Certain tattoos take a lot of time. It is usually due to the part of the body where the tattoo is going to be placed. Different parts of the skin take a longer time to be tattooed due to their sensitivity and difficulty of work. One such place is a chest tattoo, which needs an expert tattooist who has experience working on the chest area.
So how long does a chest tattoo take to be done? When it comes to how long a tattoo would take, it is a combination of both the tattoo artist and the client. One cannot work without the other’s cooperation. All the more reason that a chest tattoo needs that teamwork to be at its best. It might take a while for the chest tattoo to be done, which has at least 5 factors that will determine it.
Key Takeaways
- 5 factors determine the time it takes to finish a chest tattoo. It depends on you, the design, and the capabilities of the artist.
- The time it takes has to be divided into multiple sessions due to how long it will take. Chest tattoos require time and focus that can’t be given in a single session to finish it.
- The cost of a chest tattoo can rack up pretty fast due to the nature of the tattoo and the experience needed to do it.
5 Factors Determining Time for a Chest Tattoo
Let’s jump right into the factors that determine how long a chest tattoo will take to complete. This time period can range anywhere from 3 to 4 hours up to 30+ hours! So let’s see what they are:
1. Speed
The speed of the artist is key to how long a chest tattoo will take. It might be a delicate area to tattoo, but someone with experience can make the tattooing seem like they are working on paper instead of skin. The speed will be determined by how well the artist controls the vibration of the tattoo machine and the speed of the tattoo needles through the foot pedal.
If an artist has complete mastery over their machine, then a seemingly large piece that might have taken an artist 8 hours to finish could be finished in 5 to 6 hours! The speed could shave off many hours for a full chest tattoo.
2. Detail and Design
After speed, it is all about the intricacies of the detail and design of the tattoo. If the tattoo is mostly made of large lines, then it would be easier to tattoo and it would take a relatively short time to do the tattoo.
But if it’s an intricate tattoo like a portrait or a heavily traditional tattoo, then it would definitely take much longer to tattoo. Overall, the detail and design play a key part in determining the time it would take to finish the tattoo.
3. Size
Another key factor in determining the time it takes to finish the tattoo is how big the tattoo is. For example, a chest tattoo that is 4 to 6 inches would take roughly about 6 hours to finish (barring the design of the tattoo). If it is a chest tattoo that covers one-half of the chest entirely, then it could take almost 12 hours of tattooing to finish!
4. Sensitivity
Going on to clients themselves, if the client has sensitive skin, then it would be a problem to tattoo. The chest is a very exposed area that to close to the ribs and the breastbone.
If the tattoos are on these areas, then it would take longer to do the tattoo as the pain can be intolerable.
This is especially the case if someone is skinny as there are less layers of muscle between the chest and the bone. The more defined the pectoral muscles of an individual, the easier it would be to tattoo and the less time it would take to finish it.
5. Color
The color of the tattoo is another defining factor in how long it will take to finish a chest tattoo. Constantly having to wipe the ink off in water and then re-dipping it in a new ink to do the shading can be a repetitive job. If a large chest tattoo has many colors, then changing the colors would take up to an hour of the artist’s time!
If it was all in one color like black, it would take a shorter time. Shading is where most of the time is taken for tattooing. Therefore, the more shades and shading required for the chest tattoo, the more time it will take for the overall chest tattoo.
Number of Sessions for Chest Tattoo
Some chest tattoos could take days to finish! This is because a tattoo artist working for hours on end could take a toll on their ability. If their ability is lacking, then it would degrade the quality of tattoos. That is why artists like to space their sessions so they can work under optimal conditions.
Typically, a chest tattoo could require 1 session to at least 4 to 5 sessions of 5 hours each! As an artist myself, I would say the 5 to 6-hour marks are just the right amount of time for a session on a large tattoo. This is because repeated penetration of the skin leaves it feeling vulnerable and extra sensitive, especially in the chest area. You might not feel it at the beginning, but constantly getting tattooed will take a heavy toll on your body. Soon enough, the touch of the needle on your skin will feel like it’s on fire! That is why spacing the sessions in 5 to 6 hours is just the perfect amount of time.
The number of sessions will depend on all of the factors mentioned above. You could say that a very large intricate chest piece could take 30+ hours! So you will need to space at least 6 sessions of 5 hours each to make sure that both you and the artist are your best when you are getting the tattoo.
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Cost of a Chest Tattoo
Just like any other tattoo, the cost of a chest tattoo can quickly rise. This is because not many people are experienced with chest tattoos. It takes someone with the experience of tattooing a chest to get it right. The more experienced they are, the higher their hourly rates will be.
The cost of the tattoo will also be dependent on how long it would take. For example, a tattoo artist whose asking rate is 250$ per hour could get a small tattoo done within 2 hours at most. That would be 500$ for the tattoo artist, and then the extra fees of ink and using the shop’s setup comes in.
Normally, you can expect a small chest tattoo to be around 300$ to 500$ while a large tattoo would be somewhere in the ballpark of 2000$ to 5000$ depending on the design! The size, design, style, colors, and hourly rates are what make up the prices before taxes.
Caring for Your Chest Tattoo: Best Care Tips
You might think that chest tattoos have a different type of aftercare for it. It really doesn’t have that much of a difference.
So here is a list of aftercare tips for your eventual chest tattoos:
- Wear loose-fitting clothes to prevent any restriction on the chest area.
- If the bra covers the areas of the tattoo, then you might want to avoid wearing one until the tattoo heals in about 3 to 4 weeks.
- Clean and moisturize your tattoo daily; at least twice a day.
- Avoid showering for longer than 10 minutes; use lukewarm water when doing so.
- Avoid fragrance products and bar soaps; use antibacterial green liquid soap to clean your tattoo.
- Avoid scratching or rubbing the chest when you have the tattoo.
- If you have the time, take at least 5 to 14 days of rest to recover from the tattoo. It will hurt to even move your arm at some points in the healing phase.
- Cover your tattoo in between sessions; wash the tattoo every 2 days and reapply the Saniderm wrap to keep your tattoo protected.
- Don’t expose your tattoo to the sun; wear moisturizing sunscreen at all times.
FAQs
Should I get a 9-hour tapout session?
Tapout sessions might be cheaper, but I advise against getting one for so long. Maintaining concentration for the artist over 9 hours is tough for both you and the artist to maintain. It should be given proper time.
How long would a full chest tattoo take?
It will depend on the detail, but they might take anywhere from 12 hours to over 30 hours to finish a full chest tattoo.
Are chest tattoos harder to heal?
It will depend on the size of the tattoo. Larger tattoos will take a bit longer to heal than most tattoos, especially on the sensitive part of the skin such as the chest.
Final Thoughts
A chest tattoo can be an amazing piece of tattoo that you can get. There are a lot of designs that you can think of for these types of tattoos and they make for wonderful portrait tattoos! Obviously, these will be a lot harder to do and will take a lot longer to both do and heal. However, it will be worth it to get a chest tattoo if you are determined to get one. Remember, a chest tattoo is tricky so you need to cooperate with your tattoo artist as much as possible to make sure that your chest tattoo comes out looking stunning!
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