When you’re getting a tattoo, there’s a lot to consider. If you’re getting a tattoo that features artwork, then making sure the imagery is exactly what you and your artist envision is a top priority. If you’re getting a lettering or script tattoo, the font and size of the words are crucial. If you’re getting a geometric or ornamental tattoo, then symmetry and design are of the utmost importance.

Something that often is overlooked when planning for a new tattoo, though, is the placement. It can be tricky to figure out exactly where to place a tattoo, and even trickier to find the right spot if you have a specific placement in mind that ultimately isn’t going to work out.

If you’re planning your next tattoo and haven’t tackled placement yet, here are some things to consider when placing your tattoo.

Visibility of the Tattoo

How visible do you want your new tattoo to be? This is a question that only you can answer, and that answer will likely be informed by your life and career. For some people, whether or not their tattoos are visible is of little concern. This is often the case for those in creative career fields where body art and less-traditional appearance don’t matter. For some fields, though, the ability to cover up a tattoo for work is important.

Although tattoos are becoming more and more accepted across the board, more conservative career fields like law, education, and finance are still somewhat strict when it comes to dress codes and rules for the appearance of employees. This is something to keep in mind when you’re getting your tattoo—do you need it to be easily covered up for your day job if you’re a lawyer required to show up in court every other week?

If the Tattoo Compliments the Body

This consideration is one that might be most helpful to talk over with your tattoo artist. Certain shapes, designs, and styles complement different parts of the body, and that can sometimes be an important thing to keep in mind when choosing your next tattoo’s placement. Tattoo artists are experts at not only doing the actual tattoo but helping you figure out the perfect spot for your body art.

If you’re uncertain about your tattoo placement, or just want a second opinion to see if your idea is the best it can be, scheduling a consultation with your tattoo artist before your actual tattoo session can be extremely helpful. At Certified Tattoo Studios, we even offer consultations for free! Contact us today to get started.

If the Tattoo Will be Part of a Larger Design

Not every tattoo will end up being a part of a big design that covers a large area of the body, but many tattoos will end up in close proximity to other tattoos as you build your collection of incredible pieces over the years. 

If you’re considering getting a full or half tattoo sleeve in the future, for example, that’s an important thing to take into consideration when you’re choosing your next tattoo’s placement. The best tattoos compliment not only the body, but the other tattoos on your skin, so think about your future plans for tattoos when determining location. This is another conversation that can be incredibly helpful to have with your tattoo artist, too, as they can help to make sure your new tattoo will work seamlessly into your next piece.

What the Pain Level Will Be

We’ve talked about pain level before on the blog, but it’s an important consideration when you’re contemplating your next tattoo. For some, the pain of getting a tattoo is minimal, no matter where on the body it’s done. For others, pain is a big factor in determining where to get a new tattoo and if you’re up for getting a tattoo at all.

If you’re in the latter category and aren’t so sure about the pain of getting a new tattoo, or simply want to minimize the pain involved with getting the tattoo, then taking placement into consideration is important.

Pain can vary so much by location

The location of your tattoo can greatly affect the pain you feel during the tattoo process, too. This is due in part to certain areas of the body that have more nerve endings than others and also due to whether an area has more fat and muscle versus bone.

Some less painful areas of the body to get a tattoo are the outer and upper thighs, buttocks, forearms, shoulders, and back. Some areas that are reportedly more painful when tattooed are the neck and face, rib cage, ankle, shin, hands, toes, feet, knees, and spine.

As with everything we’ve already mentioned, this can vary so much from person to person. While one person might find a tattoo on the forearm to be easy, breezy, and pain-free, another person might find it more painful than when they got a tattoo on their ankle. The level of pain varies from person to person, though there are some common areas that are commonly understood to be more or less painful areas to get tattooed than others.

Tattoo placement is an important part of getting a tattoo, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to contemplate. There are many things to keep in mind when getting a tattoo, including the place on your body that would be best for your tattoo.

It ultimately all boils down to personal preference but keeping a few things like if the tattoo compliments the body, if the tattoo will be part of a larger design, and what the pain level will be in mind can help make the tattoo process as smooth as possible.

If you’re ready to start the process of getting your next tattoo, schedule a free consultation today. Our tattoo artists are experts in their fields and can help you figure out not only the placement of your tattoo but your tattoo’s design and the overall tattoo experience. Contact us today to get started.