On a scale of 1-10 how painful is getting a tattoo??

Question

I am getting my first tattoo on Saturday and it's either going to be on the outside of my shoulder on my arm, or on my back right below my shoulder. Which is the least painful spot? And what does it feel like?

I don't want to start jolting and make him mess up when he's doing it.

My friend Teri told me when she got the tattoo on her finger it felt like he was burning her with matchsticks over and over.

AHH! lol

Thanks, Emily

Answer 1

Thigh = 16

Inner wrist = 3

Inside of upper arm = 7 (i was actually disappointed, was expecting much worse)

Forearm = 5 - 7

Shin = 2

Ankle = 3 (these are all based on my experience)

Answer 2

The outside of the arm is the least painful spot. Shoulder has some pain when it gets to the outer parts of the shoulder. The back spot hurts since it is unweathered skin.

Tattoo's are painful (anyone who says different is a damn liar) Remember to breathe evenly and to mentally prepare for the pain before going. Also, talk to the artist doing your tattoo and let them know about any reservations you may have to the process so they can keep it in mind while they work on you.

Answer 3

I got mine on the side on my lower back area and I would say it was only like a 3 or 4....I had the same fear re: jolting that you did but it's not like a shocking pain...It hurts for the first maybe 5 minutes...but after awhile, your body adapts to the feeling and yes it's still not the most pleasant feeling but it's not the worst either. Just find a spot on the ground/wall/ceiling and concentrate on that and your breathing....that's what I did both when I had my baby and when I got my tattoo...

Answer 4

Pain is relative. Everyone feels it differently. Least and most painful spots vary from person to person. As far as what it feels like, to me is a stinging burn type pain that goes away after the first 5-15 minutes of tattooing.

All in all, I don't think that a tat on your arm will hurt as bad as having it done on your back but either way, I don't see you have full body spasms during the process. You might twitch a bit, but if you need a break, ask for one.

Answer 5

As noted it depends upon where you get the tat. And what your personal tolerance for pain is - - I have a pretty high tolerance.
I have 5 tats and here are my 'pain factors' for each spot:

Outside upper arm - 3

Left Wrist (all the way around) - 3

Right lower leg - outer side only (from just above the ankle to the knee) - 5 (it was painful by the ankle and by the knee - in between wasn't too bad)

Right and Left Ankles - all the way around - 9 ( these REALLY REALLY hurt -but it didn't stop me from getting both done )

Answer 6

Depends where. The one on my forearm...4. When I got them touched up due to scar tissue, a 5. Pain, yes, but nothing to break a sweat about.

The ones on top of my feet? 2 hours of atleast a 6-8. It varied on which area my artist was working in. There was some points I was like "eh, not as bad as my sister lead me to believe" and then there was times I wanted to yank my foot away *which would have been bad :P* All in all, I was glad I was done, but I'd go through it again, no question. The touch up on some of the lines....9. Thanks to the scar tissue again. Thankfully the touch up was only about 10 minutes :P

Just something to keep in mind, for the most part, the more muscle/fat between the skin to the bone, the less painful it's going to be, but everyone is different.

Answer 7

Hey Emily, I have only had the outsides of my biceps tattooed but the closest thing I can compare it to .....it's like having tiny little sparks falling down on you over and over. They go out as soon as they hit the skin...but there's always more of them falling and hitting.. It doesn't hurt so much as it is annoying. The next day (and for about 4 to 6 days later) its going to feel like a sunburn. The key is to relax, listen to music or talk to a friend to distract you. Use the best artist you can find. go to my 360 page and click on the dragon tattoo in my blog, then click it again. My dragon was 12 hours old in that picture...no scabs..no bleeding.

I am doing 8 to 9 hours under the needles next month so I've been doing my research.....here is the best article I could find on pain as charted by body location

http://www.tattooz.net/default.cfm?sitem...

I hope this helps

Answer 8

Im 19 and I already have 3 tattoos. It all depends on if u can take the pain. Personally they didn't bother me. I actually laughed. I have one on my right shoulder blade. It was my first one and the biggest one I have so far. My second tattoo is located in the middle of my back, just below my neck. My third tattoo is located on my right leg, on the side of my calf. I hope this is of some help to you.

Answer 9

On your arm should not be that bad, on your back below the shoulder it might since its boney there. I got mine on my lower back. I was on my period that day and had killer cramps, my friends told me then when I would get the tattoo I would forget about the cramps. That did not happen, I had to stop because my cramps were killing me not the piercing of the tattoo. The outline was a little bit uncomfortable, but the filling was fine.

Answer 10

Honestly pain is how you take it. I am a wimp but after having 3 kids (and having epidurals) I rate tattos about a 5 (and I just had one last saturday). The best thing to do is to try to take your mind off of what the artist is doing and breath. As for the jolting, I was jerking alot and mine turned out ok so if you got a good artist, you will be fine! :) Just remember to breath and you will make it through it just fine!

Answer 11

it's hard to say, i'll say between a 3 and a 7 depending on where and the pain goes between the two extremes. some parts hurt very little and some parts are tooth grinding painful. i have most of my back tattooed and the part that hurts the most is the spine. i have never had my arm tattooed.