Are Foot Tattoos Painful and is it worth it?

Apart from having pedicures and wearing anklets, people are going an extra mile to have their feet looking unique, artistic, and attractive. The popularity of foot tattoos has risen lately, with not only celebrities setting the trend but other people also looking stunning as they showcase their amazing tattoo designs. Online social platforms like Pinterest are rife with breath-taking beautiful designs. As much as tattoos are tasteful and make the wearer feel attractive, there is one reason why many people might shy away from getting a foot tattoo. There is the matter of pain. Are foot tattoos painful? Yes, but they look great in stilettos!

Foot Tattoos are special

The Foot Anatomy

There is pain involved for that foot tattoo to look so exquisite. Remember that there is not a lot of bulky muscle or layers of fat on your feet. On the top of your foot, around the ankles and on your toes there is mostly skin on top of bone. Be prepared for some pain or at least some weird discomfort when getting a foot tattoo. If you have had a tattoo elsewhere on your body you will already know about the possibility of blood and pain. Be prepared. There are many nerve endings and capillaries (little blood vessels) in your feet just waiting to be found by your tattoo specialist.

Keeping the Ink in the Skin

Part of the tattoo process is delivering the coloured inks into the skin with needles. The capillaries of course cause bleeding. Don’t be surprised when you bleed out the color that is applied to the tattoo. Don’t be surprised if the same area needs to be done again, just to get the shading of the colours right. All those little nerve endings will be telling you to run away, so you will need to endure if you want a better result.

Design problems with Foot Tattoos

Unless you are a 2.2-metre tall pro basketballer with Size 16 feet, your foot is a relatively small canvas to work on. The artwork that you choose will be inked on a small scale. Add the constant rubbing with footwear, and it is likely that you will finish with a blob. I have seen a few smudgy tattoos on the tops of toes, years later. They look like someone forgot to wash their feet. How embarrassing!

Low Pain Tolerance? Consider Another Tattoo Location

If you have a low tolerance for pain, then you might consider putting your tattoo on another area of your body apart from your foot. It may be worth asking a friend to give you the Foot Tickle Test. You sit in a  chair with your leg outstretched. Have your friend or sister tickle various parts of your foot. If the tickling drives you nuts, you are probably not the best candidate for a foot tattoo. Pain tolerance will vary from person to person. This is why you will hear some people saying that getting inked on the foot is not so painful while others will warn against it probably because they felt a lot of pain. Even though the pain will vary, one fact remains, there is pain before you can flaunt that beautiful artwork on your foot.

What about the Bottom of the Foot Tattoos?

The bottom of the foot generally has more fatty padding on the heel and the ball of the foot. Opting to have your tattoo on the bottom of your foot will not be less painful because there are even more nerves and pain receptors. Another consideration is the risk of scarring. There is of course an increase in the risk of infection and scarring in the weeks after the tattoo is done. If you wind up with infection and scarring on the top of your foot, although unfortunate, it is not the end of the world. If you get scarring on the bottom of your foot there is a risk that you will get painful secondary corn or callus in that location – forever. Another consideration has to be….who will see the work of art unless you stick your foot up in the air. Sounds like a waste of pain and effort to me.

 Foot Tattoo Infections are Painful

I think that infection is THE greatest risk with foot tattoos. The foot is in contact with socks or footwear, the footwear is in touch with the ground and the ground is dirty.  If your dream for a foot tattoo burns brightly, there are three things you can do to reduce the risk of a foot infection. Choose the tattoo artist wisely, stay above the ankle, and follow the aftercare instructions. Foot tattoo infections can be hard to heal and very painful. A foot tattoo infection will make getting the tattoo look easy. Foot infection pain is not a place you want to go.

Foot Tattoo Aftercare

Your foot tattoo can take between 2 to 3 weeks to heal completely. Your biggest challenge is to stay infection-free. I want you to hear my voice in your head –  ‘foot touches footwear, footwear touches ground and ground is dirty‘.  You can’t blame the tattoo artist if you get this bit wrong. Here are the bits you need to get right

• No Closed Shoes

Wearing closed shoes can cause friction, irritation and even removal of some of the tattoo ink. This may blur the tattoo. Sweating inside a shoe provides an ideal environment for bacteria and infection.

• No foot soaking in water

If you are also a swimmer, then you will need to stay off the water for around two weeks. Long relaxing baths are out too. You will be able to wash the tattoo after 24 hours.

• Take It Easy

You might experience some swelling and minor bruising a couple of days after your tattoo. It is a good idea to have a day or so off work, or have your tattoo done during your vacation, that way you can stay out of shoes. Remember, don’t wash or apply any ointments to your tattoo on day one.

• Wash The Right Way

After  24-48 hours you can wash your foot tattoo. In an ideal world, you would shower your body with your foot in a plastic bag, and then wash your foot separately. A bowl of room temperature clean water, a piece of gentle cloth or gauze and gently wash. You will notice some discolouration on the cloth. Keep gently washing until the cloth is clean. Soap is not needed. Did I mention wash your hands first? It’s ok to wash your tattoo more than once a day, especially if you are out and about.

• Keep It Moist

After your tattoo is clean, apply a moisturizer to keep it moist.  A cream or lotion should be free of colour and fragrance. Slowly scabs will form. Resist the temptation to pick them off. Tattoo colour is usually better if the scabs come away in their own good time.

Foot tattoos look cool and are worth all the fuss and pain especially when everyone is admiring your tattoo. Are foot tattoos painful?  You now know there is pain and you also know how to take care of it afterward for great results. Now just look for the coolest design and go for it if you must.