Do toe ring tattoos intrigue you? Find out about the pros and cons of tattooing this delicate area.
About Toe Ring Tattoos
So, maybe you love accessorizing your toes because it makes them look attractive, but what if you don't actually love wearing real toe rings? Maybe the jewelry often doesn't hold up well to foot traffic. Perhaps you're tired of cleaning your rings or maybe you just find them uncomfortable no matter how good they look. If you like the look, but you'd rather have it with a lot less fuss, toe ring tattoos may be the answer to your dilemma. Let's look at the finer points of tattooing toes in order to decide if a tat in this location is really worth the effort and expense.
Convenience
Toe ring tattoos definitely have one thing going in their favor right from the start; they are convenient. Have you ever left home only to discover you forgot to put your ring on? A toe ring tat is with you 24 hours a day. There's never any need to think about it, and that often makes it worth sitting through a tattooing session to have one. Furthermore, you never have to worry about cleaning your jewelry or losing it if it doesn't fit perfectly. Your toe ring tat is with you as long as it lasts, which brings up the next point.
Fading
Everyone is a little different, but for the most part, a tattoo inked on a toe isn't likely to last as long as ink on other body parts. Sure, you can expect a little fading with any tattoo, but generally more so on the toes. This is because the skin grows moist anytime you're wearing socks and shoes, and this leads to natural skin slough off. Anyone who has had a tattoo knows that after care is crucial to helping a tat set and heal. Caring for a toe tattoo can be more difficult considering it isn't always possible to leave the foot open to the air.
Natural wear and tear also makes it difficult to maintain your ink, especially if your band goes all the way around your toe. Some enthusiasts opt to just have the design wrap around the top and sides of the toe, and forgo getting inked on the underside. Colors are also more prone to fading, so it's often a good idea to go with solid black ink in order to make the tat last longer. You can always go back and have your ink touched up, but it is an added expense to consider.
Pain
Generally speaking, the toes are a bit more sensitive than most body parts commonly tattooed. This can make sitting through a session with a tattoo machine more difficult to endure, and it can make it harder for your tattoo artist to work if you have a tendency to flinch. Some tat enthusiasts report they found having a toe inked was more painful than other tats they've gotten. However, everyone has their personal pain threshold, and there are people on the other side of the coin who say they experienced very little pain while having their feet tattooed. If you're generally a tough cookie when it comes to pain, toe ring ink might not make you wince any more than usual.
Foot Health
How's your overall foot health? Are you prone to bouts of athlete's foot? Do you suffer from dry cracked skin? If so, you might not be a good candidate for toe ring ink. The artist needs a clear smooth surface to do his or her best work, and foot health is paramount to making a toe tat last.
Choosing a Great Toe Ring Design
Now that some of the major issues involved with getting and maintaining toe ring ink have been covered, it's time to talk about choosing designs. The one common aspect nearly all toe ring tats share is that the design will need to be small by necessity to fit in the limited space.
Flowers, Vines, Etc.
Women certainly can't go wrong when choosing any number of floral themes for a toe ring tat. Vines look especially cool because they're meant to twine around objects. Small daisies and the like also look very sweet when linked in a chain.
Geometrics
These designs look fabulous on both sexes. You might choose to have two or three consecutive bands wrap around a toe, or you could link small circles or triangles for a great effect. Stars, although not exactly a single geometric shape, also make fantastic toe rings when chained together. A good tattoo artist can even create a herringbone chain link if that's the design you're looking for.
Tribal Designs
Undoubtedly, miniature tribal designs make very intriguing toe rings, and they look great on men or women.
By now, you're probably leaning one way or the other about whether a toe ring tat is going to work for you. Until you make a firm decision, you can always go with a temporary tattoo or henna to see how you might like the look of permanent ink on your toes. If you do decide to take the plunge, understand you may need to have your ring refreshed once a year to keep it looking its best.
