Interesting question this one, I’m curious about this too. I’m booking in this week to start on a sleeve (wrist to elbow to start off with), but having hesitations due to questions about muscle growth. I’ve started weights, which i’ve been doing on and off for a while, during the off season for footy. My main concern is if I start on an arm, and I improve my arm muscles, how much will it contort the tattoo (if at all)? My arms are probably skinny-average, and I plan on making them a decent size.
I know I’m being pretty vague here, but if anyone can shed some light/experience/knowledge I’d appreciate it.

I should think it would always make a difference.

If you have a canvas of 5×4″ and it stretches to 5×6″, it must distort the ratios of the image.

Hi

Do you have any idea how much effort it would take to build your muscles by 2 inches??
We are talking serious body building everyday for about a year and prob through in a fist full of steroids.

What most ppl confuse with tattoo stretching is the difference between muscle growth and fat.

The skin is a elasticated organ that can stretch quite a bit before it tears (creating stretchmarks).

The biggest culprit of tattoo disfigurement has sod all to do with muscle growth as many ppl simply cannot bulk on that kind of growth naturally within 6 weeks – the time it takes for skin to replenish.

However if you eat a lousy diet (like I do) you can rapidly gain 2 stone in fat.

A fat gain can stretch the skin much quicker than any muscle growth.

Yes it is possible to stretch skin with muscle but again the exercise needed is way beyond normal exercise limits.

So unless you are thinking of growth hormones and are not putting fat on there is nothing to worry about.

The only other way is rapid weight loss where the skin does not have time to catch up with the body dissolving the fat but again this is extremely rapid and rare.

Take Care
Matthew

PS

I will at some point do a blog with diagrams showing how this works.