Are stomach tattoos a good idea? 10 Crucial things you need to know
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Thinking of getting a stomach tattoo but need more information before you take the plunge? Are they worth the pain and cost and will they still look good in five years time? Are stomach tattoos a good idea?
Stomach tattoos are a powerful statement but are they a good idea? Stomach tattoos look amazing. They can disguise scars or stretch marks and flatter the body shape. However, they may stretch with age and pregnancy and ink can blur under the skin over time or if you put on weight. They are a painful body part to tattoo which you need to consider before starting.
In this blog post, we will take a look at everything you need to know about getting a stomach tattoo. We will discuss the pros and cons, and help you decide if this is the right decision for you. So, if you’re thinking of getting stomach ink, keep reading!
Are stomach tattoos a good idea?
Are stomach tattoos a good idea? That’s a question that many people are asking themselves these days. While there are no right or wrong answers, it’s important to think carefully before getting any kind of tattoo.
Stomach tattoos can be particularly tricky because they’re often large, painful, visible, and can be difficult to cover up if you change your mind later on. They are a big commitment, So before you make any decisions, look through this list of 10 things to think about so that you won’t regret your decision.
1 – The Benefits of Stomach Tattoos
There are many reasons why people choose to get this tattoo placement. Here are some of the most popular ones:
- Stomach tattoos can be very flattering, especially if you have a toned stomach. They can help accentuate your curves and show off your hard work at the gym!
- If you have stretch marks or scars on your stomach, a tattoo can help cover them up and make you feel more confident in your body.
- Stomach tattoos can be a great way to express yourself. Whether you want a large and intricate design or something small and simple, there are endless possibilities when it comes to stomach tattoos.
2 – The Drawbacks of Stomach Tattoos
Of course, there are also some drawbacks to getting an abdomen tattoo. Here are some things to consider before you make your decision:
- The pain. There’s no getting around it – stomach tattoos are definitely one of the more painful spots to get a tattoo. If you’re not good with pain, this may not be the right choice for you.
- The cost. Stomach tattoos are often large and intricate, which means they can be quite expensive. Make sure you’re prepared to spend the money before you commit to a stomach tattoo.
- The healing process. Because stomach tattoos are located on a sensitive area of your body that gets rubbed easily, the healing process can be tricky. You need to make sure you’re following all the aftercare instructions to avoid infection.
3 – Do stomach tattoos stretch?
One of the most common questions people ask about stomach tattoos is whether or not they will stretch. The answer is – it depends. If you gain a significant amount of body weight, there’s a chance that your tattoo will stretch and become distorted. However, if you maintain a healthy weight, your tattoo should be fine.
However, You do also need to bear in mind future possibilities such as pregnancy and aging which we will discuss further below.
You may like to take a look at this post which discusses how tattoos change if you lose or gain weight. Should I wait to get a tattoo until I lose weight?
Or this post > Do tattoos stretch when you get fat
4 – Can you get a Stomach tattoo over stretch marks?
This is another common question and the answer is yes, you can get a tattoo over your stretch marks. Many people choose to do this as it can help cover up their stretch marks and make them feel more confident in their bodies.
However, it’s important to know that tattooing over stretch marks is not straightforward. The looser skin where the stretch marks are located has been damaged and the deep layers of the dermis have split and separated.
This means that the skin over stretch marks doesn’t take the ink as well as tighter skin that hasn’t suffered from stretch marks. It is also more likely to suffer a tattoo blowout
You need to bear this in mind when you choose a design. Small delicate and detailed designs won’t work well to cover stretch marks. Thin delicate lines will just blur and won’t hold well. You need to choose a bolder design in order to cover stretch marks well. Organic designs like flowers and foliage work well too.
If you’re thinking of getting a stomach tattoo over your stretch marks, we recommend discussing it with your tattoo artist first. They will be able to advise you on the best course of action and whether or not it’s a good idea for your specific case.
Choose a tattoo artist that has experience of covering stretch marks with a stomach tattoo and ask to see photos of their work before committing.
5 – Stomach Tattoos and Pregnancy
If you’re thinking of getting a stomach tattoo, it’s important to bear in mind that any future pregnancy can affect it.
During pregnancy, your stomach skin expands as your baby grows. This can cause the skin around your tattoo to stretch and distort the design. In some cases, the ink can even spread and become blurred.
Even when your stomach shrinks back after you have had the baby, I hate to say it but the skin is never really the same again in most cases. It is slacker and softer and possibly has stretch marks. This is especially true around the belly button. This change can impact your tattoo and leave it softer with blurred areas.
Some people will find that their stomach tattoos bounce back perfectly well after pregnancy but others may find their stomach tattoo is damaged after giving birth.
If you’re thinking of getting a stomach tattoo and are planning to get pregnant, it’s best to wait until after you’ve had a baby. This way, you can be sure that the design won’t be affected by your pregnancy.
