Foot tattoos seem to be the present limelight – Everyone wants to flaunt one! The designs are so alluring that you cannot resist staying away from a tattoo on the bottom of your foot.
If you are as excited to get a tattoo as we are to write about it, then we have few things common in us. We are sure you would be similarly eager to research foot tattoos well before practically going for it.
As they say No Pain No Gain, foot tattoos are most closely related to the saying. Many are eager to know more about it due to its craze but after knowing the pain, people think twice before a final decision.
Foot tattoos are explained based on some essential factors:
- Pain
- Space
- Design
- Healing process
- Aftercare
We shall discuss these in detail ahead. For now, let’s get to the core of the topic.
Can you get tattoos on the bottom of your feet?
Yes, a tattoo on the sole is possible. Although the sole tattoos are really popular these days, you must be prepared for the pain that comes along too.
Being extremely sensitive area to even tickle, making a tattoo can be a painful job. Thus, sole tattoos are no cakewalk especially when you haven’t done tattoos before. It is because the sole has no muscle and thus more skin.
Sole tattoos are not just painful for the requestor, but also the tattoo artist as they have to be more careful with the design.
Parts of the body like palms, soles, fingers, and toes are the most sensitive areas where tattoo artists are more conscious. In short, it is possible to go for a sole tattoo only if you can bear the extreme pain.
Do tattoos on the bottom of your foot fade?
Yes, that’s a sad fact about foot tattoos. Most parts of your foot area face an ink blowout. It is due to the limited space that we get for tattoos.
It is one of these reasons too most tattoo artists do not agree with a foot tattoo, especially on the sole. Who would want to see their creativity fade up so soon?
A foot tattoo can take longer to heal as well. Thus, having one is not very exciting to many. Sole tattoos usually take 2 to 3 weeks to heal. The skin might take even longer to heal.
In some cases, it takes up to 6 weeks for sole tattoos to heal. In short, tattoos on the bottom of the feet fade faster than the other parts of the body. Even if you follow extreme care for your tattoo, sole tattoos fade faster.
How long after a foot tattoo can you wear socks?
The waiting period for wearing the socks after a foot tattoo is about 3 weeks. Even if the tattoo heals faster, you will still be advised to wait for 2 weeks to wear socks again.
Preferably, wear ankle socks after your tattoo has healed. Also, you must always wash your feet and the tattoo area after taking off the socks.
Foot tattoos are extremely sensitive and thus, one has to be very careful of the aftercare. One reason why underfoot tattoos fade faster is due to the constant rubbing of the feet under the shoes. Thus, tattoo artists advise you to wear socks.
Can I wear shoes after a foot tattoo?
Yes, but, you need to wait for few weeks until your tattoo heals. Let’s understand the impact of wearing socks after a foot tattoo.
Wearing shoes, boots, sneakers, floaters, slippers, or socks is usually not advisable for foot tattoos. For any tattoo that is drawn anywhere on the body, you should wear loose clothing or keep it open.
Anything tight such as socks or shoes can cause tattoo fading! Sticking socks and shoes both could be worse for your foot tattoo.
We understand that you don’t want your tattoo to get dirty or catch bacteria and so covering it would be a better decision.
However, you can make use of a bandage as advised by your tattoo artist. Sole tattoos are not a good decision for those who wish to see their tattoo for long.
It doesn’t matter whether you wear shoes or walk bare feet; rubbing on the ground will anyway make it fade faster. To conclude the answer, you can wear shoes post-tattoo healing but, not immediately.
Can you walk after a foot tattoo?
Going for a sole tattoo is a painful thing. Foot tattoos may cause swelling, redness, pain, and discomfort just like other tattoos would.
However, walking with the wounds on the bottom could be more painful. Thus, the best thing would be to get one foot at a time and wait until it heals or until it stops aching.
Moving around for the first few weeks will be difficult especially after a sole tattoo. Thus, you must make use of foot support to walk during the healing process.
Once your tattoo is healed, you may anyway start walking like how you were before the tattoo. Just be sure of the season you are planning to go for the tattoo. If it is summer, you may have to be extra careful and protective of your foot tattoo.
How much does a foot tattoo cost?
A foot tattoo on the proper foot or sole can cost you $150-$400. To break the cost further, a tattoo covering your entire foot may range from $300 to $400 and a detailed tattoo on a small portion of the foot can cost you around $150 to $300.
You must check for discounts or offers from your tattoo artist. Certain seasons release special promotional offers for the people on the tattoo.
Other factors responsible for fluctuating costs for foot tattoos are:
- Location
- The prominence of the tattoo parlor
- Experience of the tattoo artist
- Artist’s skill and quality of work
- Design chosen
- Season for tattoo
The above factors also decide the cost of the foot tattoo. Thus, you may get all your queries answered before you make the final decision.
Before we move to the pre and after-care of foot tattoos, let’s quickly take a look at the checklist before going for a foot tattoo. The checklist will help you to be prepared before beginning the foot tattoo session.
Checklist to Get a Foot Tattoo
- Book an appointment on call to seek answers to all your queries and confusion.
- Make a persona visit to check the tattoo parlor.
- Meet your tattoo artist and understand his/her skills and experience.
- Ask your artist to show you some good foot tattoo designs.
- Check the cost of selected or preferred designs.
- Do not take any medication and alcohol before the tattoo.
- Wear clothing that shouldn’t touch your tattoo area or even disturb the tattoo artist while designing.
- Come 20 to 30 minutes early so that you can munch something and get settled with the environment.
- Make sure you have chosen a parlor closer to your house so that you don’t have to travel with discomfort with a fresh tattoo wound on your foot.
- Take the aftercare instructions beforehand so that you don’t miss out on anything post-tattoo pain.
Precare & Aftercare of Foot Tattoo
Pre care of foot tattoo:
Other than the above checklist that also applies to precare, we have some more points to help you prepare for your foot tattoo.
- For any tattoo on the leg, ankle, foot, or sole, avoid using any harsh skin creams.
- If you have to shave, try waxing or shaving 48 hours before the tattoo process.
- Avoid putting your skin under sun exposure 7 days before the tattoo.
- Avoid sunbathing 7 days before the tattoo process.
- Stay hydrated; drink a lot of water.
Aftercare of foot tattoo:
- Apply a cold compress for 5 minutes at an interval of 1 to 2 hours. Follow the process for the first 24 to 48 hours of the tattoo.
- Rest as much as you can. You must take proper sleep as a tattoo is a time-consuming process that can make you tired or exhausted.
- Limit physical activity especially when you are going for a sole tattoo. Walking, jogging, swimming, etc., can be bad for fresh tattoo wounds.
- Avoid removing scabs during the healing process. In case of any infection or scars that you don’t understand, contact your tattoo artist immediately.
- Avoid itching, touching, or rubbing the tattooed sole or foot.
Final Comments:
Investing in a foot tattoo is no piece of cake. Thus, you have to be sincere in taking care. Once the healing is over, you will be able to flaunt it beautifully.
Once you know everything about foot tattoos, you will feel more confident in doing so. We hope most of your confusion related to foot tattoos is resolved in this article. For anything that you feel is not covered, you may check with your tattoo artist too.
