Tattoo Pain Ranking: Most to Least Painful
Let’s be real, tattoos hurt no matter where you get them. If you’ve considering getting your first tattoo it is very important to choose the right spot to start your ink journey. Of course, there are numb creams that make the tattoo process much easier however, not everyone’s skin reacts the same and not all artists like numb cream. For those of you that are sticking to the traditional, feel the entire experience route, here’s a list of the most to the least painful pleases to get tattooed.
Armpit
It’s definitely a rarity to even get an armpit tattoo request now and days and its certainly for a reason. Armpit tattoos simply aren’t fun even with the accompaniment of numb cream. The nerves that makeup this part of the body make it naturally more sensitive to pain. If you have an armpit tattoo, we seriously commend you.
By: Tiffany @tiffanytattooz at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Head
There is no fat on the head, just skin and bone making this area brutal to get tattooed. The skin is also thinner so you will for sure feel every moment. It does look pretty badass though so as long as you’re mentally and physically prepared, we say go for it!
By: Tiffany @tiffanytattooz at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio Neck
The neck can be complicated for several reasons especially around the throat specifically for men. For one, there isn’t a lot of muscle mass in that area making it automatically more painful. Then when you get to the throat area the skin becomes thinner.It’s even worse for men, tattooing over the Adam’s apple can be less that pleasant. Overall, not the most fun area to tattoo and get tattooed.
By: Tiffany @tiffanytattooz at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Ribs
The ribs are one of the most popular painful spots to get inked, more so with young women. Fineline, minimalistic work is super in at the moment and can be very flattering in the mid-section especially while wearing a bathing suit or cropped top. However, this beauty doesn’t come without a cost. Similar to the head, there is a lot of thin skin and bone in this area so best of luck.
By: Nick @inkbytheg at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Knee/Elbow
Whether it’s the front or the back of the knee, you’re sure to feel the pain with this area. The back of the knee has loose thin skin and the front has thicker skin but that only means the artist has to work harder to pack in the ink.
The constant vibration from the machine on the bone for both areas can also be very uncomfortable. For these areas, its best to stick with minimal detailed designs like the one shown.
By: Joe @bawdentattoos at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Hands/Fingers
As time has passed and tattoos have gained more respect and popularity hand tattoos are becoming less of a taboo. As awesome as these tattoos are,there are tons of nerve endings in the hands and fingers so a lot of people find this experience pretty painful. To top it off, ink tends to fade quicker on this area simply because of how often we use our hands so touch ups are more common than not.
By: Tiffany @tiffanytattooz at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Feet
Tattooing the foot is painful for essentially same reasons as the hands. Lots of nerve endings, thin skin and bone. Similarly, the ink doesn’t hold well specifically when moving more towards the sides/bottom of the foot. Many artists tend to turn down these tattoos because of its difficulty.
By: Tiffany @tiffanytattooz at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Shin/Ankle
Leg sleeves are becoming the new arm sleeves, everyone wants them! There is about double the amount of skin that makes up your leg versus your arm making leg sleeves double the work and time. There is typically little muscle and fat in the shin and ankle area making this one of the worst spots on the leg to get tattooed
By: Joe @bawdentattoos at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Chest/Sternum
Chest tattoos are one of the most popular for men and sternum tattoos are very popular amongst women but nobody talks about how unpleasant it can be getting tattooed in this area. Although the chest has a lot of muscle and cushion to help ease the pain of the needle, its closeness to the sternum makes this area quite painful. If you Google chest tattoo pain, they’d rate it at a level 10 comparing its pain to the ribs.
By: Joe @bawdentattoos at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Stomach
As we all know, you have to keep movements to a minimum when getting tattooed. Now image how hard it is to stop moving the one area that’s constantly moving due to simply breathing! That fact alone can make stomach tattoos more difficultfor the client and artist. The pain can vary with based on your body weight. The tighter the skin, the less pain you’ll feel in this area.
By: Tiffany @tiffanytattooz at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Back
Back tattoos can be tricky when determining pain level because different parts of the back will hurt more than others. Spine tattoos are on the more painful side whereas the shoulders aren’t so bad in comparison. At the end of the day if you’re doing your full back like this guy, you know you’re in for a ride.
By: Joe @bawdentattoos at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Calf
Opposite to the shin, the calf can be one of the easier areas to get tattooed. There is a decent amount of muscle in the area to make this area pretty mild when it comes to its pain level. Of course, once the artist starts getting lower towards the ankle or higher to the back of the knee is when things can get irritating. Nevertheless, pain is merely temporary and tattoos are forever!
By: Joe @bawdentattoos at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Thigh
The outer thigh can be a great option when deciding where you’d like to put a large piece. It’s not only flattering for just about everyone but the pain level is also on the lower end of the scale compared to the inner and back of the thigh. Inner thigh tattoos are painful because of the nature of the skin and constant friction in clothes. This can result in a grueling healing process
By: Nick @inkbytheg at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Bicep
With a lot of muscle and less amount of nerve endings, the bicep is certainly and ideal place to start your tattoo journey. Especially if you’re considering doing a full sleeve. It is common for people say the inner bicep can be a little more painful but nowhere near the previous areas we discussed.
By: Nick @inkbytheg at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Forearm
The forearm is a dream for both client and artist. The skin is tight and completely smooth making it a breeze for the artist to come up with a flattering design. The skin is also relatively thick making it less sensitive.
By: Joe @bawdentattoos at Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio
Now that you’ve learned all about the anticipated pain in most areas of the body, where are you getting your next tattoo? Click the “Book Appt” tab on our website and we can assist you in setting up and appointment with one of our talented artists! Hope to see you soon.