Advice for Getting Tattoos on Your Feet

[smiling.politely]

one slow day last summer, a few folks at one of the shops where i get tattooed got their toes done. there were some anti-religious ones done, and i think a set of straight edge toes. i've already got mine figured out, but it's going to be awhile.

[CaptCanada]

On our very own Rebushido

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/gallery/member/6742-tattoo-brother-indonesia.html&imageuser=1025

[Bunny Switchblade]

I have never seen a man's foot in fetish photography..hehehe

It exists....and it is mostly a gay male thing.......just since you brought it up......ha ha ha!

I posted photos of my feet one time and got all kinds of interesting comments......i should have left them up to be honest because some of them were straight up funny as shit! :)

[buterflikises]

Hi! I'm buterflikises...I want to get an 'adoption symbol' tattoo on the top of my foot and I am not sure how big it should be. It is basically just a triangle with a heart. Just needing a little help on what the smallest dimensions and largest dimensions should be. Thanks a bunch and sorry to anyone that may think this is pointless but it is very important to me.

[SeeSea]

Hi! I'm buterflikises...I want to get an 'adoption symbol' tattoo on the top of my foot and I am not sure how big it should be. It is basically just a triangle with a heart. Just needing a little help on what the smallest dimensions and largest dimensions should be. Thanks a bunch and sorry to anyone that may think this is pointless but it is very important to me.

Welcome to LST! Talk to an artist and they can advise you what would be the best size for your particular foot. It's hard for someone to make a guess without seeing the design itself, your foot, etc.

Also, please head on over to the Initiation thread and create a new thread and introduce yourself and pose your question there - many more folks will see your post there. Then all your responses will be together.

Initiation | New to Last Sparrow Tattoo | Last Sparrow Tattoo

[pidjones]

I have observed a few things about foot tattoos - a foot tattoo will not make a not-so-pretty foot suddenly pretty - think about it, and PLEASE! have a good pedicure before taking photos to post! Personally, I'll never have several parts of my body tattooed because they are pretty ugly (bad varicose veins for one) and I know the tattoo will not improve them, thus possibly detracting from what may have been an otherwise awesome tattoo!

[sighthound]

^^ haha, I can totally agree on the take care of your nasty feet part. Can only imagine what the artist is goes through while tattooing.

[Fala]

And foot tattoos do not necessarily age well.

[joakim urma]

I don't think you need to be all that careful with feet really, from experience. What I can recommend however is to take some kind of pain relief-medication that also combats swelling and infection for the first 2-3 days. Also, as soon as you are in a place where you can walk barefoot: do so, take of the socks and wash and cream.

[Colored Guy]

I have one foot tattoo from 2005 that healed badly and wound up being infected. I had to wait for it heal to get it touched up. But it didn't really hurt that much. I need the other one done.

I do get a pedicure now and then, feels great. If I go to the foot doctor for an ingrown toenail, the co-pay is $40. Pedicure at the local nail salon is $18 with the tip, do the math and my feet look great.

[marley mission]

I have one foot tattoo from 2005 that healed badly and wound up being infected. I had to wait for it heal to get it touched up. But it didn't really hurt that much. I need the other one done.

I do get a pedicure now and then, feels great. If I go to the foot doctor for an ingrown toenail, the co-pay is $40. Pedicure at the local nail salon is $18 with the tip, do the math and my feet look great.

[Metfly]

I have observed a few things about foot tattoos - a foot tattoo will not make a not-so-pretty foot suddenly pretty - think about it, and PLEASE! have a good pedicure before taking photos to post! Personally, I'll never have several parts of my body tattooed because they are pretty ugly (bad varicose veins for one) and I know the tattoo will not improve them, thus possibly detracting from what may have been an otherwise awesome tattoo!

LOL totally agree.

I actually agree with keeping some sort of compression to keep the swelling down but on the other hand the heat that it generates could cause an infection. It's a catch 22.

[Watauga]

I'm concerned about socks and healing. Any tips or advice?

[Lathena]

I want my feet done but I'm terrified! Lol. So far that's the only thing I'm worried about getting done.

[Synesthesia]

I'm concerned about socks and healing. Any tips or advice?

I had one of mine done the summer between my senior year of high school and my first year of college. I didn't have a job at the time so walking around in flip flops for a few days was no problem. I think your foot would probably be fine in socks as long as you change them frequently and take them off whenever you get a chance to let the area breathe. Putting a strip of Saniderm/Tegaderm/etc would work great for keeping the tattoo from sticking (just do a test spot to make sure you're not allergic). I always re-wrap my new tattoos in plastic wrap for the first night or two (because I'm too cheap and lazy to get the previously mentioned products when I only really need them to minimize leaking/bleeding in my sleep) and that's also fine as long as you change it frequently and wash the area often. After a couple days, the bleeding/oozing and swelling will start to get more under control so it won't be such a big deal by then. I would just take a couple days off work if you can and really baby it at home.

Feet tattoos suck and it says a lot that 6 years later, I still don't have the other one done...

[sighthound]

The feet did suck, but don't psych yourself out and you'll be fine.

For healing, if I was just going to be around the house then I didn't put anything on it - just cleaned it every 3 or 4 hours and kept it dry. If I needed to go out and wear socks and shoes, etc., I re-wrapped it with a breathable bandage and then did an ankle wrap with gauze tape under the sock. Keeps the swelling down and everything clean.

Healed fine and still look as good as the day I got them. Of all my tattoos, they always get the most compliments (when they're exposed).

[Baboom]

I recently had one of my feet done. My experience was pretty painful but not unbearable while getting tattooed. After my session I applied tegaderm to the entire tattoo. There was quite a bit of swelling as well as seepage under the derm. On the second day during my shower the tagederm was infiltrated by water. At that point I decided to heal it the old fashion way with frequent washing and aquaphor. I guess it a good time to note that I had a total of three days off work after getting tattooed. I had some pretty significant swelling he first day and a half so I iced and elevated.

I have the luxury of wearing crocs at work so I took full advantage once I returned to work. The loose fitwas key for me. I also applied aquaphor and covered with telfa (a nonadhesive sterile dressing) to the top of my foot during work hours. Having the telfa as a barrier not only provided me with a piece of mind but also allowed me to keep my tattoo moist during work hours. Once off work I would wash, air dry then apply a thin layer of aquaphor for about 5 days until the peeling started. Once I started peeling I switch over to your standard  unscented lotion. 

Hope this helps.

[SStu]

For most people the top and sides of the feet hurt more than most other places on the body. I can't even fathom getting the bottoms done. 

Any good tattooer will be as good on the top and sides of the feet as elsewhere. 

What style are you looking for?