Tattoos hurt. But how much they hurt depends on tattoo placement, as well as the individual client and how they prepare for their appointment.
As a tattoo artist, you can’t make the tattoo pain-free, but you can monitor your client’s pain and help them out. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to give your client a good estimate of what to expect during their session, and how to communicate with them about their pain.
In this article, we’re breaking down:
Tattoo Pain Scale: How Bad do Tattoos Hurt?
There’s no real “science-backed” data on where tattoos cause the most pain. But after tattooing clients for years - and getting tattoos ourselves - these charts are a pretty good estimate:
Rating the Body Parts: From Most to Least Painful
Most Painful
The palms of your hands and soles of your feet are covered in nerve endings, making them the most painful places to get tattooed. (They also don’t hold ink well, so the tattoo might not even stay despite the severe pain of getting it.)
Armpit tattoos are extremely painful. Tattoo artists often advise clients against them because they hurt so bad.
Tattooing areas where bones are more prominent is very painful, and the rib cage is a big surface area with a lot of bone. You’ll find that a lot of clients want their first tattoo on their rib cage. However, we recommend trying to get them to move the placement.
These areas can cause severe pain - whether you’re tattooing right over the bone, or if you’re tattooing in the sensitive “ditch” of an elbow or knee.
The ankle bone and shin bone are right under the skin, making them super painful areas for getting a tattoo.
The sternum can be very painful, especially if the client has very prominent bones there. Additionally, tattoos on the breasts and nipples are known to be some of the most painful tattoo spots.
Each of these areas has lots of nerve endings, so they will be pretty painful. The place where the thigh meets the butt is known to be extremely painful.
Medium Pain
Hip tattoos are right on the bone, which can cause severe pain, especially for clients without a lot of body fat to cushion the area.
Right on the spine is one of the most painful places to get a tattoo. Generally, the further you move away from the spine, the less pain the client will experience.
Basically, tattooing anything above the shoulders is going to be a painful experience. Lips in particular are known for swelling and bruising, and stretching the skin over the center of the neck can lead to added sensitivity.
Both of these areas hurt - no matter what part of them you tattoo. Fingers and toes are right over the bone, and the tops of the hands and feet have hardly any padding to cushion the hit of the tattoo needle. Getting tattooed on the fingers can also cause painful spasms the client can’t control.
Calves do have a lot of muscle, but they still tend to hurt a lot while getting tattooed.
People will experience pain differently on the stomach depending on their body type. People with higher body weight tend to have looser skin in this area, which is more painful than people with very taut skin across their stomach.
The skin in this area tends to be looser, which makes it more painful.
Least Painful
Thighs usually have plenty of fat and muscle padding, and fewer nerve endings than other areas, making it a less painful place to get a tattoo.
These areas have few nerve endings, and clients usually need fewer breaks while getting a tattoo.
Forearms have lots of muscle, which means more padding against the tattoo needle - and less pain.
As long as you’re not directly on the spine, most clients do fine with both upper and lower back tattoos.
Note:
You can use the “pinch test” to determine how much it’ll hurt to get a tattoo on a specific body part. For example, it hurts way more to pinch your inner bicep than to pinch your thigh.
Types of Tattoo Pain
There aren’t any scientific “types” of tattoo pain, but most people who have been tattooed will describe the pain they feel as “burning,” “scratching,” or “stinging.”
While every tattoo will hurt your client, listening to what type of pain they’re describing can help you get a better idea of where they’re at - and how you can help.
A lot of people will say that getting a tattoo gives them a burning sensation. This is uncomfortable, but shouldn’t be unbearable.
What this means to you as a tattoo artist:
You’ve been in that area for a while. Usually, clients start to feel heat because their skin is raw and you’ve been tattooing in the same spot for a while. Your client might also feel that “burn” if you’re tattooing in areas that have more fat beneath the skin.
This is the most common description of tattoo pain from clients. They’ll feel like a cat is scratching its claws across their skin.
What this means to you as a tattoo artist:
You might need to mentally prepare your client before shading. If your client is experiencing this type of pain, it will be worse when you use bigger needles (like mags).
The words “sharp” and “stinging” are often used to describe the most intense type of tattoo pain.
What this means to you as a tattoo artist:
The needle might be going in too deep. It’s normal for clients to feel a sharp pain when you’re doing fine details. However, if a client says that it feels like they’re getting stung over and over again, check your needle depth, because that’s the most common phrasing people will use if you’re causing a blowout.
This type of “dull” pain is the best thing your client can feel while getting tattooed.
What this means to you as a tattoo artist:
Keep talking. A lot of the time, clients feel less pain when they’re distracted. If you’ve struck up a great conversation, keep talking! Or, you can put a movie on in the studio. Either one will help keep their mind off the pain.
Sometimes, the nerves can pick up the vibration of the machine, which can be painful. This is especially common if you’re tattooing around the wrist, elbows, ribs, and ankles.
What this means to you as a tattoo artist:
You’re tattooing near a bone. There’s not much you can really change to help this type of pain, but letting the client know why they’re feeling that type of pain can help put them at ease.
Types of People and Tattoo Pain
Pain is subjective, and no two clients will feel the exact same pain levels. While some of it just comes down to pain tolerance, there are a few factors that determine whether one customer will feel more or less pain than another.
The skin of older adults tends to be more sensitive when tattooed.
While research has not been done specifically for tattoo pain, people who are biologically female tend to experience pain more acutely than people who are biologically male.
People who are scared of getting tattooed will tend to experience more pain. Essentially, they “psych themselves out.” You’ll see this the most in customers getting their first tattoo.
On the other hand, people who have already gotten tattooed report less pain, and it’s probably because they’re more mentally prepared for it.
People will experience pain in different places depending on their body type. Clients with higher body weight will usually have looser skin, which can be painful to get tattooed. This makes areas like the stomach more painful.
Clients with a lower body weight won’t have as much fat near their bones, which will make tattoos on their ribs, hip bones, etc. more painful.
Tattooing over damaged skin will give your client more pain. For example, even if you’re tattooing over stretch marks that have been healed for years, the damage done to the skin will make it more sensitive. Additionally, damage to the skin caused by psoriasis and eczema will make tattoos more painful for clients.
How to Minimize Tattoo Pain: Pre-Tattoo
Tattoos hurt, and there’s really not a way around that. But telling your client how to prepare the right way will give them a better chance of getting through their tattoo without tapping out:
A lot of clients will think that alcohol or taking painkillers will help them through the tattoo. However, alcohol will make them dehydrated and most painkillers will thin the blood and make them bleed more. (Some clients might even take too many painkillers, which can make them more likely to throw up during their appointment.)
Note:
If your client is afraid of the pain or they know they have a low pain tolerance, you can have them use tattoo numbing cream.
Tattoo Pain Relief: Mid-tattoo
If a client is struggling to sit through their tattoo session, here’s a few things you can do to help:
Note:
Whether you let a client have a friend for support is up to you. Some customers might “play up” their pain if there’s other people around while others will try to act tougher.
Aftercare: Post-Tattoo
Tattoos can be sore or itchy, but the more acute pain should stop as soon as the tattoo is over. As a tattoo artist, make sure to emphasize to your client that following your aftercare instructions exactly will majorly minimize the pain of the healing process and make sure they don't have to get tattooed again for a touchup.
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