Where Are The Least Painful Places To Get A Tattoo?
- Tattoo pain will vary depending on your age, sex, and pain threshold.
- The most painful spots to get a tattoo are your ribs, spine, fingers, and shins.
- The least painful spots to get a tattoo are your forearms, stomach, and outer thighs.
Getting a tattoo involves an ink-filled needle repeatedly puncturing your skin. Consequently, it’s not unusual to wonder how much pain you should expect when considering a tattoo. As it turns out, pain is a highly subjective experience , and how much discomfort you feel while getting tattoed can depend on a couple of factors including your biological sex, pain tolerance, and most importantly — the area of your body getting tattooed.
Contents
Where do tattoos hurt the least and most?
Depending on who you speak to, getting a tattoo is either super painful, or doesn’t even register on the pain scale. The reality is, getting inked will likely never be completely pain-free, and that’s for a very obvious reason. “There are needles being poked deep enough into the skin to draw blood,” Amanda Wendel , MD, dermatologist at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, told POPSUGAR, noting that getting a tattoo will be somewhat uncomfortable in any location.
- That being said, there are painful spots on the body you can avoid if you’re concerned about the experience, like areas where the skin is thin, there are a lot of nerve endings, or there’s less fat, according to Dr;
Suzanne Friedler , board-certified dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology PC and Clinical Instructor of Dermatology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. The hands, rib cage, feet, and face are especially sensitive given this criteria. On the other hand, while in the tattoo artist’s chair, there are points on the body that will cause less discomfort than others.
- “Optimal locations for less pain include areas like the outer arms and legs, where skin is thicker, more fat is present, and nerves are less plentiful,” Dr;
- Friedler said;
- Dr;
- Wendel agreed, saying that “in general, the most painful places to get a tattoo are areas of the skin that are thin or have less subcutaneous tissue for cushioning;
” She explained that a tattoo on the ankle or overlying the rib cage “would be much more painful than a tattoo on the buttock ,” for example, because the latter has more fat. Still, doctors and tattoo artists alike told POPSUGAR the pain experienced during inking can depend greatly on the individual.
Matt O’Baugh of Black Cobra Tattoos in Little Rock, Arkansas has seen clients react very differently to being inked in the same spot. Jimmy St John of Skin Kitchen in Des Moines, Iowa also told POPSUGAR that “everyone’s pain tolerance is different.
” But in his experience, the least painful places are going to be the outside of the arms. The truth is, you never know how the pain will affect you until you’re in the tattoo artist’s chair, even if you’ve had a tattoo before. All things considered (like the potential pain you may endure), it’s worth putting a lot of thought into where on the body you want to get your tattoo.
What is the best place to get a tattoo?
The calves are a great place to get tattooed if you’re nervous about the pain. Not only are there few nerve endings, but this area also offers a lot of cushion compared to other bone-y areas. If you’re thinking about a foot tattoo, you should consider moving it to the calf for some less painful ink.
Is it painful to get a tattoo on your finger?
Least Painful Places – The Finger Yes, you will experience some pain when you get a tattoo on your finger. But that’s nothing compared to other spots on your body. The most painful spot on your finger is the one near the bone. But the fact of the matter is that tattoos done on your fingers are usually quite small.
- That means the pain will last for just a few seconds, minutes at most;
- Besides, the top of the finger is a sexy place for a tattoo;
- One reason why the finger is one of the least painful places to get a tattoo is that there aren’t many nerve endings on the top of the finger;
Outer area of the shoulder The best part about the outer area of your shoulder is that it can fit any size tattoo. You can go small, you can go with a medium-sized tattoo, or you can go with a tattoo that will cover half of your arm. Again, there are very few nerve endings there that cause you pain.
And the best part is that the area allows your tattoo to be visible for 99% of the time. If you’re considering a tattoo, the outer area of the shoulder is one of the least painful places to get a tattoo.
The hip area This is one area where people opt for artistic ink designs. Let’s be honest: the hips are usually covered. There are few situations when your hips are visible to everyone. The hip area is one of the least painful areas for a tattoo. The reason is the hips are covered with extra fatty layers, and there aren’t many nerve endings.
- The shin area This is the front part of your calf, just between the knee and the ankles;
- This is one of the most visible places, especially if you fancy wearing dresses or shorts;
- The nerve endings in this area are sparse, meaning there will be little to no pain;
And if you’ve paid any attention to tattoos, you know that many people choose this particular area. Inner side of the wrist The inner side of the wrist is the perfect place for a small, cute tattoo. The inner side is very feminine, but that doesn’t mean that men can’t get a tattoo there.
- It’s just that women have preferred this area much more in recent years;
- It doesn’t hurt to get a tattoo here because your skin is thin at the wrist;
- Thighs The best part about thigh tattoos is that they are extremely sensual;
They are visible only when you wear short shorts, or a bathing suit, or, of course, when you’re getting busy with your loved one. And they don’t hurt. Look at it this way: the thigh area is a big area that can fit almost any tattoo. The back of the ear There is a reason why tattoos on the back of the ear have become popular in recent years.
It’s all connected to the pain level: the back of the ear is one of the least painful places to get a tattoo (and has become popular recently). You can even surprise people with your tattoo, especially if your ink is covered by hair.
Once you get your hair up, the tattoo comes out. Upper area of the back People have always used the back for tattoos. The good part about the back is you get a lot of space for a tattoo. And even better, since there is a low density of nerve endings, you can get away with a sexy tattoo without any pain.
- Wearing a backless dress has never been sexier;
- And men who go shirtless will look even sexier;
- Just be careful to stay away from the spinal area and the armpit area;
- There are lots of nerve endings there;
- The neck The neck also doesn’t have many nerve endings, as long as you stay away from the spinal area;
Neck tattoos look perfect on women with short hair. Women with long hair can look sexy as well when they have their hair up. The stomach There aren’t many bones near the stomach. And let’s be honest: most of us have an extra fatty layer on the stomach. If you want a private tattoo, the stomach is the perfect area.
You have a lot of space, and not many will see it. Of course, when you wear a bikini, your tattoo will be visible. Focus on the lower abdomen, the area around the belly button, and the sides of the abdomen.
The chest Men prefer the chest area. But lately, we’ve seen women opting for a chest tattoo. The reason is simple: the chest area is not as painful because there aren’t many nerve endings (some would even say the chest area is painless). Just make sure to avoid the area under your arms, since that features skin that’s more sensitive than the chest tissue itself.
Do bones hurt when tattooed?
Well, that’s absolutely fine as there is no doubt that tattoos come with pain. Sometimes it becomes really unbearable to go through that pain, especially if the location where you are getting your tattoo etched has more bones. Yes, tattoos on bony parts of the body are more painful than those done on the areas where you have a nice amount of flesh.
