Are you getting a tattoo for the very first time?

If so, you must be bothered by one thing—pain.

Yeah, you must be worried if tattooing hurt. If it hurts, will you be able to bear that pain? Get ready to find all the answers here before you get a tattoo.

The fear of pain can be justified as tattoos are made piercing the skin with the needles to embed the ink into the skin.

However, not all tattoos are painful. And not all tattoos are a breeze.

And here are the experiences of two people. The first one is of the one who felt like being cut with a knife.

“I have a full sleeve on my right arm going from my wrist to the lower end of my shoulder blade with some spike on ym (sic) neck and chest.

Did it hurt? ofc (sic) anyone saying it don’t is either high or playing some kind of macho game, the best way i can personally describe is the lines kinda (sic) feels like being cut with a knife while the shading(filling) are more in the area of a skin scrape that you get from tripping on your bike or something like that, but like @smelltheglove said the endorphins starts to kick in after about 7-10min and then it mostly just feel like having a sunburn same with the morning after.

Vacaliga 

Read Also: 10 Neck Tattoo Ideas to Give a Try

And this person claims that tattoos are not painful …

 “Everyone also has different levels of pain tolerance, but generally, getting a tattoo doesn’t hurt that badly. It’s definitely uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t describe it as terribly painful. Personally, I feel that getting stitches hurts more than getting a tattoo. 

That being said, don’t let the fear of pain deter you from getting a tattoo that you really want. 

As nerve-racking as it can be, just try to relax, and don’t focus on how uncomfortable it is. If it will make you feel better, bring a friend with you to distract you.“

Kaley Kerr at Hercampus.com

Well, the pain is determined by the body part you are being inked at.

In other words, somebody parts are less painful to get a tattoo while some are the most painful parts.

Getting a tattoo on the chest, thighs and the inner side of the wrist won’t hurt. Why? This is because they have an abundance of flesh that acts as the cushion to the striking of the needle.

Body parts like fingers, elbow, ribs and shoulder blade may hurt due to their boney prominence with little to no muscle cushion. The needle runs over the thin layers of the skin and bones repeatedly. This way, it causes pain and discomfort.

Here we will walk through some of the body parts for the most and least painful tattoos.

Let’s Start From The Most Painful Tattoos First

1. Head:

Head tattoos are not a breeze. As discussed, tattooing in the boney area can hurt. Head has only skin and bone with minimal fat. You can feel sheer discomfort and pain when the needle runs over this area. What makes it more irritating is the noise of the machine that runs just close to the ears.

2. Elbow:

Elbow tattoos are in vogue. But getting them means you have to go through a sheer amount of pain. It is boney as it is the joint in the arm. It would also add discomfort to the pain as a tattoo artist is likely to bend your arm while you sit awkwardly.

3. Hand and Fingers:

Getting a tattoo on the hands or fingers require you a sound pain threshold. They are boney parts surrounded by ligaments and sensitive skin. However, tiny designs over these parts will cut short the length of pain.

4. Ribs:

Ribs are one of the sensitive areas besides being a boney part with a thin skin. The ribcage expands and contracts every single moment you breathe. This will prompt you to take several breaks during the process.

5. Spine:

Do we need to tell why the spine is the most painful area to get a tattoo at?
Simple reason—more boney presence and less fat cushion. It is also painful for another reason. The spinal cord is close to the skin. You can minimize the pain by getting a tattoo at either side of the spine.

6. Knee Caps:

Knee caps are not only boney but also surrounded by tissues and bones. Therefore, it is obvious to feel pain and discomfort when the needle runs over the surface.

List of Least Painful Tattoos

If you are looking for the least painful tattoos, this list can help you. They cause little to no pain because they are made in fleshy areas.

1. Finger:

You won’t feel that pain while getting a finger tattoo. Plus, they have fewer nerve endings. Although the finger has some boney prominence, you will feel less pain as tattoos done on the fingers are quite small.
Plus, finger tattoos are trendy and stylish.

2. Outer Shoulder:

Outer shoulder tattoos leave a huge impact. They have been in vogue for years. Like finger tattoos, they won’t hurt as they are fleshier.

3. Thighs:

Thighs make this list for several reasons. First of all, leg muscles are strong enough to tolerate the pain. Secondly, they have more fat and muscles with low nerve endings. However, make sure they don’t exceed the inner areas of the thighs which are a sensitive region with more nerve receptors.

4. Inner Side of the Wrist:

The inner side of the wrist is fleshy and less boney. Therefore, it won’t hurt you. And the beauty of the wrist tattoos is that they look adorable. From heart, quotes to the symbols, the tattoo choices are just endless for your wrist.

5. Ear Cartilage:

Getting a tattoo on the ears is in trend. Generally, the tattoo is done directly onto the ear cartilage. Getting a tattoo on this area won’t hurt that much.

6. Upper Area of the Back:

Getting your upper back tattooed won’t cause pain. This is because the back is a larger part with fewer nerve endings. This way, it provides more space to get a tattoo inked with less pain. However, they may hurt if they reach to the spinal area.

Tattoos at this spot are cool and ravishing. This adds to women’s oomph factor if flaunt with a backless dress.

How to Get a Painless Tattoo

We all want to have a perfect tattoos but you must have understood that tattoo pain varies based on the body parts. While pain is an inevitable part of the process, there are many ways to minimize or completely dull it.

And one of them is a numbing cream.

A numbing cream or topical anesthetic desensitizes the skin for a couple of hours. Simply put, it dulls your skin so that you don’t feel anything happening to it. The use of numbing cream is more important when it comes to getting a tattoo over boney parts. It is easy to use. Just follow the steps given below…

  • Wash your skin with soap and water. Pat Dry
  • Apply numbing cream to the skin
  • Cover it with a plastic wrap for one hour
  • Remove the cover after one hour

Apart from using a numbing cream, there are some more ways to minimize tattoo pain.

  • Choose the right artist as they know how to do the process without hurting you so much.
  • Avoid taking alcohol or coffee before tattooing. This is because they may thin the blood.
  • Take adequate rest to help yourself survive the hourly long tattooing process. It will help you save your energy level.

If you are looking for an affordable numbing cream, shop here.