Tatoo Pain? Honest Opinion?

Question

I've always wanted a tatoo, after a lot of consideration I have come up with a design that is unqiue and reflects my personality well. The only problem is that since i've been discusing it with my friends/colleagues i've heard all sorts of horror stories about the pain, that its the worse feeling ever etc.. Can people who have had one done give me an honest opinion on how much it hurts as id like to be completley aware before I go through with it.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Honestly.....I think it depends on where you get it done. I got mine done on my hip the very top of my thigh. I best way I can describe it is it's more like a scratchy sensation. Though I would say a good tattoo artist should be prepared for you to be nervous and worried. About 5 minuts into mine I started to feel a bit faint the guy stopped and gave me a lollipop (yay) and we started again when he felt I was ready.

I did my reasearch by going to www.about.com and looking tattoos up there.

Answer 2

Well common sense says that it should at least be an irritating feeling since a needle is being poked into your skin over and over. The pain factor however is different for everyone. Mine itched except for the very edges by my ankle bone and heal. I handle pain well also. Don't let the horror stories freak you out because you wont know how it will affect you until you are getting it done. Don't drink alcohol before hand or take anything for pain. Ask a friend to go along with you so that you can stay calm and have someone to talk to. Eat a good healthy meal and have water or juice that you can drink during your tattoo if the position allows it. If the length of the lines hurts, ask your artist to do shorter lines per stint. No worries, it's not like OMG I'm going to die pain unless you get it somewhere really sensetive and have a low pain tolerance. Otherwise the pain itself isn't a feeling after the first 5 to 10 minutes and at that point it starts to be more of an irritating itch until bone or nerve is crossed. You did the hard part of finding what you want, now go for it! It'll look awesome when it's done!

Answer 3

It depends where you get it done...I have a huge fairy-goddess on my back which took 4 hours. At first i felt shock, but then as i kept breathing and talking and thinking about how beautiful it would be, the pain became a healing experience. I went back for more! I'm addicted to be quite honest! Start out with something small in an area where it is meaty and multiply the sensation 5x for an area such as your backbone...Im telling you, once you tat, you can't stop! Tip: When they start, close your eyes and imagine you are getting a deep body massage. Open your eyes and look if you want to. Video tape it so you can see how brave you were okay! Practice breathing bc some artists may become frustrated if you jump suddenly or take too many breaks. Good luck babe. Tat it up!

Answer 4

Honestly, I got my first 1 when I was 19 and it hurt a lot. And it bled a lot and I felt woozy like I would pass out but I didn't. That artist was using dull needles and was very fast. The other 23 that I got after didn't hurt as much. The pain was minimal. The difference is that today all needles are sharp because they are new and only used once. They used to autoclave sterilize them and use them over again. Now because of H.I.V. they throw them away after 1 use. Plus they are slower going and take their time more. Also they hurt more on a bone like your thorax or clavicle but a lot less on your bicep or thigh or inside of forearm But it is nothing you can't stand and the pain is worth it. Also generally after the outline is done your skin is numb and you won't feel the shading process. But if it does bother you a lot you can get it outlined and let it heal and go back a month or so later and have it shaded in. My brother has 1 on his back that has taken 2 years so far.

Answer 5

It is not the worst pain ever. If someone tells you that, they obviously have an extremely low tolerance for pain. I have 2. One on my lower back and one on the back of my right shoulder. The one on my lower back didnt hurt at all, the one on my shoulder hurt a little bit because part of it was over the bone. It kind of feels like someone scratching you hard when its over the bone. If its in a fattier area, its like soft scratching, like when you have an itch. The tattoo area may be a bit tender after getting it, but the tenderness goes away within 24 hours. If you do get one, make sure you put some A&D ointment on it to prevent the area from drying out and/or flaking.

If you get a tattoo around your wrist or ankle, it will hurt a bit more because those areas are packed with nerves.

Answer 6

It all depends on you some people can take it and say it dose not hurt at all. And then some say it hurts like hell. I have 5 tattoo's one on my right ankle did not hurt at all. My right upper arm it did not hurt. Right titty it hurt very very little think about it its my titty its going to hurt some. Lower back Large tattoo of a Pit Bull I can tell you i did not feel that much with that one just it getting hot from him tattooing it, Then i just got my upper back done and its bigger then my lower back tattoo. It go's from the bottom of my neck half way down my back and has a lot of detail in it. And i can tell you that one hurt. But it was not the worst pain i have ever felt. But i did the black one day and two weeks later went to go the color done. It really depends on how you are and how much pain you can take. And what you consider pain. I'm not going to tell you it don't hurt because it dose its just different for everyone.

Answer 7

It's definately not the worse feeling ever!! It's not always really pleasant either! The best way to describe tattoo pain is someone scraping the same spot with a finger nail. Don't worry, if it gets to be too much, just ask for a little break! The artist should be more than happy to give you a time out....if it's what you really want, it's totally worth it!

Answer 8

I have 4 tatoos. To be quite honest, the placement has a lot to do with the amount of pain you feel...that, and you natural tolerance to pain. For me, the ones that hurt most were the large pieces over my shoulder blades, and the least painful were on the fleshier part of my back, and above my ankle. I love mine.

Answer 9

It depends where your going to have tattooed and your pain threshold :) I have 7 tattoos and the only one I can say that honestly really hurt are the ones on my feet. But it's only like a scratching. You can take a painkiller half hour or so before you go,it can help a little x

Answer 10

Of course it hurts,but it isn't that bad. It is a steady pin pricking feeling and you have to deal with it till it's over. Go for a small tattoo if you are scared of the pain. The worst pain that I ever experienced is labor pains. I have three tattoos. You see my avatar, I have that on my upper back. Good Luck.