If you're considering a single needle tattoo, you can do a few things to minimize the pain. First, choose a smaller design. The less area that's being tattooed, the less pain you'll experience. Second, avoid sensitive areas like the spine or ribs.
#3 Needle Size
Small does not equal less pain. That's right when it comes to getting a new tattoo fine lines are more painful than bold traditional. Upside is, most fine line tattoos are smaller.
- Size and Style. The bigger or more intricate the tattoo, the longer that needle will be on your skin. It is not uncommon for the skin to become more sensitive as it spends more time under the pressure and puncture of a needle.
Small tattoos tend to be a lot less painful than larger pieces mainly because they take less time. The longer your tattoo session the more trauma and irritation your skin experiences.
Diameter (Tattoo Needle Sizes)
Consequently, narrower tattoo needles have a finer ink flow and are typically better for line work. On the other hand, tattoo needles with larger diameters have a freer ink flow, so you might like them better for shading or color.
If you're just starting out, you'll want to focus on round shaders in sizes 3, 5, 7, and 9 for some shading and filling in small areas. Round needles use the same size tube, so if you're using a 9RL needle, you'll use a 9R tube. Pretty straightforward.
The smallest needles are usually 3-5 magnums. They're good for tight line work and small details. The next size up is usually 7-9 magnums, which are good for larger details and wider lines. 11-14 magnums are typically used for fills, while 15-18 magnums are better for large areas of color.
You can expect it to be uncomfortable, of course, but just how uncomfortable depends on the hand and skill of your artist, the location of the tattoo, and your pain tolerance. You can expect to feel more than a pinprick when you get a tattoo, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to handle it.
Contrary to what you might expect, many people report that the shading hurts significantly less than the outlining of the tattoo. If you've already made it through your line work, pat yourself on the back. You've likely conquered the most painful part already.
There are two main factors that make injections hurt: one is the thickness of the needle—the thicker the gauge of the needle, the bigger the hole, hence the bigger the pain; the other is the friction factor of the needle—even if a needle is fine, its saw-tooth design causes pain because it damages the skin. Japanese ...
The most painful spots to get a tattoo are your ribs, spine, fingers, and shins. The least painful spots to get a tattoo are your forearms, stomach, and outer thighs.
This may be because the process of applying color to the skin involves multiple passes with the tattoo needle, which can be more painful than applying black ink. Additionally, the vibrance and intensity of color tattoos may make them more noticeable and more painful for some people.
For those worried about pain, Lavriv says tattoo newbies should start small. "I always recommend getting a smaller piece — under an hour — as a first tattoo," she says. "Tattoo pain is a very subjective thing and while it can feel like not a big deal to some people, it can be excruciating for others.
Numbing creams don't eliminate pain during the tattoo session, but they can help significantly. Most customers who got tattooed while using a numbing cream report that it made their experience much more bearable than if they hadn't used any numbing agent.
With that said, don't take painkillers before getting a tattoo either. Painkillers like Advil and Ibuprofen also thin the blood, which will lead to similar issues that alcohol has.
“You can take things like over-the-counter painkillers, but the sharp pain you have at the surface of the skin will still likely be felt during the procedure.” You can take acetaminophen (like Tylenol) or ibuprofen (like Advil) can help with any soreness that occurs in the hours after you get your tattoo, but there's ...
If some swelling/redness is present the day after your tattoo, and it is uncomfortable or bothering you, it is appropriate to use ice (20 minutes) and/or an NSAID (ibuprofen, Advil, aleve, naproxen) to help bring the swelling down.
A Tattoo needle penetrates 5 layers of the epidermis
That may sound like a lot of skin, but in reality it is only 1/16th of an inch, about 1-2mm. That's pretty tiny. It goes through five layers of the epidermis, through the dermal layer, and into the topmost layer of the dermis.
Fine line tattoos can still use multiple tipped needles, but you'll get the finest line possible from the use of a single tipped needle, or in technical terms; a 'one round liner' (1RL). The other option is usually a 3RL, which can also produce gorgeous, fine tattoo results.