Your Tattoo Pain Guide
Written by Sinéad Kennard 04.10.23
Pain free tattoo or painful tattoo? Or are you somewhere in between?
Pain is a complex mix of nerve endings, social preconceptions, and situational awareness. It is always a personal experience that is subjective to each individual. So you may be one of the lucky ones who finds getting tattooed a relaxing and pain-free experience, or like the majority you may breathe through the pain for your desired end goal.
Most people would describe the sensation of getting tattooed like a hot sharp cat scratch. There are definitely more painful parts of the body to get tattooed, again this is subjective, but areas close to your bones such as the ribs, collar bone, knees etc will be sensitive. Areas such as the forearm and leg are generally less painful. Placement on the palms of your hand, soles of your feet, armpits or head where there are lots of nerve endings will be particularly uncomfortable.
If the pain of a tattoo is a concern, you can address any worries with your tattooist in a judgment free consultation or on the day of your tattoo. We also sell numbing cream at the studio (view online) that your tattooist can apply one hour before your appointment. Check out our blog post on numbing cream for the complete 101.
Another way to deal with the pain is to keep yourself distracted while getting tattooed. We also suggest making yourself as calm as possible the night before and day of the tattoo. Ensure you have everything you need in your bag, you’ve eaten and drank well, and you’ve given yourself plenty of time to find the studio, avoiding any stress where possible.
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