<p>While tattooing is becoming increasingly prevalent in Iran, it remains a site of profound sociopolitical tension, particularly for women. Drawing on Goffman’s theory of social stigma, this qualitative study examines how Iranian women navigate the conflict between bodily autonomy and restrictive social norms. Through a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 48 participants, the research identifies a dual-layered structure of stigma: structural and socio-cultural. Findings reveal that structural or institutional stigma manifests through exclusionary practices and barriers to public services imposed by the state. At the socio-cultural level, tattooed women are subject to gendered moral surveillance, where tattoos are often pathologized or misinterpreted as indicators of promiscuity, criminality and mental illness. To mitigate these stigmas, participants employ stigma management strategies, including the feminization of tattoo designs to align with conventional gender roles and strategic concealment to navigate high-risk social environments. This study concludes that for Iranian women, tattooing is not merely an aesthetic choice but a complex negotiation of visibility and legitimacy within a regulated social landscape, offering new insights into the management of social stigma in restrictive non-Western contexts.</p>