Tattoos and weightloss

Posts: 47 Member
edited January 9 in Health and Weight Loss
right so, i may be getting a tattoo on my inner upper arm in about 6 weeks time! the only think that's making me want to push it back a couple of months is the 50lb weight loss i am trying to conquer!

I already have 5 tattoo's (small and large) but they are on my feet, wrist, neck etc and wont be hugely affected!
The tattoo I'm getting is a lot of fine lines and is very dainty looking with no strong bold lines or colour and I really really don't want to have it mess up when I've lost all the weight.

Does anybody have any tattoos in this place or have they any advice on this situation? I was going to make an appointment for 6 weeks time, obviously wont have the 50lbs off by then haha but is it worth holding off for a while?

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Replies

  • I'd wait until you'd reached your goal weight just to be on the safe side
  • Posts: 52 Member
    I would wait. You don't want a permanent saggy tattoo. Especially if its going to be detailed and dainty.
  • Posts: 3,763 Member
    I have one on my hip and it's adjusted to my weight gains and losses. A few years ago I had some health issues that caused me to lose half my body size and the tat stayed conformed to me.
  • Posts: 184 Member
    You're young so you may not have any problems but my upper arms are a hot mess after losing weight. A LOT of excess skin. Ugghhh.
  • Posts: 515 Member
    I have one on my lower back, back left shoulder, arm, and foot. They all look fantastic!
  • Posts: 1,723 Member
    I got one on my bum. So I have motivation to lose weight but on your arm I would weight u till weight loss is complete an reward yourself with a nice new tat x
  • damn, I thought this was going to be a thread about how getting ink made you lose weight...
  • Posts: 1,615 Member
    I had a discussion about this just before Christmas when I went and had my tatt done. The artist showed me a few pictures of past clients who've lost a fair bit of weight and it didn't impact what they had in the slightest.

    Youth is on your side.
  • Posts: 627 Member
    Best to wait. I have 9 myself looking to add the 10th this year.
  • Posts: 499 Member
    i have my tattoos on my arms and my weight loss has not made a difference in them at all. i've only lost 20 lbs so for but i don't have extra skin in that area/ my tattoos didn't get warped at all.
  • Posts: 621 Member
    I am a tattoo artist, so I can speak from experience. If your tattoo artist is skilled, It will not make any difference. The single most important thing while applying a tattoo is to make sure the skin is stretched as tight as possible. If your artist does that, you shouldn't have any issues with your tattoo. If they do not get a good stretch, you would have problems anyway, regardless of size.

    When you do a tattoo correctly, you make sure that the skin is saturated with the ink. So whether that skin stretches or shrinks, it will still be saturated with ink.

    Hope this helps.
  • Posts: 47 Member
    Thanks very much for all the great replies! My mum also tells me youth is on my side haha! I'm mixing cardio and weight training and toning/conditioning exercise in the hope that it keeps me from looking like I'm melting! At the same time plenty of people have lost 50lbs and havent had a huge issue with excess skin but then again some have! Hopeful ill lose this weight at a good (steady) pace so I can get it done soon rather than later!

    Thanks again everyone!
  • Posts: 398 Member
    I'd wait. The upper arm for women especially fluctuates dramatically with weight loss where other areas aren't guarded to changes in weight. Even if you didn't have saggy skin, the placement of the tattoo could move and the lines and colours could be affected with the change in surface area
  • Posts: 428 Member
    Mines on the outside of my arm, not the inside, but it hasn't been effected. Maybe just talk to you artist see what they think would be best. Maybe you could make it your reward for reaching you goal weight? And on another note, U are a braver woman than I, from where mine barely touches the under side, under your arm hurts! :)
  • Posts: 5,263 Member
    I am a tattoo artist, so I can speak from experience. If your tattoo artist is skilled, It will not make any difference. The single most important thing while applying a tattoo is to make sure the skin is stretched as tight as possible. If your artist does that, you shouldn't have any issues with your tattoo. If they do not get a good stretch, you would have problems anyway, regardless of size.

    When you do a tattoo correctly, you make sure that the skin is saturated with the ink. So whether that skin stretches or shrinks, it will still be saturated with ink.

    Hope this helps.

    This ^^^
  • None of my tattoos have changed through my weight loss but everyone's skin reacts different to weight loss. If it were me, since tattoos are an investment, I'd wait.
  • I'd wait and make it a reward for getting to your goal weight!
  • Posts: 602 Member
    This method takes two parameters. x is the scale factor in the horizontal direction and y is the scale factor in the vertical direction. So have the artist scale your x up around 25% boom!
  • Posts: 912 Member
    I had a lovley colored daisy beside my belly button that use to be about the size of a dime, but got prego and gained about 40lbs since then, now its more of a dark blob about the size of a loonie lol I would wait til you are at your goal weight, just incase
  • Posts: 873 Member
    Personally I am not tattooing anything else until I reach goal. So far they are all surviving ok...but I still have about 70 more pounds to lose and I dont want the dragon on my shoulder to eventually end up on my azz!
  • Posts: 145 Member
    I would wait that is a touchy area to get a tattoo in. I've seen them stretched and I've seen them shriveled- it's worth the wait to get the perfect tattoo and have it stay that way
  • Posts: 5,263 Member
    I would wait that is a touchy area to get a tattoo in. I've seen them stretched and I've seen them shriveled- it's worth the wait to get the perfect tattoo and have it stay that way

    Usually if they look that bad, it's because they went to a ****ty artist. A good artist will do good work that lasts, and aftercare is a big factor.

    I cannot express enough that people get what they pay for.
    143007_tattoo.jpg

    This is my newest. About $500 for 6.5 hours and I tipped him another $100. I wouldn't have paid any less but he does hook us up because my bf has over 40 hours of work in with him.

    IMG_1914.jpg
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