Spine Tattoo [How to Prepare, What to Wear, Cost & Aftercare]

Tattoos are not a new craze. This body art exists for a long time and enjoys great attention in many parts of the world. People love to get inked on different parts of their bodies.

Spine tattoo is loved by those who are more passionate about the art of tattoo. Different areas in the body give a different experience of tattoo. Some love to do it for themselves and keep it intimate and some love to flaunt it to others.

Spine tattoos can be an amazing experience too and people react to these in a different manner. The question is how willing are you to do it on yourself?

If you are all set by your mind and body to go for it, then there are certain things you must know. Let’s discuss these things related to spine tattoos in detail.

How Do You Prepare for A Spine Tattoo? [7 Important Things]

Careful consideration is required before you go for tattoos on your back, especially on your spine. These are precautions, pre-care, during the process, and post-care.

Check out the below 7 things you must be aware of for spine tattoos.

1. Consider the medical issues

If you have any medical condition or health-related issue, it would be wise to take an opinion about spine tattoos from your doctor.

Be honest with your tattoo artist as well as your health concerns. The incision process on the spine is a risky decision and you must be physically fit to take up the risk.

2. Be prepared to bear the undesired and unexpected pain

Getting inked on the spine is a different experience than getting inked elsewhere on the body.

Other than incision pain, other pains include irritability, feeling of annoyance, boredom, discomfort while sitting in an uncomfortable position for too long, discomfort in sleeping during the healing process, and more. You must be prepared for these.

3. You cannot enjoy the whole process and may get bored easily

The worse part about spine tattoos is that you cannot watch yourself being inked. Those who wish to experience the tattoo process or those who are doing it for the first thing may find it disappointing.

Thus, some may find the idea of spine tattoos boring.

4. Stay hydrated and stuff well

Regardless of where you plan your tattoo on the body, you must keep yourself hydrated and well-stuffed. The process of a tattoo can be time-consuming sometimes.

The time taken may vary as per the design, method, and stencil chosen for your spine tattoo. Eat healthy and stay hydrated with water. Avoid boozing and smoking for a few days before and after your tattoo.

5. Keep a close check on any sort of infection

Spine tattoos have higher risks of catching up with the infection as most of the time they are left unattended or being ignored due to difficulty in approach.

We suggest you don’t do that. Have someone keep a constant check on your spine tattoo especially during the healing process. For any changes noticed by them, they must take you to your tattoo artist.  

6. Prepare yourself for the disturbed sleep pattern

Prepare yourself for a disturbed sleep pattern. It is obvious when you do a spine tattoo, your tattoo artist will advise you to sleep on your belly.

If you are not habitual of this, you will feel irritable and experience disturbed sleep patterns due to disturbed sleep positions. Those who have the passion and craze for a tattoo may have already ignored this point.

7. You can only enjoy the tattoo from the mirror

This is the saddest part about spine tattoos as you cannot see them always with your own eyes. You may either have a picture clicked or watch it reverse in the mirror.

Most people go for spine tattoos with an objective for others to read or watch them. It could be a social message or a dedication to just someone special.

How Much Does It Hurt to Get a Spine Tattoo?

This is the most common query that tattoo artists receive from their clients. Neck and spine areas are considered to be the most painful for tattoos.

It is because these are sensitive areas. However, you need to remember that people experience pain differently. Moreover, the level of pain may vary as per the age and gender too.

Tattoo pain as shared commonly by most people includes:

  • Burning sensation
  • Dull pain the background throughout the process
  • Feeling of ant-bite
  • Scratching pain
  • Sharp pain
  • Stinging pain
  • Vibrating pain and more…

The process of tattoo involves a needle incision or piercing. That is how they insert the tattoo pigment with the support of the needles.

You can also discuss with your tattoo artist about the level of pain as they will personally see you and guess your strength according to your body statistics.

How much does a tattoo artist charge for spine tattoo?

Most tattoo artists will charge you $100 approximately and this is the least. Prominent and high experienced may have increased rates that shoot up to $150 per hour.

