Jason Momoa debuted a massive head tattoo after recently shaving off his long signature locks.
An avid environmentalist, Jason recently took clippers to his famously long hair in the name of ocean conservation. Taking a stand against single-use plastics, Jason shared a live video as he buzzed off his famous mane.
Now, the Aquaman actor has shocked his fans once again, this time with a huge new tattoo on the side of his head.
Taking to Instagram this week, Jason first shared a video of himself as he prepared to board a flight with Hawaiian Airlines. Before the clip ended, he shared “something special” with his 17.1 million followers as he removed his hat and turned to the side, revealing the massive tribal artwork on the left side of his head.
Jason’s video showed that he didn’t entirely shave his head, leaving hair on top and only buzzing the sides, still a stark contrast to his previous hairstyle that he’s donned for years. “Chief of War coming, baby!” Jason said before boarding his flight.
In another Instagram share, Jason detailed the intricate work that went into his traditional Samoan tattoo. Jason, who is of Samoan descent, proved that he doesn’t just talk the talk, but he walks the walk.
Jason Momoa debuts huge tattoo on his head
Samoan tattoos, called tatau in the Samoan language, are traditionally done using distinctive tools and are said to be extremely painful. Although electric tattooing machines can be used, some Samoan tattoo artists still prefer to use handmade tools consisting of a comb, a shell plate, and a wooden handle.
Jason’s tattoo pays homage to his Samoan heritage
The bone comb punctures the skin and inserts the pigment, a very painful process anywhere on the body, let alone on the skull. Jason documented the process in his IG post, first showing a picture of the beautiful, geometric artwork, which includes three rows of shark tooth-shaped designs starting near his hairline, traveling behind his ear, and down to his neck.
Another slide showed a shirtless Jason posing before undergoing his tattoo. Subsequent photos depicted Jason being inked as he lay on a table, wearing only a lavalava. A close-up black and white shot captured the tattooing process using traditional tools. Jason was surrounded by five other men, plus his tattoo artist, and it looked like he took the pain in stride.
“Honored to be apart of this, powerful moment in my life,” his caption read. “Shared this day with some of my Ohana, mahalo to unko buff and aunti momi my pops unko titus.”
Jason is no stranger to getting inked — the former Baywatch star has his kids’ names, Lola and Nakoa-Wolf, tattooed on his chest, the phrase “Pride of Gypsies” on his inner forearm (also his IG handle), a tribal shark tooth pattern on his forearm, a skull above his thumb, the word “Diablo” on his middle finger, and “etre toujours ivre” on his other forearm, which is French for to “always be drunk.”