Muscle Gain and Tattoos - What to Know | Inkeeze (2024)

FAQs

Muscle Gain and Tattoos - What to Know | Inkeeze? ›

Tattoos can sometimes change in size if you experience serious muscle gain. Contraction and expansion of the muscles are considered to be normal for the human growth process, and no matter how good and precise your tattoo is, you're likely to experience change with muscle gain.

Muscle gain

Gaining some serious muscle (as in Hulk-like proportions) will definitely stretch your skin, but it usually won't stretch a tattoo enough to warp its appearance. Even if you lift heavy and often, the bulking up typically won't happen fast enough to impact the appearance of a tattoo.

Tattoos can change after weight gain. For example, they may stretch or move slightly as the skin changes. Stretch marks can develop after weight gain and may also affect the appearance of a tattoo.

Exercising too soon after getting inked can heighten the risk of infection, irritation, and premature tattoo fading for several reasons. Dr. Green says these threats exist because: Bacteria on unclean gym equipment (like mats, benches, and props) can enter the wound and cause bacterial infections.

Generally speaking, the most painful places to get a tattoo will be on the boniest areas of the body or placements that sit over concentrated hubs of nerve endings. It will hurt less to get a tattoo on the areas where there is less body fat, more muscle or fewer nerve endings.

Your tattoo might move around a bit during weight loss. If your skin gets a bit loose during your weight loss, your tattoo might shift. If you are losing weight while also toning or building muscle, then your tattoo might find itself sculpted to your body in a different way.

Avoid high-intensity workouts

Start slowly and progress your way back towards your typical workout routine over the next few days. It will take several weeks & months until all three layers of skin are fully repaired, but your body is resilient; you won't damage your ink if you go all-out in the gym the following week.

How long do you have to wait? After finishing your tattoo, your tattoo artist will most likely suggest that you wait at least 48 hours before strenuous physical activity and heavy sweating. The important words are “at least.” It generally takes 4 to 6 weeks for a wound to heal.

Working out and toning your muscles shouldn't affect your tattoo at all, but if heavy weightlifting is in fact your thing, significant muscle gain could morph the shape. The better the placement of the tattoo in relationship to the muscle, the less chance of it changing.

As with tipping waitstaff, 20-25% percent is a good standard. An easy way to include tipping in your budget is to add it in when getting the estimated costs for having your work done. So, if your tattoo is expected to cost $200, with a 20-percent tip, that's $240.

What body part hurts the most for a tattoo? ›

Possibly yes, according to two Israeli physicians. In a letter published in the July 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the physicians reported treating three young men who began to experience muscle weakness and wasting within six months after being tattooed.

A tattoo can help accentuate your strong points. Getting inked on the positive space, the muscle itself, can make it the focal point. Alternatively, you can tattoo the negative space, which is the area surrounding the main muscle or muscle group that you're trying to draw attention to.

Skin Treatments: No tanning, fake tanning, chemical peels, sunburns, major cuts or scrapes, in the area to be tattooed. Lift Weights: No extreme weight lifting in or near the area to be tattooed at least 2 days prior to your session to prevent unnecessary swelling & soreness.

When you lose weight, your skin becomes thin and tight. Often, your skin can take years to shrink to its normal size after losing weight. This means that your tattoo will appear to be faded and distorted, as the ink can move to the surface of the skin from the contraction of the skin.