Tattoo Professionals & expierienced people with FOOT tatts....?

Question

I am getting my first tattoo, I am 21 years old and finnaly decided on what im going to get.
I will be getting an anchor about 2 inches big or smaller, I wanted to get it done in a black out line that fades to grey then bright blue.
it will go on my left foot on the lower left corner inbetween my middle and pinky toe.
what do you think of the size placement and colors?
How much pain is "really" involved, compaerd to something else.... IE I have had cysts on my overies burst, I have had a broken leg i walked on for a week, I have ahd an industrial piercing.
Do I need to wear flip flops or something similar?
What kind of healing time am I looking at?
What other things can I do to help it heal besides what the artist will already tell me?
How long till I can go swimming in a pool, ocean, or lake?
What about showers?

the person with the most through answer gets the points..... IF you disagree with tattoos then dont even waste my time... cuz i will rip you a new one

Answer 1

I got a tattoo on the top of my foot in exactly the place you are describing! The artist advised me against it, especially because I love flip flops. He told me that foot tats fade quicker than any other area on the body because of all the wear and tear from socks and shoes. I went ahead and did it anyways, and the pain was not bad except for spots on the bone.

The first two and a half weeks, my foot was in a lot of pain. I couldnt wear my beloved flip flops because they cut directly across the tat which was swollen and very painful! I was able to wear the cute flat shoes that are popular now as they didnt touch the tat at all. The tat still looks good, and I contribute that entirely to the advise that to artist gave me...

He said that ANYTIME I wear shoes not just the first weeks] to cover the tat in A&D ointment and wrap it in plastic wrap. I have done this each time and my tat still looks lovely although it has faded a little.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

I love foot tattoos. I have one in memory of my Dad. The one thing about it that sucks is that because you are always putting on shoes and socks (which rub the skin on your feet), the tattoo will need to be touched up pretty quickly. They fade fast and color won't really make a difference b/c they fade so quickly.
Also, I have 7 tattoos all over my body and the foot one hurt the worst. The skin is very thin there and it is just all bones. The ankle was the least painful.
As far as healing time you are looking at about 2 weeks. If you want to go swimming you can put lots of bacitracin over it and cover it with a big band-aid or a bandage to keep it dry.
The biggest piece of advice is to do whatever they tell you to let it heal quickly and NEVER scratch it. The ink will come right out and you'll have to endure the pain all over again.
Totally worth it, though. Good luck.

Answer 3

I've had some similar pain experiences to you. I had a contorted ovarian cyst (which is a similar pain to bursting, but it lasts longer...) and I dislocated my hip and never went to the doctor. Smart me!

Let me tell you, it's nothing like that at all. The pain of those things probably had you on the floor for a while. If tattooing hurt that bad, would people get tattoos?

It's a different kind of pain than piercings. Piercings are sudden, intense. Tattoos are sort of a low-level, but lasting pain. But it will come nowhere close to those other things you've experienced.

I think that placement should be ok, just make sure it's firmly out of the way of the straps of your flip-flops. Try them on before you go and make sure.

Healing time is 1-3 weeks, depending on how fast you heal and your circulation (I have bad circulation, thus injuries on my feet tend to heal a bit slowly, you know?). It will be sore, then it will peel a bit, then it will itch, and once it's done itching it's fully healed.

Try not to bump it into anything or hurt it. Other than what the artist tells you to do, just leave it alone and let it breathe (try not to wear any full-coverage shoes, etc).

You can't swim in pools, oceans, or lakes until it's fully healed . You can shower whenever you want, but try not to take too long, since soaking the tattoo too much can loosen up the scabs and make them come off prematurely.

Good luck, I bet it will be beautiful!

