Should I Lose Weight Before Getting A Tattoo?

Our bodies change over the years. Weight fluctuation, pregnancy, and other bodily transformations are natural for a human being. But how will this affect your tattoo? Should you lose weight before getting a tattoo?

Every body type is stunning, and everyone who wants a tattoo must feel driven to have one. Generally, weight loss or gain can have little impact on your tattoo. Read on to learn all you need about tattoos after weight loss and gain, how weight changes transform your tattoos, and more.

Why Lose Weight Before You Get A Tattoo?

Tattoos are a form of body art that sits just under the top layer of skin. It is normal to see tattoos on a person from any gender, socioeconomic class, or profession.

Every person's body responds differently to weight loss, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Most people like to lose weight before drawing a new tattoo for the following reasons:

• They don't want to be fat in the photos while flexing their tattoo to friends and on social media.

• They want a tattoo in a spot where it looks best, like in the stomach.

• They want a tattoo as a reward for the effort exerted into slimming down.

Along with it, losing weight is beneficial for your health. Extra weight can strain your body and cause diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. If you're getting a tattoo, losing weight may be the way to better health and avoid suffering from these conditions.

Think of some risks before you get a tattoo if you're overweight. First, excess fat can make it more challenging for the artist to perfect your tattoo. This can lead to a more extended tattooing session, whereas if you have less fat, the artist will have an easier time. And second, if you lose weight after having the body art, it could cause the tattoo to stretch and deform, making it look less than ideal.

Suppose you want to lose weight before getting a tattoo, consult your doctor or a licensed dietitian to lay out a healthy weight loss program. And be sure to address any weight changes with the tattoo artist before starting the tattooing session.

Benefits Of Losing Weight Before A Tattoo

• You're more confident with your body and thus have the nerve to go for that dream tattoo.

• The world still perceives thin as beautiful. Hence, posting a photo online with your slim body and your tattoo will likely receive a more favourable response.

• You will be healthier, which means the tattoos' healing and recovery periods are faster.

Will Losing Weight Ruin A Tattoo?

No guarantee losing weight will mess up your tattoo, so don't let that prevent you from getting inked. The main factors to consider are just how much weight you lose, how quickly you lose the weight, and where the tattoos are placed.

Placement

The placement of your tattoo is one of the more prominent determinants of how any weight change will impact it. There are areas of the body that will work better for a tattoo.

The forearms, upper torso, outside thigh, lower legs, and feet are all areas that don't store much fat. These areas are pretty safe to draw a tattoo regardless of how hard you lose weight.

Mid-riff parts and upper arms are likewise safe from massive deformation if it's a gradual weight loss accompanied by improving muscle tone.

Size

A larger tattoo may show less distortion after a while and through body changes than smaller tattoos. A sleeve or large tattoo on your chest, arm, or thigh may shift less. If your tattoos change horridly, you may be able to touch them up to add more definition instead of removing or concealing them.

Shape And Type

Like Mandala and Tribal, a symmetrical tattoo design is more likely to exhibit weight loss impacts than asymmetrical and irregular ones.

If you are getting a tattoo on a fleshy part and desire to cut a significant amount of weight, ask your artist to create a tattoo that can conform to these transformations in your body without contorting it into a weird or crooked shape.

How Do Tattoos Look When You Lose Weight?

An existing tattoo before you lose weight will naturally alter its appearance around the time you are towards the end of your weight loss journey; however, what it appears will depend on the amount of weight lost and how fast the weight is reduced.

People who have cut weight quickly will notice evident changes as the tattoos follow suit with the skin.

The position of the tattoo can shift, as well. The skin moves and is adjusted, thereby changing the tattoo with it. For example, if you have a tattoo on the side of your thigh, then you've lost weight drastically, rather than resting on the side, it might relocate toward the front or the back.

If your skin has become saggy in the place where your tattoo lies, there is a possibility your tattoo's original shape may look wrinkled until you stretch it out. It is due to the excess skin where the fat was once held. If your skin has creased on the tattoo, you may not see your tattoo at all.

