, this body drawing bears associations with a criminal past, with dots replicating the four wall corners of a prison cell, with the inner dot being the person.
The tattoo is most commonly located on a person’s hand, between their thumb and forefinger.
On Reddit, one user enquired what it meant after noticing it on their neighbor's hand. They asked: "I've got a new neighbour and noticed he had this tattoo, too – it's super simple, five dots in a cross shape, kinda like the Portuguese coat of arms near the thumb on his hand. It's weird because I've run into guys with that exact same tattoo a bunch of times; even the waiter on my recent vacation had one. Anyone know what it means? And why do people from such different places have it?"
In the replies, one person said: "Are you talking about a quincunx? If so, the most common one is a prison tattoo. The four outer dots represent the four walls of the cell and the central dot represents the prisoner."
A popular symbol amongst Russian crime gangs, as well as those involved in illicit enterprises, the tattoo has an element of notoriety attached to it.
According to Claudio Traina, a tattoo artist based in England and Italy, it’s crucial that people research their body art before making the permanent decision: “In Russia, the prison tattoos hold such strong meanings that if you misrepresent yourself through tattoos you will lose fingers.
“Nowadays, people do these kinds of tattoos just for the aesthetic, which can make things complicated if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Like their criminal counterparts in Eastern Europe, the United States also has ties with the tattoo, with several gangs in the US known to use the same symbol.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of preference, with some finding the body art peculiar: "If I got out of jail, the last thing I'd want to do is get a tattoo to show everyone I'd been inside. But that's just me, who knows," one person wrote.
But another said: "You might be proud of that and want to show it off with a tattoo, who knows."
Published 16:27 04 May 2026 GMT
As anyone with tattoos will know, the most frequently asked question you receive is 'What does it mean?'
While some may symbolise a special person, palace or memory, often ink lovers get a tattoo which they simply like the look of, and in some cases find out the meaning of after.
Those who may have gotten a simple black band around their arm, as they like the look of symmetry or simplicity, will be shocked to find out the crude connotations of their tattoo.
Although not everyone sporting a black band tattoo will be aware of its meaning, the ink is popular among the LGBTQ+ community as it supposedly symbolises a very hands-on sexual act.
After an X user shared a post about the meaning behind the tattoo, thousands of people flocked to the comments to share how shocked they were at its explicit connotations.
One person joked that it symbolises "How far you can reach into the Pringles can."
Another added: "When I learnt the meaning of this tattoo, it changed the way I look at everyone that has one. The higher [it gets], the wilder it gets."
Despite the rude theories online, according to the Solong Tattoo Company, the simple black arm bands, specifically two, have “profound meanings that appeal to many”, such as loss, mourning, strength, and luck.
The bands also “represent different stages or transitions in one's life” and the simple design “allows for personal interpretation’.
However, in recent years, the meaning of the two black bands has been labelled as a “depth marker”, measuring how far someone can reach into their lover’s rear end.
The rumours may have stemmed from and been popularised by gay adult actor Brent Everett.
Although he admitted he had no idea about the alternative meaning, queer fiction writer Lewis Laney shared a TikTok in 2023 explaining that Everett was the inspiration behind his band tattoo.
He explained: "I have a double arm band tattoo and I often get asked by gay men what it means... they assume that it has something to do with f**ting.
"The origins of these tattoos allegedly do come from f**ting and apparently, it’s how far you can go. For me, that is not the case though."
Then, he said, as many people with tattoos will agree, “if you see people with an anchor tattoo, do you automatically assume that they are a sailor? Or just that they like anchors?"
Although you should never assume anyone’s sexual preference by simply looking at them, in some cases, you might be right in guessing that if they have two bands tattooed on their arm, they like getting their hands dirty.
Doja Cat has mocked social media users who are outraged over her "demonic" tattoo.
Over the weekend, the 27-year-old 'Say So' hitmaker took to her Instagram to debut her fresh ink which she claims represents imperfection.
The ink on her left forearm is based on a Giovanni Battista Bissoni illustration from Italian philosopher Fortunio Liceti's 1634 book De Monstruorum Causis, Natura et Differentiis (On the Reasons, Nature, and Differences of Monsters).
However, upon seeing her tattoo, many users took to the comment section to share their stunned reactions, with one disappointed user writing: "Clearly u sold your soul to the devil, unfollowing."
Another equally shocked person exclaimed: "UGH, WE HATE THE NEW DOJA, U ARE LOSING FOLLOWERS AND FANS BC OF SATAN, GET AHOLD OF URSELF DOJA."
A third questioned: "What in the ILLUMINATI is goin on here[?]"
Lastly, a fourth user shared: "I miss the old Doja, you’ll regret that."
The Grammy-winning singer - whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini - then took to her Twitter page to address those comments and penned: "If ur calling me demonic honestly werk cuz like I love that u ate fr."
She also shared a follow-up post on Instagram explaining the significance behind the tattoo. The first post included images from the 1665 edition of Liceti’s De Monstris, alongside the caption: "Your fear is not my problem."
The second image in the gallery provided an in-depth explanation of the illustration, which read: "Originally published, without the illustrations, in 1616. Liceti’s work, although not the first on the topic of deformities in nature, was perhaps the most influential of the period."
"In the wake of the book, there was a huge rise in interest throughout Europe in ‘monstrosities’: pygmies, supposed mermaids, deformed fetuses, and other natural marvels were put on display and widely discussed, becoming the circus freak-shows of their time."
The explanation stated that Liceti didn't see "deformity" as "negative" like many of his contemporaries, instead, he commanded them to be more "admirable".
The post concluded by quoting Liceti: "'It is said that I see the convergence of both nature and art. Because one or the other not being able to make what they want, they can at least make what they can."
Anyone that has followed the 'Rules' musician's career will know that she has an "I don't care" attitude, doing everything from shaving her head and eyebrows, painting herself gold in the name of fashion, changing her display name on Twitter to "fart" and being unable to change it back.
This also isn't the first time Doja has been called "demonic". Back in February, she addressed Illuminati rumors after users claimed that the theme of her birthday party was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's film Eyes Wide Shut - which is about an 'elite society' supposedly similar to the Illuminati.
In addition to the theme, the 'Need To Know' songstress' party included a three-tiered birthday cake with the infamous 'All Seeing Eye' design on it and guests were all dressed in masks.
After seeing all the commotion regarding her on the social media platform, Doja took to her Twitter to announce that she is irritated with all the bizarre speculations.
The 'Kiss Me More' singer wrote: "This Illuminati s*** is so funny to me I'm gonna keep doing deliberate weird a** s*** just to make those people uncomfortable. I've fr found a new outlet of joy."
It seems like she stuck to her word as she is continuing to make people "uncomfortable".
