How to Take Care of Your New Foot Tattoo, According to Derms

tattooed feet on dock overlooking water

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Whether you're already boasting a constellation of body art or this is your fist time navigating the tattoo process, the intricacies of foot tattoo aftercare are worth brushing up on. Not all tattoos are created equal, and neither are the methods required to heal them properly. Foot tattoos in particular are notoriously sensitive and err on the more lengthy, and painful, end of healing process spectrum.

"Wounds that occur below the knee, and especially below the ankle, are some of the slowest to heal," says double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp. "Part of the reason is because circulation is potentially slower as a result of gravity and changes that occur to the valves in veins that prevent backflow. Less oxygenation of tissue can slow a wound’s ability to heal."

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lauren Penzi adds the presence of thicker skin, greater propensity to moisture and/or sweat, constant friction of socks and shoes rubbing, and the high level of movement in the area to the reasons why the foot is one of the more difficult places for tattoos to heal.

Luckily, we've got you covered with some of the best foot tattoo healing tips—straight from the experts themselves. Read on for 11 foot tattoo aftercare tips and considerations.

Meet the Expert

Healing Is Correlated to Size

The size of your tattoo will have a direct effect on how painful your foot will feel after getting tattooed. If you’re just getting something small like the size of a large coin or less, your healing will probably be pretty easy as long as you keep it clean and try not to wear shoes for a couple of weeks. On the other hand, if you’re getting something larger that spans across a good portion of your foot, that’s when you’ll really need to pay close attention to your new body art.

Take It Easy

Some minor bruising is normal for the first few days after getting tattooed. It may not hurt much the day of the tattoo, but the following day can be rather brutal. Even if it doesn’t hurt, you should go home and immediately apply ice to your tattoo after you leave the shop. Put your feet up and read, play video games; whatever it takes to distract you from wanting to get up and move around too much. If you insist on being up and about after getting your foot inked, you’re likely going to pay dearly for it the next day. It's not recommended to wash or apply any ointments to your tattoo on this first day. Just give it some time to calm down. 

Byrdie Tip

If you went to a clean, reputable artist, then they already washed it and applied ointment before sending you out the door, and you should be fine until the following morning.

Expect Swelling

Foot swelling is usually due to water retention and poor circulation. People who have a disorder that slows blood circulation have the highest risk of severe foot swelling. Drink lots of water (at least a gallon a day), and your body will allow you to flush the water instead of storing it. Feel free to elevate your feet and apply ice as needed—you may need to do this for an hour a day for a week, and that’s okay.

Get the Blood Pumping

Even while you’ve got your feet elevated, it’s important to maintain good circulation. "Blood circulation in the feet and legs is dependent on the leg muscles helping to pump it back to the heart," explains Camp. "Keeping active, which doesn’t necessarily mean running a 5K, can help improve blood flow. Leg elevation or sleeping with your foot on a pillow can help prevent blood from pooling in the foot or lower leg." Proper blood flow and oxygen distribution play a huge role in how quickly your tattoo will heal. Do leg pumps, leg lifts, crunches, arm lifts and anything else you can do to get your heart beating even while reclining.

Only Tattoo One Foot at a Time

If you plan on getting both feet tattooed, don’t do them both at the same time. You’ll want to have at least one foot that isn’t uncomfortable to walk around on. Once any major swelling and pain have subsided, then you can go ahead and get work done on the other foot. 

Wash Carefully

When it’s time to start washing your foot tattoo, it’s important to be gentle. "Treat the wound on your foot the same as you would a cut on your skin," says Camp. "But keep in mind that it may require more attention as foot injuries can take longer to heal."

Using only your hand, apply a small amount of non-scented, chemical-free mild cleanser to the tattoo and slowly work the cleanser into the skin with a circular motion. Rinse with cool water. While you’re washing your tattoo, you may feel something slimy on the surface—that’s plasma, and you’ll want to be sure that it’s completely gone before you’re finished washing. Keep applying cool water and making circular motions with your hand until you don’t feel the slippery plasma anymore. As your tattoo artist will likely tell you, if you don’t get rid of the plasma, it dries on the surface of your skin and scabs.

