The most painful place to get a tattoo
I get asked this question a lot, much like my previous blog post last month it is all down to you and your experience. But generally these are the most common placements that come up in conversation and I have rated them here!
Ribs - 7/10
Ribs are the most common one that comes up when you are talking to friends or family, but it really depends on the size of the tattoo you are having there. (Believe it or not I have had people laughing because they thought it was tickling them!!!)
Any location that has skin a stretchy layer of skin over bone can cause discomfort, but for some the vibration of the machine can be comforting.
Feet - 9/10
The foot can be very uncomfortable, it’s a thin layer of skin over lots of bones (so not a lot of fat to take on the vibration of the machine), you also have some main nerve endings in your feet, especially the tibial nerve that runs from your ankle to your big toe, you also have the sural nerve which runs on the outside of your foot.
Wrists/Ankles - 5/10
Inside of your wrist can cause some discomfort, but the majority of people don’t find it an issue, it can make your hand twitch (which is a funny sensation!)
Ankles can feel quite sharp, as it is quite close to the joint, however most experience little to no discomfort.
Calf - 8/10
The calf is an interesting one, as I have had a lot of different opinions on this location. It really depends on what you are having placed there and how much work is being done in that area.
Your calf muscle is usually quite a tense area of the body, and the back of the calf has quite a few nerve endings, so it will feel different from the side of your calf compared to the back.
Shins - 5/10
Close to the bone (Are you seeing the trend?) can be uncomfortable, but more so that you feel like you want to pull away from the machine (Please don’t do this haha). Either side of the shin towards the calf is a relatively comfortable experience.
Elbows - 9/10
Inside of the elbow differs for everyone, this is usually a pretty sensitive area, but it is easier than having your blood taken at the doctors! this area can get quite inflamed but don’t be alarmed as this usually calms down after a couple of hours.
Outer elbow/sides now this is the uncomfortable bit, your ulna nerve runs straight down here (you’ve hit your funny bone before right? That hurts!!) It can feel like a hot knife is probably the most common way of being described.
Hands/Fingers - 9/10
Fingers are notoriously uncomfortable, there is not a lot of give in the skin on your fingers, and lets face it they’re bones, and you have a lot of nerve endings in your fingers.
The top of your hands are also uncomfortable, thin skin and a lot of bones.
Arms - 3/10
Your arms are out to the elements a lot of the time, come across bumps and scrapes so are pretty used to a little bit of discomfort right? These are usually the placements for first tattoos and are a safe bet to get used to getting a tattoo.
Thighs - 6/10
Thighs can differ person to person, you do have a lot of nerve endings as you go higher up the leg, on the inside and towards your hips. But it tends to be quite a meaty area on most people, so no where near those pesky bones.
These are just a general consensus of clients I have tattooed over the years. Everyone is different so there is no right or wrong answer. I will make sure you are as comfortable as possible and take everything at your pace, if that means stop and come back then we will do that!
