Fabric touching tattoo while healing

My next tattoo is going to be on my arm, from shoulder to just above the elbow. During the healing process (especially the first week or so) is it okay for my shirt to touch it? My last one was on my lower leg (ankle to knee) and since it's summer it was easy to avoid anything rubbing it by wearing shorts and skirts, but the arm is a little trickier. A friend with tattoos on her arms says it won't harm it as long as the tattoo is keep moist. I can wear tank tops at home, but not to work, and I likely won't have it done until the fall or early winter (husband's turn to have work done, I have to wait!) when I won't be able to go bare armed outside. It must be possible, right? I mean, people don't walk around topless for weeks after getting work done :P Please ease my mind!

Nikki- Just be sure the shirt that you end up wearing is loose fitting...thats all. Too tight and your fabric will attach itself to your skin and when you take it off...OUCH! Not to mention ruined tattoo.

So I should do it before winter hits and I have to layer? I can wear loose shirts throught the fall, but when the snow falls I'm going to need a heavy coat.

for me the toughest thing about healing tattoos on the arm is the inner arm where it rubs against the side of your torso. having fabric bunching and shifting makes it irritable and makes it want to scab up. the LAST thing i would advise is to keep it moist. wear your bandage for the amount of time the artist recommends, maybe even a bit longer. when you take it off, wash it VERY thoroughly, almost scrubbing, except only using your fingertips or the palms of your hands. get all the goop-y plasma-y matter off there before it can harden into a scab. pat it dry with a paper towel, let it air dry for a bit... then if you wish you can use a lotion, moisturiser, aquaphor... whatever your tattoo artist recommends. bear in mind this is mainly to maintain FLEXIBILTY so it doesn't crack, you DO NOT want your tattoo to be all soggy or greasy - it's gotta be able to breathe if it's gonna heal. Now here's the trick that worked for me - get a tube sock and cut the sock part off (or,like i did, be ghetto and cut the leg off a pair of your kid's outgrown pajama pants) and gently pull the tube up onto the tattoo. it should be snug enough that it's not gonna be shifting around but loose enough not to apply actual pressure to the tattoo. (i pinned mine to my brastrap @ the top. this way the fabric that's actually touching the tattoo is not constantly causing friction on the tattoo. you can wear whatever layers you need to on top of that. or, if you have a snug-fitting long-sleeved tshirt to wear as your base layer you can use that too. (i prefer just a sleeve cause i can roll it down to clean the tattoo without having to get undressed) You may encounter problems with your tattoo sticking to the sleeve in a spot or two. If this happens, get the whole arm good and soggy wet, then peel the sleeve VERY gently off. (this is great for getting a sock unstuck from a tattooed foot, too.) wash & dry as normal. hope this helps! =)

Nikki- If you can do it sooner like in the fall I think personally it would be better just based on what you said you do when it is colder.

skeeter, I love that idea, thanks! A soft sock pinned to my bra strap sounds like the perfect solution. I'm outside a LOT in the cold months, so layering is not optional, I have to do it. I'm hoping to have the tattoo done before real winter hits, but it's a matter of money and scheduling.