What are The Most Painful Spots to Get Tattooed?
Tattoos are painful, there's no doubt about it. Although, the actual pain itself can be hard to describe. One of the main points artists and people will bring up is the actual spot for the tattoo. Each spot can differ in the amount of pain when tattooed. To help understand which spots are painful. We’re going to dive into the most painful spots to get tattooed. Starting with what makes certain spots painful.
Why are some spots more painful than others?
The reason why some spots hurt more than others comes down to a few different reasons:
Exposure - Certain areas are more exposed to touch, and are duller to senses than other parts. The outer parts of our bodies that are more exposed to being touched such as the outer arm and legs are less sensitive than the inner parts.
Lack of Fat and Muscle - Think of your fat and muscles as a sort of cushion for the force of the tattoo needle moving in and out. While the main goal of the tattoo is to keep the ink in the skin, the deeper tissue still feels the force of the tattoo needle forcefully entering our skin. Without much fat and muscle on some spots, you will feel the force of the tattoo.
Nerves - Our nervous system runs along our blood vessels. Meaning, our nerves are pretty much all around our body. Although, some spots have way more nerve endings than others. When these spots are tattooed you’ll immediately feel the pain.
Pain Tolerance - While everyone feels pain, some people are more sensitive than others. Individual pain tolerance can vary even in the same spot. Between two people, one can say the legs are more painful than the arms. While the other person will say the opposite.
Now that you know the reasons why some spots hurt more than others, we’ll get into the most painful spots.
Painful Tattoo Spots
Head, Face & Neck
The lack of fat and muscle tissue. Combined with the short distance between the nerves and the brain, makes these areas extremely painful. Areas with joints and bones connecting such as behind the back of the head, behind the ear, the chin and collar bone, makes this area intense.
Ribs
Well known as one of the most painful areas. Due to the lack of flesh covering the bones and our organs being close. This spot can be especially tough when getting closer to the sternum, armpit and hip.
Spine
Anyone who has a full back piece can know how rough the spine can be. With the bone and nerves running down the whole back. The vibrations can be tiring to deal with during long tattoo sessions.
Armpits
If you’re ticklish and sensitive here, you’re in for a wild ride. With thin skin, joints and plenty of nerves. You’re going to feel the pain in this area for sure. This spot can also get uncomfortable because of the way the skin needs to be stretched to properly tattoo the area.
Elbows and Knees
The elbows and knees are similar to the armpit, in terms of pain. You might also feel the pain running up and down following your nerves. Especially in your leg where you might get the occasional twitch.
Ankles, Feet, Hands and Wrist
These spots have little thin skin with a close distance to the bone. Along with the joints that run along these spots. You’ll feel the aches and stinging from the tattoos being worked on.
Inner Thigh and Groin
While the inner thigh has plenty of muscle and fat, the nerves that run along it will make it pretty painful. Especially with its close distance to the groin. The groin area is one that will be tough to take in. Being close to your most sensitive organs, you’re going to feel the entire thing right away till it’s all over.
How to handle painful tattoo spots
While these spots are painful, people still get them tattooed. You might be wondering how people can deal with these painful areas. Here are some ways you can make the tattoo easier on yourself.
Choose your artist with a light touch. This will help make the actual tattooing much easier on you. While you’ll still feel the pain, it won’t be as intense as an artist that is heavy handed.
Choose a lighter design. A design that isn’t as dense in tone, or packed with detail will mean the tattoo will be finished sooner. The sooner you are done, the less pain you have to go through.
Stay healthy and well rested. This is important for any tattoo, but especially for sensitive spots. Being healthy and well rested will be important for dealing with the pain physically. Especially during a long tattoo session.
Get in the right state of mind. Dealing with pain is also mental. Being stressed will make the pain much more difficult to deal with and drain your energy. Do what you need to do to relax. Listening to music, watching something, focusing on your breathing can help deal with pain.
Eat properly and stay hydrated. This is to keep your skin in good condition, and your blood sugar up during your tattoo session. While you might be laying or sitting down during your tattoo. Holding back pain still takes energy, which you will need to keep up during longer sessions.
It’s alright to ask for breaks. If it gets too painful for you to handle, there’s no shame in asking for a break. Taking a moment, to catch your breath, relax, or eat/drink can help you out in the long term.
Conclusion
Now that you know the most painful spots to get tattooed, you’ll be ready to deal with the pain when time comes to fill those spots in! If you’re looking to get a tattoo on a painful spot, our studio and artists are well equipped to help you through the process. Send us a message! We’d love to have you in for a tattoo and make the best of the pain and process!