The charges for spine tattoos may vary depending on the size and color used too. Some tattoos even cost you up to $450.

Let’s put it this way, the more intricate your design is, the higher it will cost you.

Some tattoo artists charge you as per the design, some on the basis of hours spent, while the rest look at other factors such as the technique used, colors used, size, and details.

It would be wise to clear everything in relation to cost and budget with your tattoo artist before they begin the process. Don’t leave any doubts in your mind.

What To Wear When Getting A Spine Tattoo?

If you intend to do a tattoo on your lower back/spine, wearing a loose top is ideal. A loose t-shirt or camisole will do the job too.

The objective is to wear anything that can be easily pulled up to begin the tattoo process. If you intend to do the tattoo on the whole spine or full back, we suggest women wear a bikini top, and men go for a vest or sit topless.

Bikini tops go best with full spine or full-back tattoos as these are easy to tie and untie while you are laying down for the tattoo.

Wear anything that doesn’t put pressure on your belly such as jeans with hard buttons or trousers with a belt as you may anyway be asked to remove it. Lying with your belly with these will only make it uncomfortable and uneasy.

Recommended clothes to wear when getting a spine tattoo:

Can You Wear a Bra After a Spine Tattoo?

We suggest not wearing a bra immediately after a spine tattoo. A tattoo is like a fresh wound until it heals completely.

Thus, anything that obstructs it to breathe will spoil the fresh pigment. If you have no choice but to wear a bra, then you must position it in a manner that doesn’t come in contact with your spine or back tattoo.

There are several other reasons why tattoo artists do not suggest wearing a bra after a spine tattoo:

It will ruin your tattoo design:

As we discussed that tattoos can be ruined if you wear a bra on them. The bra can rub the scabs and scrape off the design. This can also lead to infection. Even if you wear a good bra, it can hinder the healing process of your tattoo.

Bras can irritate your tattooed skin:

The skin around the tattoo becomes too sensitive. Thus, even a sudden or small touch of the cloth/strap can irritate the skin.

Sometimes, the irritation gets so worse that you cannot help but itch. This can be very risky for your tattoo and the surrounding skin.

If you still find the need to wear a bra post spine tattoo, follow the below tips:

1. Leave the tattoo area open

A sports bra or bikini bra can help you leave the area open. Such bras give you support and at the same time do not become a stalker to your tattoo.

2. Take support of a tape

Use tape to hold the position of your bra if straps fail to work. That way you can keep your tattoo intact and let your spine heal naturally with no irritability.

3. Keep the area clean always

Tattoos can affect you in several ways if you fail to treat them well. Your tattoo area has to be clean and moist. You must wear strapless and clean bras always.

Even though your bra may not touch your tattoo directly, the bacteria present in the clothes that we wear can spread the infection in the surrounding area too reaching the tattoo.

Our Recommendations:

How Do You Take Care of a Spine Tattoo?

A spine tattoo is likely to heal in 10 to 14 days. Once your tattoo is healed, you can stop washing it with the antibacterial soap advised by your tattoo artist. The spine is one area where you cannot reach by yourself.

Although your tattoo artist will cover your tattoo with a layer of petroleum jelly and bandage, you will have to remove the bandage after 24 hours.

There are more tips to follow as a post-care process for spine tattoo:

  1. You must wash the area with antibacterial soap and mild water. Gently wash the area and pat dry after removing the bandage.
  2. Apply a layer of petroleum jelly or an antibacterial cream as advised by your tattoo artist. Avoid covering the tattoo with any bandage this time and henceforth.
  3. Wash your tattoo area at least twice a day and repeat step 2.

Repeat these steps for at least 2 weeks until your spine tattoo is completely healed. Take the post-care instructions carefully from your tattoo artist and follow them sincerely.

Our Recommendations:

Final Comments:

Leaving the risks and precautions aside, spine tattoos can be really exciting! One who does it keeps it for life.

Get all your doubts and concerns about spine tattoos cleared by your tattoo artist as well. Discussing it over will only help you make a confident decision on spine tattoos.