Answer 4

i prefer larger tattoos on the foot but that is just my personal liking. i have had a lot of tattoo work done in the past year and the foot is definitely the most painful place but i can't really compare our pain tolerances. it is totally bearable tho, and your tattoo sounds like it will be very small so that means less time actually being tattooed, the longer you are under the needle the more it hurts in my opinion. i would rate the pain at a constant 7.
you will need to wear flip flops for two weeks. no shoes or socks at all. there will likely be some swelling for a couple of days, but maybe not since yours will be smaller. both of my tattoos took longer to heal than my others because the circulation to the feet is less than to the rest of the body. to speed healing you should try to elevate your foot for the first couple of days.
you should wait 3-4 weeks to swim anywhere.
showers are fine as long as you don't let the water beat down directly on the tattoo and be sure to pat it dry as soon as you get out of the shower.

the MOST important thing when getting a tattoo is to chose a competent artist. not all tattooers are artists and not all of them are talented. do your research and look at plenty of portfolios before you decide on someone.
good luck!!

Answer 5

A friend of mine had to get her foot tattoo done in 3 seperate sessions because she had such a hard time tolerating the pain. I've always wanted to get a tattoo on my foot but I really don't think I could handle it. I have a high pain tolerance but my feet are so sensitive. I'd rather fall and rip a gash in my arm than step on a tack or have a kitten playfully attacking my foot.

Answer 6

Pain level depends on your tolerance. From what you said above you should be able to take it. You are going to want to wear something that won't aggravate it because this will not only lead to longer healing time but could cause infection. Healing i would think would take anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks. You are definantly going to want to wait until it's completely healed before you go swimming, especially in a pool the chemicals can cause fading. Showers are ok you have to keep it clean but remember pat dry the tatt don't rub. As far as anything else do what the artist says and you should be good. I have numerous tatts starting at my ankles and ending on the back of my head. (the one above my shoulders)

Answer 7

I have a tattoo that is about palm-sized on the top of my foot. It was painful, but not really that bad. I have 5 tattoos and I would say it was not the most painful one I have gotten. if you can walk on a broken leg for a week, you can tolerate the pain of a tattoo. you should wear flip flops, or even better get someone to drive you because your foot will swell up. it is important to let the tattoo breathe, keeping it uncovered as much as possible, and when in the sun wearing SUNSCREEN. My foot tattoo is almost three years old and it still looks really crisp, clear and colorful because I always wear sunscreen on it.

As far as water, you dont want to soak your new tattoo (ie, swimming or taking baths) for at least 2 weeks. you can shower, do your best to keep your foot out of the direct blast of the shower, for extended periods of time.

another good way to clean your tattoo is to use extremely hot water (as hot as you can stand) to open your pores, then wash gently with soap, rinse, and use cold water to close your pores back up. this keeps the colors bright and fresh.

I hope this helps! good luck with your tattoo!

Answer 8

The top of my foot is one place I do NOT have a tattoo, because I have heard it hurts a lot there. Although I never thought tattoos really "hurt" anywy...to me it was just like I had rubbed my skin with steel wool alot. Your idea sounds neat, but the most important feature with a tattoo is that you like it.

If the top of the foot is like anywhere else I'd definitely plan on wearing flip flops for a few days. Keep it mosturized. It shouldn't matter if you take a shower with a new tat, but I would delay swimming a few days. There you go.

Answer 9

i got a tattoo a tattoo in the same spot last year. its really small, and i can tell you it hurt like hell. especially when they were going over the bones. i wore flip flops for the next two weeks and when i had to put on normal shoes i covered it with moisterizer and a big gauze pad. i can remember my foot feeling achy afterwards, but the worst part was actually getting the tattoo...i got one on my shoulder a year before that, and well that didnt hurt at all. good luck...just breathe:)

ps...dont go swimming, in the ocean, and try to keep your foot out of water. i was at the beach when i got my shoulder done and the ink faded and i had to get it redone!

Answer 10

I can't answer all of your questions but I heard that feet and hands are the hardest places because the ink doesn't set in the very well so you'll have to get them redone after awhile.