Expert: Tattoo Betty (Professional Tattoo Artist) - 4/23/2004

Question
Hello,
      Is it possible to get your toes tattooed? I would like to get a band around my toe but the place that usually does my tattoos said that they could not do it. I live in the Philadelphia area. Would you know by chance any places that are willing to tattoo that part of the body? Thanks so much!  

Answer
Hi Denise! The reason that tattoo artists are reluctant to tattoo on toes is this: it will look great the day it's done, but then in a few weeks (sometimes months), it's going to fade and become blurry. It's inevitable. Toes get alot of traffic from shoes and the skin of the feet tends to exfoliate more than any other part of the body, save the hands. Therefore, your artist (who is bound to the custom of free touchups) will have to recolor the tattoo again and again. Some shops will actually tattoo the toes and they will usually tell you that it won't last, but they will offer one free touchup and then charge you for the others. But I will say that my policy on touchups is the "3 strikes" rule. Once you have done a tattoo, you can usually go over it two more times before the area has too much scar tissue to be effective. Scar tissue does not hold pigment well, so after the third touchup, there isn't much hope of the tattoo ever looking as good as it did the first day.

So, the choice is yours. You CAN tattoo the toes. You just have to shop around until you find a shop willing to do it. BUT--now you know the consequences, so you have to decide if it's worth it to you, knowing that the color will fade soon. Not to mention, getting a tattoo on your toe is not comfortable, and how many times do you want to go through that? My recommendation is, if you're going to tattoo anywhere on the feet, go with an area that does not exfoliate as much, like the top of the foot. I hope this information is helpful to you, good luck!! Unfortunately, I don't know a lot of Philadelphia area artists, or I would recommend one. However, most of the artists I do know, myself and my collegues included, would probably tell you the same thing your regular shop told you. Keep in mind that the fact that they did tell you that they wouldn't do it speaks highly of their integrity and respectability. There are alot of shops that will just take your money and not advise you on consequences. Again, good luck, Denise!