I’d decided several months ago to get one, but wanted to wait until the weather was warmer. I knew I wanted one of my foot, hence the warmer weather. Before getting the tattoo, I searched the portfolios of several artists that people had recommended to me until I found one whose style was similar to what I thought I wanted. This afternoon, I took in several pics from his online portfolio and talked with him, telling him what I liked from each pic. He drew up my design on my foot with a Sharpie, then in pen. I liked what I saw.
Yes, it hurt like hell (and I have a fairly high pain tolerance). I wanted it on my foot because (1) I wanted it some place I could see, (2) wanted it some place where it could easily be covered and (3) wanted it some place where if I gained/lost weight, it wouldn’t alter the tattoo. Several people who had tattoos on their feet told me that the pain wasn’t any worse than anywhere else. They lied. Several people without tattoos on their feet told me it was the worst place pain-wise to get a tattoo. I think they may have been correct. Had the design been larger, or the artist slower, I don’t know that I’d have been able to let him finish. I’d still get it on my foot though, 'cause that’s where I wanted it, pain or no pain.
I wanted a tattoo because I decided that I’d had enough marks inflicted on my body (scars from surgeries, scars from accidents, and stretchmarks from pregnancies), that I wanted something of MY design on my body.
First of all - congrats on getting through it!
I have five tattoos, including one on my spine (that I slept through) and one behind my ear (the vibrations on my skull triggered such a headache). They were nothing compared to the tattoo I have on my foot. The pain was excruciating.
Did they warn you that what is inked on the side of your foot will fade away faster than the rest of it? It will, as your shoes will rub against it. Go shoeless as much as possible.
And how. I’m certain the discrepancy in reporting over whether or not tattoos hurt lies in the placement. I have two tattoos, one of which is on my inner wrist and hurt like all hell, and the other on my inner forearm, which felt like a day at the spa. Foot hurts, wrist hurts, and some places are meh.
I really like it! I have a tattoo on my left foot that I got when I turned 40. I love that you wanted something of your own design on your body as opposed to scars.
I like it! I wouldn’t be brave enough to get one on my foot. I have one on my left arm from shoulder to elbow, right quad, left ankle, and between shoulder blades. All together probably 19 hours in the chair. The only one that made me grit my teeth was the one on my back where it goes over my spine. I’ve considered expanding the one on my left arm, but am chicken to attempt the tender underside.
A friend of mine got a tat of Littlefoot (Land Before Time) coming out of his shell on her ankle–just after undergoing ACL surgery. She said “I have all these scars on my leg, I might as well have something I like on there, too.” Sounds similar to your feeling…
The pain of tats is so incredibly subjective. I have one on my leg and one on my chest. The leg tat is not at all insubstantial, and the artist assured me the pain would be worst on my shinbone. Nope. The shin was easy-peasy for me, but by the end the back of my calf felt like hamburger. It was raw, and it hurt.
The sternum? Not so much.
Congrats on the tat, and I hope you always love it.
I love it! I have a whole folder of tat ideas on my computer, and added yours to it. I like the foot placement, for the same reasons you listed. It’s an idea I keep casually in the back of my mind, although I may never go through with it. I just haven’t liked any particular design enough yet to get it embroidered permanently on my skin.
And yeah, very much it depends on the individual’s pain response. I have tattoos on the inside of each wrist, and the only part that really hurt was the one on my inner right wrist, because it’s a fairly solid chunk of black and the colouring always drags a bit. Otherwise both mostly just resulted in a kind of euphoric, floaty feeling. And kind of amusing when the tattooist would go over a tendon and my fingers would twitch.
Did the same as the OP - at 45 I decided it was time for a change and got a tat on my arm - Oh what a buzz - have 3 now and got another 4 planned over the next few years.
A quick plea - please treat the tattoo with a water based moisturiser, not an oil based one like vaseline. A woman I worked with years ago got a tat and ignored my advice on this, saying she’d been told to use vaseline, and the tattoo was a horrible smeared mess by the time it had healed.
The info I got from the artist said to treat it with A & D Ointment or cocoa butter, or recommended Tattoo Goo. Since I absolutely cannot stand the smell of cocoa butter, I got some A & D–but read the label and realized it has petroleum in it (which i keep hearing is a big no-no). I looked up Tattoo Goo and not only does it not have petroleum in it, apparently CVS sells it. I can apparently use it for other things once the tattoo heals.
I’m off this morning to see if my local CVS carries it.
