Foot tattoos seem to have become a rage of late which is but obvious ‘coz they can grab eye balls like a few other things can. So, if you are looking forward to getting a tattoo on your foot, here are a few things that you should take into consideration.
Tattooing is one of the most popular body arts in the world. While arms, back, shoulders, or back of the neck, etc., have traditionally been the most-preferred places to get a tattoo done, foot tattoos are fast scaling the popularity charts, especially among girls. By far, the biggest advantage of a foot tattoo is that you can hide it if you feel that it doesn’t fit your family or workplace ethics. On the flip side though, there are a few things that might not go down well with everybody; pain being one of them.
Some tattoo artists refuse to work on the foot because of two reasons: firstly, the chances of problems like pain, fading, and ink migration are relatively more in this case, and secondly, it is very difficult to make a tattoo small enough to fit on the foot and yet, look good. That, however, doesn’t mean you should do away with the idea of getting your foot tattooed. It’s just that you need to make sure that you know what you are getting into. After all, like any other tattoo, a foot tattoo is also a permanent one.
Things to Consider Before Getting a Foot Tattoo
The foremost thing to take into consideration is the fact that the space available on the foot is less compared to arms or back, and therefore, you will have to choose the design carefully; the simpler the better. Popular designs include butterflies, flowers, stars, or maybe a vine with flowers (which starts at the foot and goes right up to the knee). You can also opt for matching feet tattoos, wherein you get a tattoo on each foot with some common link between the two, or tribal tattoos, which can look quite unique and original. If you go for some intricate design, the chances are that it will get ruined if the tattoo spreads, but more on that later.
Tattoos on the feet have a striking appearance and more importantly, with so few people going for them, they come across as something exotic. But as you see, this trend is relatively rare, and there is a good reason for that. Getting a tattoo done on any part of the body is a painful procedure, but if you go for some fleshy part of the body, you are likely to experience less pain, as the muscle tissue would act as a buffer. In case of feet, this buffer is as good as absent and as a result, it causes a lot more pain.
It doesn’t just end with pain though; swelling is yet another issue. However, that will differ from person to person. You won’t be able to wear shoes for a couple of days because of swelling, and also because it may end up causing more damage to the tattoo. In case of swelling, you will be advised to apply ice pack around the tattooed area, drink a lot of fluids, and lie down with keeping the leg at an elevated position.
Another problem with tattoos on feet is that of ink migration, i.e., ink spreading over and blurring the tattoo design. Ink migration is a common problem with tattoos on any part of the body, but the chances of this happening in the case of foot tattoos is relatively high. In this case, you will have to mentally prepare yourself for timely visits to the tattoo parlor for touch-ups.
Popular foot tattoos are also notorious for fading faster. Then again, a tattoo fading away with time is fairly common, but the chances of this happening with foot tattoos are relatively high; especially if you are used to wearing shoes all the time. It is precisely because of this reason that you are better off avoiding light colors when getting a tattoo on the foot.
Another important thing to keep in mind when getting a tattoo done on the foot is to make sure that you give it ample time to heal. It is not very different from a wound; it’s just that it is self-inflicted. Normally, it takes 2-3 weeks for the tattoo to heal completely. In this period, you have to ensure that the tattooed area doesn’t come in contact with clothes or footwear as that can lead to further damage or even infection.
The chances of contracting infections are again relatively high with feet tattoos as your feet are likely to come into maximum contact with dirt. No shoes, no swimming, no going out in the sun – the list of don’ts is considerably lengthy. Your patience though, will definitely earn rich dividends in the end and you will receive all those lovely compliments for your foot tattoo. And as for the pain associated with it, there goes an age-old adage ‘no pain, no gain’.
