What does the Bible say about tattoos / body piercings?

Answer: The Old Testament law commanded the
Israelites, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put
tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the
LORD” ( Leviticus 19:28 ). So, even though believers
today are not under the Old Testament law ( Romans
10:4 ; Galatians 3:23–25 ; Ephesians 2:15 ), the fact
that there was a command against tattoos should
raise some questions. The New Testament does not
say anything about whether or not a believer should
get a tattoo.
We do have this command in 1 Peter 3:3–4 : “Your
beauty should not come from outward adornment,
such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold
jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of
your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
Granted, this passage is directed at Christian women,
but there is a principle here that may be apropos:
namely, a person’s external appearance should not be
the focus of our attention. Much effort goes into
“elaborate hairstyles” and “fine clothes” and jewelry,
but that’s not where a woman’s true beauty lies. In the
same way, tattoos and body piercings are “outward
adornment,” and we should be careful to give more
effort to the development of the “inner self,”
regardless of our gender.
In relation to tattoos and body piercings, a good test
is to determine whether we can honestly, in good
conscience, ask God to bless and use that particular
activity for His own good purposes. “So whether you
eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory
of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ). The New Testament
does not specifically command against tattoos or
body piercings, but it also does not give us any reason
to believe God would have us get tattoos or body
piercings.
An important scriptural principle on issues the Bible
does not specifically address is if there is room for
doubt whether it pleases God, then it is best not to
engage in that activity. Romans 14:23 reminds us that
anything that does not come from faith is sin. We
need to remember that our bodies, as well as our
souls, have been redeemed and belong to God.
Although 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 does not directly
apply to tattoos or body piercings, it does give us a
principle: “Do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your
body.” This great truth should have a real bearing on
what we do and where we go with our bodies. If our
bodies belong to God, we should make sure we have
His clear “permission” before we “mark them up” with
tattoos or body piercings.