Short answer: yes. But really, it depends on a number of factors, one of which is the location of the tattoo. Today’s tattoo post will talk about the most painful areas of the body to tattoo.
Before I get into the list, one thing to keep in mind is that at Barak Studios, I offer the use of topical products that will reduce pain and maximize your comfort during the tattoo. I will elaborate more on this in a separate post. Also, following the tattoo pre-care instructions found on the Barak Studios website will make for a more comfortable tattoo experience.
One more thing to consider is that pain is a deeply personal experience that can vary greatly from person to person. Pain tolerance can differ immensely from individual to individual. Some may even find the pain to be a healing or cathartic experience.
If you are new to tattooing, you may want to consider waiting to get these more sensitive areas tattooed until you have a few tattoos in less painful areas. Getting a highly sensitive area tattooed without being familiar with the pain of the tattoo medium and its effects on you may set you up for tapping out early during the tattoo session and having to deal with an unfinished tattoo. If you are set on the placement and it happens to be one of the notoriously painful areas listed below, consider a design that is small or simplified in case you are unable to sit for a long tattoo session or work with your artist on a design that can be expanded upon in the future.
Without further ado, here are the most notoriously painful areas of the body to get tattooed:
Ribs: While the ribs can be an aesthetically flattering area of the body to be tattooed, it is a painful area to be tattooed for a number of reasons. The skin in the area is thin and tends not to be as fatty as compared to other “meatier” areas of the body. Combined with the bones and nerves located here, the tattoo needles will tend to feel more intense compared to other areas of the body.
Chest: Another visually pleasing yet sometimes painful area to get tattooed is the chest. Like the ribs, the area tends to be the trifecta of thin, sensitive and close to bone. Having more body fat or muscle in the area will make the tattoo a less painful experience.
Top of the Foot/Ankle/Shins: Thin skin and the bony nature of these areas make it one of the more painful areas to be tattooed. There is very little fat or muscle in the area to cushion the bones from the tattoo needle.
Hands/ Wrists: Hand and wrist tattoos are becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason. We use our them in almost everything we do, and it is a great location to be able to enjoy your tattoo throughout the day. But the area can be painful to get tattooed. Because hands and wrists are bony and covered in just a thin layer of skin, there’s no cushion to absorb the pain of the tattoo needles. These areas also have a high concentration of sensory nerves, which may make for a more painful tattoo experience.
Neck: The neck is an area with thin skin and containing the spine as well as numerous vital arteries and nerves. This is one of the most sensitive areas of the body to get tattooed.
Head/ Face/ Ears/Lips: Similar to the neck, these areas have thin skin and contain many nerve endings that can be irritated during a tattoo, causing severe pain.
Shoulder: While arms tend to have a lot of great real estate for tattooing as far as pain is concerned, the shoulder tends to be a painful area to be tattooed. Shoulders tend to be leaner and bonier than the rest of the arm, which lends itself to being a painful area to get tattooed.