Top 10 Tips For Wedding Ring Tattoos

• Posted on 11th April 2014
• in Advice, The Fashion
• by Erica

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Wedding Ring Tattoos are trendy - and popping up everywhere from Pinterest to Buzznet.  Couples have this desire to make every aspect of their wedding personalized to them and getting a unique wedding ring finger tattoo is rising in popularity as a way to make their wedding stand out.  Before you take the plunge and get inked there’s a few tips to keep in mind if you want the best looking and longest lasting wedding band tattoo.

10 Tips For Wedding Ring Tattoos

1. Due to the abuse we put our hands through on a daily basis, ring tattoos are subject to fading quickly - more quickly than most other areas of our bodies.

2. The nature of our hands shed skin quickly, therefore the underside of our fingers never hold ink for long.  Opt for tattoos on the top of your finger only, as the tattoo wraps around the side and underneath, these areas will push out and/or shed the ink.

3. Opt for only one or two lines or less intricate designs. Small lines inked tightly together will bleed after a few months possibly making the tattoo indistinguishable.  Small lines also tend to not be as straight on the fingers.  The time frame for this happening is different for everyone, but it will happen to all intricate finger designs.

4. During the healing process finger tattoos are more likely to “blow out” due to the small area - that is the ink is likely to run into each other making your tattoo blurry.

5. Choose dark ink, lighter ink is even more subject to fading. Dark ink such as black and blues tend to last longer than other colors.

6. Tattoos on your fingers hurt more than other tattoos because the flesh is thinner. Good hand/finger tattoos hurt like hell. If it doesn’t hurt, chances are it will fall out. Now try holding your finger steady as your tattoo artist uses a needle close to your bone with very thin flesh to work with.

7. These types of tattoos are high maintenance you will need to touch up finger tattoos more often than regular tattoos - and sometimes several times over the course of a year - this is especially true for tattoos that run along the sides and bottom of the finger.  This particular photo, the girl had “love” tattooed on her less than a month ago.

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8. Make sure you go to an experienced artist that has done many finger tattoos. The tissue on your face/hands/feet is so thin it takes skill and practice to “float” the pigment in the correct layer of your skin. Too shallow and pigment will fall out when your skin regenerates, too deep and your tattoo will appear blurred..

9. Smaller groupings of needles must be used or there is a greater chance the ink will fall out. The larger grouping of needles used the greater the chance of this happening. A liner is usually 3 needles used to outline a tattoo. A single needle can be used for the outlining of a tattoo but the liner needle makes the outlining process faster.

 

10. The healing process is crucial and one should move the finger as little as possible during healing. Flexing your finger will cause the ink to fall out because the nature of the hand to shed dead skin . The ink needs to settle inside the skin that has just been tattooed, in order to heal correctly. Flexing your finger “tricks” the body to consider the tattoo as a cut and will attempt to remedy it by restricting blood flow to that area so that the skin dies and is shed, to be replace by new skin. Just like a scab.

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Finally, realize that ink is permanent and your marriage may not be.  This may be something you will need lasered off later in life - an expensive and painful process.

 Still Want A Wedding Ring Tattoo? Consider these options:

1. Single initials on the knuckle area
2. A small design that is meaningful for you on the front of the finger
3. A ring which only wraps to the sides
4. The date in roman numerals or in standard format
5. His or her name wrapping around to the sides
6. Check out our post 35 Ideas For Wedding Ring Tattoos for more ideas

Aftercare Tips For Wedding Band and Finger Tattoos

1. Try to limit the amount of contact with water, do not submerge it for long periods of time
2. Try not to flex the area as the ink will start to reject
3. Keep your tattoo out of the sun, after it is healed make sure you use sunscreen
4. Limit the use of chemicals on the area (this includes soaps)
5. Follow your tattoo artists’ aftercare instructions, often they will recommend a particular moisturizer, use it.

When Is The Best Time To Get A Wedding Band Tattoo?

Some couples prefer to get inked before, others after - and some during the wedding itself! There is no perfect time to get inked - it depends on your schedule and when it is right for you.  Here are my recommendations based on my own experiences getting tattooed:

1. Tattoos take a week or two to heal. During this time it will be raised, itchy and form a scab.  It may feel sore as well.  Keep following your tattoo artists instructions for aftercare.  If it will bother you to have these symptoms on your wedding day (and you don’t want a crusted over tattoo in your photos) it is best to have it done at least 2 weeks before or just after you tie the knot.
2. If you’re planning on going on your honeymoon and it will involve a pool, the hot summer sun or a beach - keep in mind the aftercare.  These elements are not kind to tattoos - especially new tattoos.  The chlorine, salt water and sun will “wash” away your new ink.  If this type of honeymoon is in your future - make sure its fully healed before you go, or wait until after.
3. Some people bleed when they get inked - it depends on the individual person.  Because of this, you may not want to get inked on your wedding day - you may not want blood on your dress!

Tags: tattooed wedding, tattooed wedding ideas, tattoos, wedding band tattoos, wedding ring tattoos, wedding tattoos