The key to keeping your tattoo looking great for eternity is excellent aftercare. Aftercare for tattoos on your feet can be a little more challenging than tattoos on the upper parts of your body.
If you’ve got a new foot tattoo (or are still deciding on whether you want one), here’s what you should know about supporting the healing process and keeping your art in top shape.
Think Before You Ink
A foot tattoo may not be a good fit for you if your job requires you to wear certain shoes. Form-fitting, closed-toed shoes and work boots can make the healing process a bit tough for a healing foot tattoo. They can damage (or even completely wreck) your tattoo in the first few weeks.
Since you’ll need to wear big, comfy, loose footwear, you might also want to rethink getting a foot tattoo during the colder months. New foot tattoos, big wooly socks, and snow boots don’t mix.
Wearing open-toed shoes in the snow can be dangerous. Wait until flip-flop season starts to avoid freezing your toes off. You’ll be glad you did!
Listen to Your Tattoo Artist
You want your tattoo to heal well, but your tattoo artist is even more invested in the process. They worked hard to give you the perfect tattoo, and they really care about their work and your healing.
That’s why they create aftercare instructions for you to take home after your session. Their aftercare notes are based on their real-life experience (and expert-level wound care knowledge) with helping tattoos heal. All you need to do is follow the instructions as best you can!
If you’re ever unsure about what you should do, have any questions, or think you made a mistake, call your tattoo artist. You might be thinking, “But I don’t want to bother them!” and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your artist wants you to reach out if you need help, clarification, or advice. They’d be bummed out if you didn’t shoot them a text when you needed them.
Give Yourself Permission To Relax
Gravity causes things to fall toward the floor, and your feet are your lowest extremity. It’s normal for a tattooed area to experience swelling, but people find that foot tattoos swell much more than arm tattoos. Your feet support your body weight, and gravity pulls things down, so expect a decent amount of swelling for the first few weeks.
The easiest way to help the swelling subside is to spend a fair amount of time off your feet. Maybe your foot tattoo is the perfect reason to finally give yourself a super relaxed week.
If you need to be productive, focus on tasks that allow you to sit (or lay) down. Finish reading your novel or get some studying done. Practice an instrument or organize your desk. Just make sure you don’t spend too much time on your feet.
Be Mindful of the Shoes You Choose
Your shoes and socks will rub against your feet a little bit throughout the day. This gentle rubbing is usually fine on normal skin, but tattooed skin is sensitive.
You don’t want friction to disrupt the surface of your skin as your tattoo is healing. It may lead to excess scabbing or loss of pigment in your tattoo.
Choose shoes that give your foot a little bit of space. Many people wear open-toed sandals that won’t come into contact with the tattooed area of their feet.
If you already love soft clogs, you’re in luck. Some people find large clogs to be kind of goofy, but it’s worth rethinking that verdict when you have a new tattoo on your foot.
The extra space and soft foam or rubber material can reduce friction and prevent your new tattoo from rubbing up against your shoe.
Wash Your Tattoo Very, Very Well
We’re sure you won’t be shocked to hear that your feet get sweaty and dirty. That’s their whole purpose.
Your feet interact with the ground a lot, and the ground is where most dirt and germs live. That’s why the “stinky foot” smell is so distinctive. Even when you’re wearing protective shoes, your feet are still going to get a little gross.
A little bit of dirt and a few germs won’t be a huge problem when you don’t have a fresh tattoo on your foot. Washing your socks and taking a shower will fix you right up.
When you have a new tattoo, things are a little different. Your tattoo is an open wound throughout the healing process. You don’t want dirt and germs getting into that open wound.
Our CBD foam soap is designed specifically for healing tattoos. It’s free from artificial fragrances and colors that can irritate healing skin. It’s packed with skin-nourishing and soothing ingredients like calming CBD, naturally cleansing marigold, and skin-soothing ingredients like chamomile and aloe vera.
Start Putting Sunblock on Your Feet
You’re probably most focused on getting sunblock on your face, arms, shoulders, and back because these areas of your body are most likely to get sunburned. Think about this: when did you remember applying sunblock to your feet last? It’s really easy to forget!
If you regularly wear open-toed shoes, walk barefoot on the beach, or kick your shoes off on the porch, you need to remember to put sunscreen on your feet. Even if your feet don’t get enough sun exposure to cause sunburn, they can still get enough sun exposure to cause your foot tattoo to fade.
We’ve Got Your Feet Covered
A tattoo that looks great forever starts with a great tattoo artist, but top-shelf aftercare seals the deal. Our tattoo aftercare set contains everything you need to help your foot tattoo heal beautifully.
Just make sure you’re following your artist’s aftercare instructions, washing your feet well, choosing the right shoes, and slapping on the sunblock.
Sources:
How to prevent and treat frostbite | American Academy of Dermatology
Microbial Origins of Body Odor | American Society for Microbiology
What's causing those swollen feet? | Harvard Health
Sun-damaged Skin: Photoaging, Signs, Causes & Treatment | Cleveland Clinic
