Sarper Güven’s neck tattoo was hard to miss on 90 Day Fiancé: a large set of red lips linked to his relationship with Shekinah. He later said he wanted the tattoo gone, though he wanted to keep the memories from that time.
That leaves two separate questions: what he thinks about the relationship, and whether he still wants this particular design on his neck.
The red lips tattoo on Sarper’s neck
The large pair of red lips sits on Sarper’s neck. Inked reported that the design was modeled after Shekinah, making it personal before it reads as decoration.
Sarper connected the red with lips, love and passion. He also joked that red can signal danger, giving the bright color a second edge.
He said he chose his neck because he wanted people to see the commitment. On an upper arm, the same image could be more private; on the neck, it became part of his public image.
The bold shape and strong color help the design read quickly. Its placement also means it moves with his jaw and sits among beard lines, shadows and clothing.
Why the placement mattered so much
Neck placement brings attention, but it leaves the wearer less control over when others see the tattoo. That was part of Sarper’s choice at the time.
After the relationship changed, the same visibility began to tell a different story. A tattoo that once showed a commitment can become a reminder of the past, and a prompt for questions from people who know nothing else about the wearer.
If you’re considering a neck tattoo, check the design in a mirror at real size and with the clothes you wear most. If it’s tied to another person, ask yourself whether you’d still want it if the relationship changed.
That doesn’t make relationship tattoos a bad idea. Dates, initials, names and shared symbols can mark a moment that matters. A visible placement simply makes a private feeling public.
A relationship story made public
Sarper and Shekinah’s relationship played out on 90 Day Fiancé, where arguments, reunions and romantic gestures became part of the show. A neck tattoo from that relationship was never likely to stay a private keepsake.
Viewers saw the design alongside the relationship story, so its meaning in public changed as their story changed. The tattoo artist may have focused on line, color and placement; the audience also saw the person it represented.
Sarper has said he doesn’t regret loving Shekinah, while also wishing the tattoo had been smaller. Those can both be true: he can value the relationship and decide the bright neck design no longer suits him.
Removal, cover-up, or leaving it alone?
Sarper has talked about looking for specialists who can treat the red ink. The pigment, saturation, age and location all matter, so an experienced removal professional can assess the tattoo better than a social-media before-and-after.
He has also resisted rushing into a cover-up. The original tattoo is already large and visible; another heavy design might hide the lips but create a different problem. Red ink can also affect which colors or shapes will work. A cover-up is a redesign, not a quick way to erase the past.
Keeping the tattoo is another option. Some people come to see old relationship ink as a timestamp: “This happened,” not “This is still my life.” Sarper’s comments suggest he’s weighing the memory separately from the design.
If you’re facing the same choice, give yourself time before booking anything. Get a removal consultation and ask a tattoo artist what a cover-up would involve, then decide whether to remove, redesign or leave it.
Sarper’s next chapter
Sarper is known from reality television, but he has also presented himself as a fitness figure and stand-up comedian. That newer work gives the tattoo a different setting from the relationship that first made it famous.
He has said he wants audiences to see another side of him. The lips can now become a joke, a question or an awkward reminder of a decision he is still carrying.
The design itself is simple, but its impact comes from the red color, scale, placement and timing. Change any one of those and the tattoo would read differently.
For an artist, the practical question is what the client wants the tattoo to do: draw attention, stay under clothing, or work mainly as a personal image. Sarper’s choice was made to be seen.
A practical takeaway
A lips design can be adapted without copying Sarper’s neck piece. Smaller lips on an arm, shoulder, hip or chest would be less exposed; fine lines would feel lighter than a bold outline and packed color.
Choose placement to match how public you want the tattoo to be. If the design refers to another person, a shared color or object can keep the memory without making a portrait the only possible meaning.
Sarper’s tattoo shows that a sincere choice can become complicated later. That’s a reason to be clear about the size and visibility you want, not to avoid meaningful ink altogether.
The red lips remain one of Sarper Güven’s best-known tattoos. Whether he removes, reworks or keeps them, they have already made a private commitment visible.
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