Keep It Moist

Once your tattoo is clean, you’ll need to apply something to keep it moist, either an ointment or a lotion. It’s pretty much a matter of preference as long as you make sure whatever you use doesn’t have any fragrance or harsh chemicals. The presence of petrolatum as an ingredient has been debated for years on whether or not it can actually draw ink away from the tattoo, but lots of the moisturizers tattoo artists recommend have it in them. Personal experiences and observations indicate that a small amount of petrolatum is okay (straight petroleum jelly, however, isn’t) and that it’s the overuse of those products that usually cause the problem. People tend to want to slather the stuff on way too thick, and that’s when ink loss is caused. So, this is our rule for ointment/moisturizer application: apply a thin coat, rub in well with your fingers, and then take a clean paper towel and dab off whatever remains. Your tattoo shouldn’t look glossy when you’re done.

Key Ingredients

Petroleum jelly is composed of natural mineral oils and waxes. It helps seal in moisture, soothe cuts, and accelerate the skin healing process.

Put Away the Closed-Toed Shoes

Proper tattoo aftercare sometimes requires sacrifice. Once you get a foot tattoo, wearing closed-toed shoes is off limits for at least a couple of weeks. That means you probably won’t want to get it done in the middle of winter. There are two major reasons why shoes are bad for a healing tattoo: One is that the shoe creates friction against the surface of the foot, which can cause irritation or even remove some of the tattoo ink, leaving you with a faded tattoo. The other major problem is that it suffocates the tattoo, building up sweat and not allowing it to breathe. The combination of sweat, irritation, and lack of air is the perfect environment for bacteria and infection.

If you have a job or participate in activities that require you to wear restrictive shoes every day, then a foot tattoo might not be a good idea—unless you can do it during vacation time when you have at least two weeks to kick (and keep) your shoes off. 

Avoid Swimming

Timing also has to be considered if you’re a swimmer. You have to be able to stay out of the water for at least two weeks, so you'd need to work that around your swimming schedule. "Avoid swimming in a lake, ocean, or river until your tattoo heals because of the risk of infection," adds Camp.

Protect From Sun Exposure

The same applies to vacationers and lifeguards who sit in the sun and could be called to enter the water, both of which are bad for any new tattoo. "Don’t ignore the sun in the fall or winter," Camp continues. "Make sure to protect your tattoo from fading by protecting it from the sun."

Know When to See a Doctor

Swelling, redness, bruising, and pain are all normal for foot tattoos during the first few days. If any of these side effects haven’t subsided after four or five days, or if they did subside but then became worse, it might be time to see a doctor. "Signs and symptoms of a skin infection include redness, swelling, pain, warmth, and drainage of pus," says Camp. "Skin infections should be treated immediately because inflammation associated with an infection can cause scarring, which could alter the appearance of the tattoo." Penzi adds fevers and chills as telltale signs of an infection.

Foot tattoos may be prone to ​bacterial invasion since they’re low to the ground and come in contact with huge concentrations of bad germs. If your feet don’t get good circulation, a small infection could turn bad very quickly. A visit to the doctor, even if you don’t have insurance, will cost you a lot less than a visit to the hospital later on.

The Final Takeaway

It usually takes about three months for a tattoo to heal. Until the healing process is finished, your tattoo is vulnerable to infection or irritation. After those first two critical weeks, you can begin to wear shoes when needed, but you still need to baby your tattoo a bit. Take your shoes off as soon as possible and then wash and treat the tattoo immediately. Keep it out of the sun as much as you can, and apply strong sunblock when you do expose your feet to the elements. Friction and UV rays can still cause serious fading, so until it’s been three months you need to be extra careful. 

With the right care, your foot tattoo is sure to look amazing for a lifetime. 

Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
  1. Cleveland Clinic. Edema. Updated October 22, 2018.

  2. American Diabets Association. Foot complications.

  3. Serup J. Medical treatment of tattoo complications. Curr Probl Dermatol. 2017;52:74-81. doi:10.1159/000450804.

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