Alternatively, choose a design that focuses more on the sides of the stomach and hips which are less likely to be affected by pregnancy.
6 – Stomach tattoos and ageing
When you are young it’s hard to project into the future and how your tattoos will look in 5, 10, or 50 years time and for the rest of your life. However, with stomach tattoos, it’s really important to give this some consideration.
As you age, your skin loses elasticity and firmness. The stomach is unfortunately one area of the body that doesn’t tend to hold up well when you age. You may have a six-pack now but as you head towards middle age, sadly this is often not the case.
The stomach is one of the areas that tends towards fat storage and sagging. This stretching and sagging can cause stomach tattoos to sag and become distorted.
Again, the design you choose will play a part in how well your tattoo ages. Small delicate designs are more likely to suffer from this than bolder designs. You might want to consider a design that is less detailed and has thicker lines to avoid this problem.
If you’re worried about your stomach tattoo aging well, it’s best to discuss it with your tattoo artist. They will be able to advise you on the best designs for your specific case.
7 – Are stomach tattoos painful?
One of the most common questions people ask about stomach tattoos is whether they are painful.
The truth is that everyone experiences levels of pain differently and there is no way to know for sure how much it will hurt until you experience it yourself. However, in general, stomach tattoos are considered to be one of the more painful tattoo spots.
This is because the stomach is a sensitive area of the body and there are a lot of nerve endings in this area. The pain level can also be affected by how close the tattoo is to your rib cage or hip bone. The closer it is to these, the more it will hurt.
Another issue is that you need to move your stomach to breathe. A lot of clients worry about this and end up holding their breath unconsciously.
This interferes with their ability to manage pain [deep breathing is a key way to cope with pain] and can end up with them finding the experience uncomfortable.
It sounds easy to say “remember to breathe” but it’s harder than you think when you are having a belly tattoo.
If you have a low pain threshold, you may want to consider another area of the body for your tattoo. Alternatively, you can discuss pain management options with your tattoo artist. They may be able to recommend ways to help reduce the pain.
If you are worried about tattoo pain you may want to take a look at this post
Tattoo Pain Chart and 10 Tips To Minimise Your Pain
Women feel pain differently to men so there is a pain chart for women too. Tattoo Pain Chart Female
8 – How can I make my stomach tattoo hurt less?
This tattoo is quite a painful location. However, there are a few things you can do to try and reduce the levels of pain.
1 – Relax
Firstly, it’s important to relax as much as possible. Tensing up your muscles will make the experience more painful. Try and take slow deep breaths to help you relax. I know this is tricky when getting a belly tattoo as you are worried about moving but you can do it. The artist will move with you as they will be resting on your belly.
Taking some relaxing music to listen to on headphones can really help
2 – Ask about numbing cream.
You can ask your tattoo artist about numbing cream. This can help to take the edge off the pain. However, often it isn’t possible to use numbing cream on a larger tattoo such as this. It can make the skin very difficult to tattoo.
You need to talk to your artist as they may not use numbing cream and if you turn up with it ready applied at your tattoo appointment they may refuse to tattoo you.
You can find out more about the pros and cons of using numbing cream in this article.
Can I Use Numbing Cream Before A Tattoo?
3 – Take over-the-counter painkillers
You can try taking over-the-counter painkillers such as Tylenol or Paracetamol before your tattoo session. This can help to reduce the pain. However, it’s important to check with your tattoo artist before taking anything as some painkillers can thin your blood and this can interfere with the tattooing process.
4 – Get the tattoo in stages.
You might want to consider getting your stomach tattoo in stages. This means having the outline done first and then coming back at a later date to have the color filled in. This can help to make the experience more bearable as it’s not one long session.
5 – Get a good sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep before your tattoo session will help you to cope much better with your tattoo session. Tattooing hurts much more when you are tired or hungover.
6 – Schedule a Morning Session
Trying to schedule your tattoo session for the morning can also help. This is because your pain tolerance is generally higher in the morning than it is at night so you will be able to cope better.
Take a look at this post for more information on how to cope with tattoo pain:
9 – How much do stomach tattoos cost?
The cost of a stomach tattoo will depend on various factors such as the size, complexity, and location of the design. In general, stomach tattoos tend to be on the larger side and this will impact the price.
Tattoos on the stomach are also much harder to do than in other areas such as the arm or outer thigh. The stomach skin is soft and harder to work on. For this reason, you need an experienced tattoo artist who will be charging more per hour so the tattoo will end up costing more.
Tattoos in sensitive areas such as the stomach can also be more difficult to tattoo and the client often struggles with the pain. This all adds to the time needed to complete the tattoo so it will end up costing more as tattoos are generally priced by the hour.
The best way to approach the cost is to first locate a tattoo artist that you like who has experience with tummy tattoos. This is the most important thing as stomach tattoos are not easy to do so it needs experience. This is not a tattoo for an apprentice to do at a cheap hourly rate.
