How to Care for a Tattoo on Your Foot

People opting to get tattoos on their feet should know in advance that there is a chance that the ink on a foot tattoo will migrate. This means that the tattoo design spreads around the skin. Ask the tattoo artist about his touch-up policy and, if satisfied, choose a design that is simple.

Take Special Precautions With Your Foot Tattoo

• 1

  Allow a tattoo to heal for a few weeks, which is imperative. During this time, do not allow anything to come into contact with the tattoo or rub against it. However, this is difficult to accomplish when you get inked on your foot because of shoes. Ideally, you should not wear shoes or socks for a couple of weeks after getting a foot tattoo, according to Rankmytatoos.com. Because feet rub against socks and shoes, a foot tattoo is more apt to become infected than a tattoo placed elsewhere on your body. If possible, go barefoot for three or four days after getting a good tattoo. Wear loose-fitting sandals.

• 2

  Realize the risk of infection when getting any tattoo, but even more so when you get a foot tattoo. According to Tattoo-designs-4u.com, when you get a tattoo, there is always the possibility of viral agents and bacteria entering the body, resulting in infection because the skin has been opened. Foot tats require extra attention because the foot is always moving, which increases the risk of the tattoo bumping into something. The area of the skin where the body art has been placed has been broken and needs to be protected until it has time to heal. Cover the tattoo with ointment and bandages. The tattoo artist should provide you with specific directions regarding washing of the area, subsequent application of protective ointment and prevention of fading.

• 3

  Maintaining dry feet is important because sweat can dilute the color of the body art. Realize that if a tattoo is placed on the bottom of the foot, ink will wear off quickly because you are walking on it.