Tattoos are the new ?must have? ? everyone wants them and you are definitely not cool if you don't have at least one. Trouble is not everyone wants to be obvious about it and so you have to be careful about placement. One way round it is to go for a foot tattoo. Tattoos for women are notoriously difficult to place appropriately bearing in mind the problems associated with skin stretching during pregnancy (and ageing) and the unfortunate social stigma of lower back tattoos leaves little choice. Foot tattoos are generally regarded as being cute, sexy and discreet. There was a reluctance among Tattoo Artists to work on feet because of potential pain and fading problems but modern techniques have alleviated both of these problems.

Foot tattoos are less showy than those in other areas which is important for those who don't want to be too obvious about their body art. Foot tattoos are perfect to show off when you want to, and cover when you need to. They are less common than those on other parts of the body though that is changing as they are particularly popular with career orientated women who seem to prefer them as they don't compromise their professional status but still keep up with the social trends outside the workplace. Another large factor is that a skilfully designed tattoo on the foot looks good with modern shoe designs ? especially open toes and strappy sandals. Men do have foot tattoos but not as often as women, mainly because so many areas of the male body are easier to work on.

Design is important when choosing any tattoo as you will be living with it forever, you should be sure that it means something to you and you must consider how you feel about it being on public view! Foot Tattoos are ideal for small or flowing designs and you should always get guidance from the Artist who will be doing it for you. Most designs can be reduced in size if necessary and you can be sure that a good artist will only want to do a tattoo that will look good on you and reflect well on them. If you want a personal design you may have to pay a small deposit to cover the design time but you will end up with something that is unique and special.

Foot Tattoos are generally a little more painful than those on more fleshy areas of the body, for this reason some Artists are still reluctant to do them. There is little flesh over the bones in the foot so any work done on that part of the foot is likely to cause discomfort, especially if you have sensitive feet. Because blood vessels are closer to the surface they can also bleed a little more but a good artist using good equipment will minimise this.

You must be prepared to take extra care of a foot tattoo, both during the healing period and in general. They are more prone to infection which is another reason why some Artists are occasionally unwilling to do them. Your new tattoo needs to be kept clean, dry and free from any irritation whilst it heals. This means that shoes, stockings or socks are to be avoided if at all possible for at least one, and preferably two weeks after the tattoo has been done. This will give time for any swelling to go down and stop rubbing on your new artwork which would blur it or worse still, partially rub it out. If you have any pain or signs of infection in a new foot tattoo get in touch with your Doctor without delay. Even when a foot tattoo has healed well it still tends to get rubbed more by shoes and may fade more quickly that other areas. You should always use a good moisturiser and even then it may need to re-coloured. Sun block is just as important for foot tattoos as it is for those on other parts of the body.

Tattoos are far more of a fashion item now and are accepted as an art form in their own right rather than a social ?badge?. Foot tattoos are more and more becoming the choice of someone who wants a tattoo that is both different and discreet.