Once you have found an experienced artist you can discuss the potential cost with them.
If you have a limited budget, let them know. You may be able to break up the tattoo into smaller sessions to spread the cost.
10 – What should you wear to get a stomach tattoo?
One of the most important things to consider when getting a stomach tattoo is what you are going to wear.
This may seem like a strange question but it’s actually really important. The reason it’s important is that the artist needs to be able to access the tummy area fully whilst they are working for you to get the best result.
There is nothing more frustrating than having to tattoo around someone’s tight clothing whilst trying to get the stencil on straight and not get ink all over their designer top.
If you are wearing something tight or constricting, it will also be quite uncomfortable for you and make the session unpleasant to endure. The best thing to wear is something loose-fitting that you can pull up and out of the way.
Perhaps leggings and a crop top that leaves the stomach exposed with a loose t-shirt over it that you can remove for the tattoo
You also need to bear in mind that if the tattoo extends quite low towards your pubic bone you will need to be able to pull down your leggings or jeans for the artist to be able to tattoo.
Soft leggings or joggers will work well for this.
What women should wear for an abdominal tattoo?
Ideas include:
- cropped top or bralette
- loose t-shirt or shirt
- soft joggers or loose jeans
- soft leggings
- Take a hoodie for comfort or to cover up
What men should wear for an abdominal tattoo?
Ideas include:
- loose t-shirt or shirt
- soft joggers or loose jeans
- Take a hoodie for comfort or to cover up
It’s always a good idea to take a hoodie to the tattoo session that you can snuggle into or use to cover up any areas you don’t want to be exposed in a busy studio.
Don’t be afraid to ask the artist to cover you up with a piece of couch roll if you feel exposed. A good tattooist should be aware of this and make sure you don’t feel vulnerable or embarrassed. But sometimes tattooists are so busy concentrating on the tattoo that they forget.
Another top tip is… don’t wear your best clothes or anything you don’t want to get ink on. Old but clean clothes that aren’t too precious are best.
You also need to consider what you are going to wear after the tattoo is done. It’s important to keep the tattoo clean and dry so you will need to wear something that will protect it as you go home.
These tips will give you a more comfortable tattooing experience.
11 – How to choose an artist for a stomach tattoo {important}
When it comes to stomach tattoos, you need an experienced tattoo artist who knows what they are doing. This is not a tattoo to get from an apprentice or new tattooist. There are a lot of bad stomach tattoos out there.
The stomach skin is soft and harder to work on so it needs experience. The tattoo will also be in a sensitive area so the artist must be good at managing a client in pain.
The best way to approach this is to first locate a tattoo artist that you like. Check out their portfolio of work online. Do they have photos of other stomach designs that they have completed? Do you like them? Are they good quality?
Only once you are sure that they have the right experience should you go to the tattoo parlor and book in with them.
Frequently Asked Questions about Stomach Tattoos
Are stomach tattoos bearable?
This really depends on your pain threshold. Some people report that they are quite painful, others say it’s not too bad. The pain level will depend on factors such as how big the tattoo is, the style of tattoo how near it is to the rib cage, and how much muscle or fat layers you have on the stomach. Most people will find a stomach tattoo bearable.
Do stomach tattoos stretch?
Many people wonder, do stomach tattoos stretch? The truth is that as your stomach stretches, so will your tattoo. Weight gain, losing muscle tone, pregnancy, and aging will all have an impact on your tattoo. If the stomach stretches too far your tattoo may become damaged, blurred or distorted and may not recover.
How much do stomach tattoos cost?
This will depend on the size, style and artist that you choose. A small, simple tattoo could start at around $100 while a larger, more complex design could cost several hundred dollars. Tattoos are usually charged by the hour. Stomach tattoos are difficult to do and take longer than other tattoos so are generally more expensive.
Can you tattoo over stretch marks
This will depend on the size, style and artist that you choose. A small, simple tattoo could start at around $100 while a larger, more complex design could cost several hundred dollars. Tattoos are usually charged by the hour. Stomach tattoos are difficult to do and take longer than other tattoos so are generally more expensive than a tattoo on another area.
Conclusion: Are Stomach Tattoos a Good Idea?
So, Are Stomach Tattoos a Good Idea?
Only you can answer that question. If you’ve taken the time to weigh the pros and cons and you’re still undecided, it might be best to wait a while before making your final decision. After all, it’s a big commitment and you want to be sure you’re 100% happy with your choice before going ahead.
If you have decided that a stomach tattoo is the perfect choice for you, then the next step is to find a reputable artist who can turn your vision into reality and book in your tattoo session. Once you’ve done that, sit back and enjoy your new ink!
13 Gorgeous Stomach Tattoos for Women
8 Amazing Stomach Tattoos for Men
The information on the site is for entertainment only. Anything you do is at your own risk. Consult with your own Tattooist, Piercer or Doctor for advice.
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