Getting Inked: Factors that Affect How Painful a Tattoo Will Be
They say that pain is beauty, especially when you go under the needle to get a tattoo. Expressing your emotions, memories, or creative icons through your ink is truly worth all the discomfort, especially when you’re under the careful hands of a certified tattoo artist. But while getting a tattoo hurts somehow or another, the thresholds of pain vary depending on several factors.
Factors that Affect the Pain Levels of Getting a Tattoo
People may experience pain differently when doing a stick and poke, so some may say it feels like tiny prickles, while others may think it feels like getting lined with a razor and then adding salt to one’s wound. With that being said, the factors below influence how painful a tattoo is for a person:
The tattoo’s location on your body
The tattoo’s style and size
The tattoo artist’s technique
The tattoo’s coloring—line art or fully colored?
Your physical health
How well you prepped for the tattoo
Tattoo and Its Different Forms of Painful Aftermath
Depending on what the tattoo artist is doing on your skin and the placement of the design, you’ll likely feel a range of different levels and variations of pain. After all, a tattoo involves inserting needles and ink into the second layer of your skin, which already sounds excruciating.
The tattoo needles work like a sewing machine, so as the needles pierce your skin’s dermis repeatedly, you might experience one or more of the following:
Stinging
Scratching
Burning
Vibrating
Dullness
Breaking Down Tattoo Pain from Most to Least
The armpit is the most painful part of the body to get tattooed as the skin is extremely thin, so much so that many tattoo artists don’t recommend this area in the first place.
The rib cage falls second to the armpit as the most painful place since, other than the lack of fat and thin skin, every time you breathe sends a shooting pain as your skin stretches through the motion.
The ankles and shins also have thin layers of skin, making them extremely painful to endure under the inky needle.
The nipples and breasts are hyper-sensitive enough as they are, so getting a tattoo in those areas will definitely cause severe pain.
The groin has plenty of nerve endings, so getting a tattoo along your private parts can send between high to severe levels of pain.
The elbows and kneecaps directly touch your bone, so the vibrations caused by the tattoo device can lead to another dose of severe pain.
The sensitive skin behind the knees is loose, stretchy, and filled with nerve endings, making them another painful spot for a tattoo.
Just like the elbows and kneecaps, your hip bones also lay directly below the skin, so all the added pressure and sharp cuts can take a toll on your hips.
You also have thin layers of skin around the neck and spine, making them painful spots for a tattoo.
The head, face, and ears are packed with sensitive nerve endings that can easily get inflamed when you get a tattoo, so expect to feel prickling pain when getting inked in any of these areas.
The Bottom Line: Identifying the Most Painful Spots to Get Tattooed
No matter the level of pain you go through under the needle, remember that it’s a temporary discomfort that will quickly pass, heal, and reveal a beautiful body art at the end of it all. While there’s no escaping the discomfort that comes with getting inked, you can minimize the pain by caring for your physical health during the days leading up to your big day.
Choosing a licensed tattoo artist can also lessen your agony throughout the entire process, especially since talented and seasoned artists can complete their masterpiece on your body in less time.
Are You Looking for the Best Tattoo Artists in Colorado, USA?
Inking down memories and symbols that represent special moments, people, or even pets in your life is an art itself; that’s why we believe tattoos are a beautiful way to express yourself and preserve a part of yourself that you want to keep forever.
If you’re looking for certified custom tattoo artists in Colorado, be it lettering, geometric, portrait, fine line, or full-colored work, check out our award-winning tattoo artists at Certified Tattoo! We can capture your narrative in stylized ink, so book an appointment with us. As we always say, anyone with skin is welcome here!