Considering you are losing weight, then you achieved your goal weight, fat cells will be slight swelling in each area, and a boost in cell turnover. Thus, old skin layers are peeled immediately when new skin cells are generated beneath the surface. Eventually, wrinkle tends to flatten as well because of this escalated turnover. This can cause enhanced clarity in most tattoos following a considerable diet, and weight loss has happened even years after it was laid.

Or, your tattoo may not alter its look at all. Each person's skin is distinct, and there is a possibility that even with rapid weight loss, you may still identify what your tattoo is.

Will A Drastic Weight Loss Stop Me From Getting Tattoos?

Granted that the skin tissues are still there, hypothetically, you will always have room for new tattoos. However, for someone who has undergone a weight loss surgery and lost lots of weight, this will leave you with a great deal of loose skin, which may impact if you can get a tattoo afterward.

Many tattoo artists agree that loose skin is not ideal for the inking process, as it must be stretched firmly to be inked. After the process, the tattoo will likely appear odd unless the skin is stretched out again.

To worsen it, if you insist on tattooing over saggy surfaces, things like blowouts can happen many times, causing the ink to look blurry and smudged on the skin, with no accountability from the tattoo artist.

But if you genuinely wish for it, see an experienced tattoo artist and check what they come up with. They might recommend having tattoos on the parts with a smaller amount of fat. No matter how tough it is, they will do everything they can to inscribe your desired tattoo.

How Can A Tattoo Be Changed If You Gain Weight?

If you had gained weight, your body would face an upsurge in fatty cells that produce more fat. The main problem with gaining weight after acquiring a tattoo is stretch marks.

By and large, tattoos will grow with you. As your body naturally changes, your skin will change with you. For instance, muscle gain is a gradual process, allowing the skin to stretch with your body as it shifts. On the contrary, pregnancy only stretches some areas, like the stomach and fingers.

The primary effect comes from significant weight gain. This causes stretch marks, which typically accumulate in parts that store more fat, including the upper arms, stomach, hips, and thighs, and may distort your tattoo.

With drastic weight gain, you must consider how your skin will form stretch marks and how those may disturb your tattoo.

Suppose you don't accumulate stretch marks, your tattoo may still expand and occupy more room than before. The colours may also fade, and the details may become deformed. A quality tattoo skin care product will lessen some of that impact.

Can You Conceal Stretch Marks With Tattoos?

Stretch marks are merely a typical phenomenon in the natural aging process.

A tattoo can conceal your stretch marks, but it is vital to examine them before applying a tattoo to mask them.

• Stretch marks have different colours, and the colour can determine how nicely a tattoo will conceal them.

• The tattoo may not hide the stretch marks well if the stretch marks are wide and long.

• Fresh stretch marks are sensitive; thus, it'll be excruciating for you to go through the session. It will also be challenging for a tattoo artist to cover them.

What Should You Do To Ease Tattoo Distortion?

If you’re to embark on a journey that will change your body size or shape, such as weight loss or pregnancy, it may be worth waiting until that journey ends. But it still depends on you.

Consider if you will adopt a specific eating habit before getting a tattoo. As achieving that ideal weight and body size will impact your tattoo ink, you must observe the transitions within your physique.

For a long period, tattoos will deviate. The ink will fade, and the tattoo design will alter a fragment as your skin naturally reforms with age. This is a factor of the tattoo experience for everyone, setting aside significant weight changes.

To mitigate the natural changes of your tattoo, whether a significant weight loss or gain occurs, keep your skin hydrated by applying a suitable lotion to your skin daily.

Conclusion

Weight changes can occur to anyone, and whether it's gaining or losing weight, you must understand how that can impact your tattoos. You should plan carefully before getting tattooed!

Try temporary tattoos first if you're worried about how the ink will look on you. You'll know which design and positioning are best for you, and you may win the confidence to have any tattoo without much weight transformation.

Every single tattoo you get will fade sooner or later. Deal with the changes, and never hesitate to lose weight before or after your tattoo.