When it comes to weight loss, the biggest changes in the composition of your tattoo will be in its size and location on your body. For instance, if you got a tattoo on the side of your thigh, then lost a considerable amount of weight, the positioning of that tattoo might no longer be the same.
Losing weight slowly is key to keeping a tattoo intact. With rapid weight loss, the skin can't keep up because it doesn't have time to naturally contract as your body shrinks. This can result in excessive, saggy and wrinkled skin. As you can imagine, this will affect your tattoo.
Smaller tattoos will suffer different physical changes than larger ones, though both will be affected. When you lose a sizable amount of weight, quickly the elasticity of the skin may not adjust along with the weight loss. This extra skin will distort the tattoo.
Over time, the skin loses elasticity and collagen, which can cause tattoos to appear smaller or distorted. The loss of collagen and elastin leads to sagging skin and wrinkles, which can change the placement of the tattoo and cause it to look smaller.
We found that 63 percent of people with a tattoo smaller than the palm of their hand regret it. However, only 2 percent of people with full-sleeves or longer, regret their tattoo. Perhaps that's because people with full-sleeves or longer spent more time thinking about it.
Until the surface of the tattoo is healed (at a minimum of two to three weeks), wash the area gently 2-3 times per day. After cleaning the tattoo during this two to three week period, gently apply a thin coat of a lotion-based care product. We recommend After Inked tattoo moisturizer and aftercare lotion.
When tattoos are placed over a muscle, the tattoo may stretch if you subsequently increase the muscle mass in that area. Moderate muscle growth should not have any noticeable effect upon a tattoo. However, sudden or significant muscle growth may damage the design and ink of the tattoo.
Choosing the Right Location for the Tattoo
The location of a tattoo can also play a role in whether or not it stretches over time. Areas of the body that are prone to stretching, such as the stomach, chest, arms, and legs, may require touch-ups or even complete redrawing over time to maintain their original appearance.
Simply stated, yes, it is safe to tattoo over stretch marks. It is important to know that your skin may be more sensitive in and around the area of your stretch marks.
It depends on a few factors. First, it depends on where on your body you get the tattoo since certain body parts stretch more than others. For example, getting a tattoo on your belly has a much higher chance of stretching with weight fluctuations than if you get a tattoo on your wrist.
In areas with a lot of fat, the skin can be more loose and bouncy, which can make it more difficult for the tattoo artist to achieve a precise, clean line. Additionally, fat can also shift and move over time, causing the tattoo to stretch or become distorted.
Tattoos can stretch and change shape, especially when it comes to more intricate patterns. The brittleness of aging skin may cause stretch marks and damage tattoo design. To avoid these consequences, increases in fat percentage should ideally be kept at a slow pace.
The upper back region around the trapezius, below the neck, and around posterior deltoids all provide a stretch-free (for the most part) canvas.
As we age and our skin becomes more pliable, so the lines and edges of tattoos can blur, Zoeller says. "Tattoos fade because we are human and we age," she says. "Skin will wrinkle and sag, which affects the appearance of tattoos. All tattoos will soften and spread on the skin over time.
Here are the most and least painful spots to get inked. Tattoo pain will vary depending on your age, sex, and pain threshold. The most painful spots to get a tattoo are your ribs, spine, fingers, and shins. The least painful spots to get a tattoo are your forearms, stomach, and outer thighs.
Tattoos that age well tend to be done on bony areas, regions where wrinkles are less likely to form and you tend to store minimal body storing fat.
Inner Forearm.
This is proven to be the best area to get a tattoo when it comes to aging. This area does not frequently change in size, so the tattoo never stretches. Tattoos in this area practically never look aged.
Although strenuous physical activity should be avoided for a minimum of 48 to 72 hours after getting a new tattoo, depending on the location and size of the tattoo, low-intensity exercise may be possible within 24 hours after getting the new tattoo.
Thigh tattoos tend to age well because they're on a flatter part of your body and they don't get as much exposure to the sun.
The fresh ink needs to stay moisturized to protect it from cracking and bleeding. So how often should you be moisturizing your new tattoo? As a general rule, it is recommended that you moisturize your tattoo 2-3 times a day, which is every 8 - 12 hours a day.
The rule of thumb is to moisturize your new tattoo at least 2-3 times per day for the first two weeks (or until the healing process is complete). Many tattoo enthusiasts continue to moisturize their tattoos every day! As for what type of moisturizer to use, lotion is generally the best.
"During the healing process, you should moisturize your tattoo three to six times a day," Ladna says. "Keeping your tattoo hydrated during the initial days is especially critical. If your tattoo becomes too dry, the healing may actually take longer, and you may risk losing color saturation."