The most painful spots to get tattooed are those with the least fat, most nerve endings, and thinnest skin. Bony areas such as ribs or hips or chest usually hurt a lot. Tattoos on ribs are very popular especially among women, for example quotes, song lyrics or jewellery along the lower ribs.
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.
Myth or Truth: Getting a tattoo hurts more than giving birth to a child. Myth: In reality, getting tattooed does hurt -- but it does not produce the same type of pain as childbirth. The pain of getting a tattoo feels more like scratching a bad sunburn.
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.
Getting a tattoo is often compared to a cat repeatedly scratching you. Though it's not the most intense pain ever, it might make you wanna hiss – especially if your artist uses multiple needles, like when shading. This also tends to happen away from bony or ultra-sensitive areas.
"Numbing cream is typically considered safe to apply before tattoo treatments, especially in areas that are particularly sensitive," she says. "However, the numbing cream may or may not be effective depending on the type of ingredients used.
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.
Anywhere on your body that has a little more muscle would be the best spot for the first tattoo. Generally speaking, an area will feel less uncomfortable the more body fat there is in that location. Therefore, some good spots to target are your calf, bum, bicep, and thigh.
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.
What does tattoo pain feel like? Even though needles produce tattoos, it doesn't feel like you're getting stabbed. It's nothing like getting a shot, either. The artist is actually drawing on your skin, so it feels like that — but more burn-y.
While no tattoo will be completely painless, Wiwi points out that fine line tattoos hurt less as they use small needles. However, Boyle points out that placement can greatly affect how much getting a tattoo hurts, not to mention the skill level of the artist.
Expect about half an hour to an hour for a simple, small tattoo. Keep in mind, however, a small tattoo with lots of color, line work, details, or a tricky placement could take several hours. Small tattoos are great for people who don't want to go through a lengthy tattoo process, but still want some cool ink.
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.
Painkillers may not work
Also be wary of taking any kind of pain medication that thins your blood or affects its ability to clot, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, lest you want to bleed more while getting tattooed.
Drink a lot of water during the week; avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before getting tattooed. Please do not shave the area; we will do it for you at your appointment. Avoid aspirin or blood thinning medication at least 24 hours before your tattoo; ibuprofen, acetaminophen, & other NSAID pain relievers are OK.
Most likely you will bleed a little bit… but most people only bleed a tiny amount. The bleeding usually comes out as sweat like dots of blood or just lymph coming out of your skin.
You do not want the scabs picked off. The scabbing stage can last a few days. The tattooed area is unlikely to still feel sore after about two weeks.