Half sleeve tattoos are a great way to showcase your personality and interests. They can also be quite time consuming and painful to get done, depending on the location and design of the tattoo.
If you are in a hurry or trying to save some cash, you might wonder if its possible to do a half sleeve in one sitting. Well this post is for you! I’ll discuss if its actually possible, how much time would one take and the pros and cons as well as a few more FAQs.
Table of Contents
- How Long Does Half A Sleeve Take?
- Can You Do A Half Sleeve In One Sitting?
- How Many Sessions Is A Half Sleeve?
- How Long Does A Half Sleeve Take To Heal?
Without further ado lets get to it!
How Long Does Half A Sleeve Take?
This is a question that tattoo artists are commonly asked. The answer, of course, depends on the design and level of detail involved. It also depends on tattoo artist since everyone tattoos at different speeds.
But, as a general rule, a half sleeve will usually take a decent artist between 12 – 25 hours of work depending on the subject matter.
My half sleeve took 16 hours, I had four 4-hour sessions.
Can You Do A Half Sleeve In One Sitting?
Yes you could, if you find an artist who is willing to do it and clear his day, but you are not going to get decent work doing a half sleeve in a single sitting. Its not going to heal well either if you get everything done in a single sitting.
Plus you need to have a really really HIGH threshold for PAIN!
Most tattoo artists aren’t willing to do half sleeve in one sitting. 10-20 hours of work in a single day is exhausting and might even seem impossible. And if the customer gets a last minute cancellation the artist won’t lose a whole days work.
However there some artists (but rarely) who do these in single sitting.
Here are a few more cons:
- Takes a long time to heal
- After a few hours of work your skin will no longer be pliable and starts protesting and make it harder for the artist, plus the artwork maybe be ruined.
- There’s a risk of scaring
- Your arm might start swelling during the tattooing (Read more about risks of swelling here)
Doing a half sleeve in one sitting is not advisable, Its JUST NOT WORTH IT! Please take your time. You need to give your skin enough time to heal.
How Many Sessions Is A Half Sleeve?
A half sleeve tattoo is an intricate and time-consuming piece of body art. Depending on the design and the pace of the artist, it can take anywhere from 3 to 6 sessions to complete. Mine took 4 sessions!
The best and safe way is to do small 3 – 4 hours sessions. This way you can get it done in probably four or five sessions.
How Long Does A Half Sleeve Take To Heal?
Half sleeves can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to heal, but the time may vary depending on the person’s healing process and the tattoo artist’s work. It is important to keep the tattoo clean and dry during the healing process to avoid infection and speed up the healing time.
If you get your half sleeve done in one sitting it will probably TAKE A LOT LONGER THAN THAT!
Do half-sleeve tattoos look good?
There is no one definitive answer to this question. Some people feel that half-sleeve tattoos look great, while others think they look tacky or unprofessional. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not a half-sleeve tattoo is right for them.
Do half sleeve tattoos hurt?
Hell Yeah! Generally speaking, tattoos are more painful when applied to areas with less muscle and fat. The skin on your armpits, shoulder tops and elbow ditch is thinner than other parts of your body, so it may hurt a lot more. However, everyone experiences pain differently, so it is hard to say for sure how much it will hurt.
