Advice on a tattoo around the leg/ankle/foot area...?

Question

I'm booked to get a new tattoo in next couple of weeks. It's going to start at the lower part of the calf, just above the ankle, working it's way down to the top of the foot. I'd really appreciate some advice on healing. I didn't follow advice with my first tattoo when I was younger, and now all these years later regret it, so I'm trying to get it right this time!

I digress, my query (albeit a bit of a dense one): If I were to drive home from the studio, would the movement of using the pedals effect the tattoo? I'd be driving for about an hour straight after walking out of there. Movement in general is worrying me, I've booked a week off work just so I don't run around annoying it... (Any excuse for a holiday though, eh?)

As I said, help would be great. Googleing "can I drive after a tattoo?" is yielding strange and unhelpful results.

Thanks,
Hannah

Answer 1

I have a tattoo on my ankle, and I drove for 45 minutes after getting it done, and no, it didn't affect it.
Tell your tattoo artist and he/she will tell you how to take care of it. They are your best bet, because you will get so many different answere on here.
The artist put it on your body, and if they are good, they will tell you the proper techniques.
You won't need the week off. I got mine done on a Sunday, and was back at work the next day, it was a little sore, but bearable, just have to make sure you have lotion with you!
But Good luck, hope it turns out awesome!

Answer 2

Although you might not feel like driving wight after, you can do it no problem....the area you're getting inked in problematic for several reasons.

1. being so low there will be a lot of blood pressure down on it and it might want to ooze blood or at least plasma. Spend as much of the first 3 days as possiblr with it ELEVATED above your heart.

2. Being where it is, footwear, pantlegs etc. will rub there. If you're taking a week off I would just wear shorts or sweats and not let anything brush against it as long as possible.

I am covered with ink and if you follow these directions, you'll lose as little ink as possible.
Also:
When you get home (regardless of what the tattoo guy tells you), peel off the plastic or dressing or whatever he put on, then sit on the side of the bathtub.

Use cool water and a mild soap like ivory, gently wash the entire area. I find that 3-4 good latherings and rinsings will get the skin COMPLETELY free of any ointment. You can wash it slightly more vigorously the first 36 hours or so, as there is not much granulation going on yet.

Then gently dab (don't wipe) the water off with a dry towel.

Apply a THIN coat of bacitracin or neosporin (some people have a reaction to neosporin where it makes little red bumps and some ink will come out there) ointment to the entire tattoo. This is where most people mess up and glop it on and the skin can't breathe and heal properly.

Wash it thoroughly and completely 4 times per day, and recoat with ointment... Do this for the first 2-3 days.

On the 3rd or 4th day, depending on how you're healing, switch to a lotion without additives, like nutragena. At this time you can just wash it thoroughly twice a day, but re-apply the lotion as often as needed to keep the tattoo moist- this could be 8 or 10 times a day. If the lotion stings your skin, then go back to the ointment and start the lotion the following day. When using lotion there is much less worry about using too much.

Sometime between 8 and 15 days after the tattoo it will "peel" or slough off a layer of dead skin, and be totally healed....don't pick at the skin, or scratch it at all.. pulling off the skin prematurely may pull some ink out with it.

It works for me. good luck.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Advice on a tattoo around the leg/ankle/foot area...?
I'm booked to get a new tattoo in next couple of weeks. It's going to start at the lower part of the calf, just above the ankle, working it's way down to the top of the foot. I'd really appreciate some advice on healing. I didn't follow advice with my first tattoo when I was...

Answer 4

If it is a large tat you may have some stiffness/ tightness by the time you get home, but that is not necessarily a problem. I agree w/ the propping your leg up as often as possible. However, on the "fever" in the tat I don't agree w/ the ice. Lower leg tats are susceptible to fever more than other areas. The area gets tight, hot, sore and oozy. In preparation for this problem i would grab some cheap bags of RICE and throw them in the freezer.
In case of fever:
Wash the area well w/ antibacterial soap and hot water. Then hit it with alcohol. Yes, it will hurt but, it will help pull out the fever. No more ointment until the fever is gone, it will just keep sweating and you may lose ink. Then you can put the rice on it. The rice does not put moisture on your tat like ice would. Right now moisture is bad m'kay. Once the fever is gone resume normal care.
Good luck and enjoy the experience and your new tat :)

Answer 5

Leg And Foot Tattoos

Answer 6

I got a tattoo on the top of my right foot which obviously I had to use to drive my car. Luckily I had the foresight to bring some flip flops to wear out of the parlor to drive home in. No using your foot to operate the pedals of your car will not affect your tattoo, my drive home was just as long as yours will be.

I asked the tattoo artist about wearing other shoes/ socks and he said I should have no problems just as long as soon as I would take my shoes and socks off, to clean and moisturize my tattoo really well. Obviously you would do that anyway but after being in a sock and shoe all day, you would want to make sure there's no trauma to the tattooed area and what better way to check for that than to clean it and moisturize. Hope that helps.

Answer 7

I have a rosary type tattoo around my ankle and a cross coming off of it onto the top of my foot. I got it over the summer and it hurt just to walk in flip flops. It was really sensitive. I didn't drive afterwards...I would take off work. It is a pretty aggravating thing to run around with. But it's SOO worth it!

Answer 8

I badly sprained my ankle about 3 weeks ago. I was in a hurry going down the stairs, lost my balance and landed on a bad side of my left foot, causing my left ankle to be stretched going on the inside. The first 48 hours were excruciating and the pain was un-believable. I've never had a serious ankle injury before.

So I immediately treated it using the RICE method. The following day, the bruising and swelling were so horrible. I found out that I got a second degree sprain and immediately panicked after that. I had a football game on that week and it been looking forward to it because I've been training for rt. I had teammates that had similar injuries and it took them months to fully recover, some of them stopped playing altogether. So I kinda had a short-term depression because I can't imagine myself not being able to run and play sports anymore.

Because I was so desperate to recover again, I contacted a lot of people that I know who do sports and asked them if they had similar injuries. One friend of mine, from the boy's football team in my university, told me about H.E.M. Ankle Rehab. I got a copy 4 days after I got injured. I immediately read and followed what was instructed and felt improvement on the first day. I was able to walk a bit, but I was in pain.

A couple of days after that, the swelling and bruising were subsid-ing significantly and on the fourth day, I was walking comfortably again. Although I've had felt a bit of stiffness, I continued doing what was instructed. My sister was surprised that I have recovered this fast. I told her about this book and was shocked on how effective the procedures were. I'm just so happy that this book was shared to me and how effective it is.

Heal your ankle fully & fast?

Answer 9

You dont have to take time off work, you should save those days for when you need them,you can drive after you get it done no problem, take a couple ibroprohen, to reduce swelling and pain. you can even do ice packs with your foot elevated when you get home(dont try doing this while driving ) cleaning it: 3 times a day with liquid antibacterial soap(original) nothing with scents in it,then let it air dry for 15-20 min. then take a&d ointment, put a very small thin layer on your new ink. do this three times a day..it should peel and flake off in three days,DO NOT PICK IT.when it feels itchy, do mini quick slaps, dont scratch it!!! now after three days or after your all done peeling off, switch to curel original lotion, apply three to five times a day for at least a month. dont go into swimming pools/spas, clorine will lighten up ink. make sure you use sun block over your ink it will last years longer.

Answer 10

For the first few hours after you get one it will bleed everytime you take a step, I got a rather large cross on my ankle and it didn't hurt to get but it does hurt to walk a bit if you have a hard time with pain. My mom got one on her toe and she said it hurt like crazy and it took six weeks to heal completely. Do not pick at because it will hurt more if you have to go back and have it redone.