Here’s the Scoop on Why Dolly Parton Has Hidden Tattoos

Most Dolly Parton fans might not realize that the singer has multiple tattoos, since she keeps them covered when she's in public. But if you do a little digging, it turns out that not only does she have them, she also has a fascinating reason for getting them.

It's very rare for Parton to expose her tattoos, though Jay Leno once caught a glimpse of one showing through a sheer garment the country icon was wearing during an interview.  In another interview with Larry King, Parton revealed that she got the tattoos to cover up some scarring that occurred after she underwent surgery.

"I have some tattoos that I started doing just to cover up some scarring," Parton told him. She explained that her tattoos cover up keloid scars, which are a type of raised scar that forms on the skin after an injury, surgery or other trauma.

She explained further in an interview in 2017.

“I have a few little tattoos, but usually my tattoos were before they became a fad. I have a tendency to scar easy and I’m so fair-skinned that I stay purple right where I’ve had a scar. So I started having little pastel tattoos, pastel butterflies or little things, just to cover scars,” Parton shared (quote via Sounds Like Nashville).

Parton's tattoos were the subject of a recent episode of the new video series The Secret History of Country Music. Each Monday, Taste of Country News host Ania Hammar takes fans inside the untold stories of country music's biggest hits, moments and artists.

Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood and Kid Rock are among the artists already featured,  with Alan Jackson and many more still to come. Be sure to subscribe to Taste of Country's YouTube channel so you never miss a new episode.

Watch More Secret History of Country Music:

See Pictures of Dolly Parton Through the Years