I have been noticing that a lot of members have a tattoo or multiple tats.

I didn't think about it until now but I have one rather large one (half sleeve) on my upper arm and I am wondering if losing a lot of weight will affect the way it looks?

I mean in no way would I let that stop me from losing weight because the benefits far outweight the looks of the tattoo but I was just wondering does the picture just squeeze together when you lose weight or does it get all droopy looking with the extra skin.

Also for a long time I've been wanting to get another the same size on my other arm (I feel lopsided!) and actually before I threw down the gaunlet and decided to lose this weight I was talking with an artist about doing it the only thing holding me back was the cost (my other arm cost about a grand!) and now I have the means to do it.

I wonder if I should wait until I have reached my goal but the only problem with that is it might be more than a year and I kinda want it now. It took years to pack this on and I know it might take a while to get it off.

And if I get it now I wonder if it would distort the image as I lost weight? I want to get a big tiger surrounded by bamboo on my left, I have a dragon on my right (Crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon? LOL)

Has anyone heard of (or happen to them) messing up a tattoo with losing weight?

Arms don't seem to be affected nearly as much as hips or stomachs. I think you will be just fine, especially since you have the option of adding muscle if the tattoo looks less than optional. Is the sleeve under your arm as well, or mainly on the front?

Everyone's experience with weight loss will be individual - if you end up being someone who ends up with loose skin on your arms/underarms/etc, then obviously you'll end up with loose tattooed skin. On the other hand, some people have no problem losing 100 pounds with relatively little loose skin, and in that case your arms (and tats) might look just fine at the end.

There's a pretty good explanation of the reasons/causes/issues with loose skin in the maintainers' forum - basically, there's no real way to predict what your body will do until you do it. It depends on age, genetics, etc, and it's hard to know who will or won't deal with loose skin when they reach the end.

Short answer - your question is essentially just a permutation of the "will I have loose skin" concern - your skin may shrink with you and you'll have tight skin with smaller tattoos, or it may not and you'll have loose skin with tattoos.

I got one on my arm, right upper, and it is fine. It actually looks the same as when I got it really. A bit wider maybe, but not by much.

As for loose skin, yeah I have it and will lol. Mostly though, tummy, upper thighs, and under my arms aka "mud flaps" lol. My arms though aren't so bad and my tatt looks just fine.

What if you put off getting the tattoo until you loose like 50 pounds or something? That way it is a reward thing...

It is on the front and sides but not under the arm where it is really tender. I don't think I coul have taken it! LOL!

By the time they finished mine (9 hours in 2 sittings) I was about on my kness and about to faint!

I have two full sleeves, a backpiece and most of my legs done. I did not tattoo on my stomach or hips. My tattoos have looked fine with a weight loss and gain of 40+ pounds. I also worked in a studio for 8 years, and the worst tattoos were affected and distorted by pregnancy.
I am confident that your arm will be fine.

I've read that weight gain has a worse effect on tattoos then weight loss. It causes a balloon effect, stretching your tattoo in the center. From many cases I've read, people have experienced little effect on them during weight loss. In most cases, the tattoos looked better! Since the lines got thinner, the black lines looked darker and the colors were more vibrant. I have 7 tattoos and I have about another 60-80lbs to lose. After getting information from people who lost a lot of weight with tattoos, I'm not worried anymore!

Y'know, I never thought about that possibility - it's like a tattoo Shrinky-Dink!

Cool then I am going to go ahead and start mine after the New Years.

I wish I could tell if my skin will shrink up when I lose more weight, I hope it does. If I KNEW it would then I would get my tiger's head a tiny bit wider and let it shrink to the right size. LOL!

But I think I better count on my skin not shrinking so much because of my age and also before I gained so much weight I lifted weights for a long time and my arms were pretty big back then and now with all the fat on them they have been stretched out a long time (10+ years), my arms are as big as most smaller peoples legs.

Should be plenty of skin canvas for the artist to work with!

dude, i have like a 3/4 sleeve, and ive lost weight before with it, im pretty young but it tends to just wrap further under my arm when it happens.

also having work with a little fat tends to hurt less but also bleeds more.

let me see when u get it done

also as an afterthought most girth you have with fat will be replaced mith muscle i expect if you lift?

I'm gonna get outline done after Christmas and will post it!

I'm not lifting that much now but I am going to start soon.

I am disapointed nobody posted their tat, I love looking at great art work and really interested in seeing a tat before and after significant weight loss.

I agree with Paula, what you loose in fat will be replaced with muscle. So go for it.
I dont have any tattoos, but hubby does. Here is a photo of his latest one.

All the other pictures I have of his arms are hard copy photos. I'll see if I can find something else. He has 2 full sleeves. I found one....but it isnt the greatest photo.

Mine are perfectly fine - located on my biceps and triceps. I do a fair amount of heavy weightlifting and I think that really helps. I had the artwork done before I ever gained weight, don't know if that makes a difference.

i dont have any real upto date ones of my sleeve, i must do some! bu here are some of it in progress





i also have Rock on one foot and Roll on the other

i dont think i'd worry too much about it. seems like your arm isn't that big that it would warp that much.