With the popularity of tattooing on the rise you will get advice from anyone and everyone, so what is the best care for your new tattoo?
You can download the tattoo after care sheet from Here
We recommend using Hustle Butter. Many of our clients use Hustle Butter as this is 100% vegan and a replacement for all petroleum-based products. We also use it in the studio as a tattoo lubricant BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the tattoo process. It is also used by most tattoo parlors these days. These are recommended over basic moisturisers as they are longer lasting and aid in the healing process, especially Hustle Butter which has been specifically created for the tattoo industry.
The popularity of hand and foot tattoos are on the rise. Perhaps due to celebrities getting them and showing them off or possibly just because of the way they look, more and more people are looking into getting tattoos on their hands or feet. There are certain things you should be aware of before making the commitment to a piece in these locations.
First of all, is the most common question asked in tattoo shops around the world; does it hurt? In regards to foot tattoos, the answer is yes. In reality the answer is yes to all tattoos but the foot is more intense. Generally, a tattoo tends to hurt more on areas where there is less padding provided by muscle, bringing the bones and tendons closer to the surface. This causes the vibrations of the tattoo machine to resonate though those parts making the sensations more intense.
Next is the commitment to healing that you will need to make. The skin regenerates faster on your feet causing potential issues with ink rejecting during the healing process as well as premature spreading in the lines. It is best to heal your foot by keeping it uncovered. Shoes that do not touch the top of your foot such as sandals, flip-flops and ballet flats are the best. Unfortunately, this is not an option for everybody.
Some of us have to cover our entire foot for work, be it in an office, medical facility or other environment that uncovered feet are not acceptable.
There is always the chance of infection when you make an opening in your skin such as a cut, scrape or puncture. A tattoo is essentially a scrape. It may not look like an open wound, but it is and should be treated as such.
Foot tattoos may have a greater chance of infection due to the proximity with the ground and diligent care should be taken to protect your tattoo from becoming excessively dirty and to wash it multiple times a day to keep it clean. Do not soak it though.
Swelling is also an issue. Many people are surprised by the amount a tattoo can swell, especially in an area like a foot. Elevation for the first few days can help along with use of anti-inflammatory OTCs such as ibuprofen. Just follow the instructions on the packaging.
There can also be an issue with the ink spreading in the tattoo during and after healing. All tattoos spread with time. Foot tattoos can spread faster than other areas. Generally, it is best to keep the tattoo to the top of the foot as this holds the ink best. The closer you get to the sole of your foot, the more the lines will spread. Tattoos on the toes can also have ink loss from the flexing of the skin.
Hand tattoos are similar to foot tattoos in that they tend be more sensitive, more likely to lose ink during healing and more prone to infection. In addition to these factors, there is one other issue that needs to taken into account prior to getting a hand tattoo, prejudice.
There is still a small portion of our society that looks down on hand tattoos. Many employers will not even consider a potential employee if they have tattoos that are not easily covered.
If there is any doubt whether your job will allow it, always ask. Also make sure that you are in a career which will allow it. It is one thing to have a job with a hand tattoo but if you change job, think long and hard on it.
Most people would not want to see a hand tattoo on their surgeon, solicitor, etc. If your future plans include a mainstream upscale career, they probably won’t include a hand tattoo.
Like the foot, you will need to keep your hands clean and apply the aftercare cream as instructed by your tattooist. If your job includes wearing gloves, you will likely have to wrap your fresh tattoo, unwrapping it at each glove change and re-wrapping it when you need to glove up again. Yep, it may be a pain in the neck, but having a poorly healed hand tattoo is worse.
Don’t be surprised if you need to get your hand or foot tattoo touched up after it heals. This can be normal with the chances increasing the farther down the sides you go. Areas such as the heel of your hand, the palm and the sides of fingers can be very difficult to get ink to stay, if at all. There as techniques that an experienced tattooist can use to increase the chances of the ink staying in these areas. It can take longer to do the tattoo and it may be more intense but it can reduce the amount of touch up needed.
