What do tattoos feel like? It’s possibly discomforting; naturally, however, how uncomfortable is determined by the artist’s hand and skills, the area of the tattoo, and your tolerance to pain. You may feel more than just a pinch after you are tattooed; however, this doesn’t mean you’ll not be able to take the pain. Are you curious about what to expect? We asked the most trusted specialists to explain everything you need to know about how getting tattoos feels like. Follow the link for their insightful knowledge of pain levels, the most painful tattoo spots, the process of healing, and much more.
What Is Getting a Tattoo Like?
Based on Monikka Velvet, a tattoo artist based in NYC who is a tattoo artist at High Hopes Tattoo, when it comes time to attend the main event, you can anticipate the tattooist to begin by cleansing your skin, generally using a vegetable and oil-based soap, diluted with distillate water. Tattooist Mira Mariah will remove any hair on or within the area of tattoos. It is crucial to ensure that your tattoo artist thoroughly cleans the skin before tattooing, says a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Rachel Nazarian, as cleansing is an essential safety step.
The artist will apply the stencil on your skin, which acts as a sketch and a preview, allowing you to determine if you are satisfied with the style and placement. If you are happy, the artist will work, using the stencil as a reference.”Tattoo safety is in the hands of the artist,” Nazarian states. Before scheduling an appointment with a fresh artist, Nazarian advises that you make sure they use safe ink or pure ink. This ink has not been altered by low-quality ingredients or infected with bacteria. It’s also crucial to ensure that the artist uses sterilized equipment and bandages the area by the industry’s standards after the tattoo has been completed. “It all makes a huge difference in your long-term safety and health,” she adds.
An ordinary person explains that a tattooing session could be as brief as a half-hour or require multiple visits when the tattoo is very complex and intricate.
What Does Tattoo Pain Feel Like?
The process of inserting needles and reinserting them repeatedly will not be challenging. However, the pain of the tattooing procedure will be based on the person. What does the pain of tattoos feel like? Some people describe the pain as sharp and burning, while others say it feels like you’ve been shaved.
Mariah Forte says you may feel “a pinch that may feel a bit intense in the beginning but [will] fade to nearly nothing after a while.” Forte says it could be a mild sensation of pressure or stinging, but most people become used to it throughout the session.
“It depends on the person getting tattooed and the artist doing the tattoo,” Velvet adds Velvet. “Some clients love pain, some clients hate pain.” Although a few people might be happy about receiving shots in the doctor’s clinic, most people are eager to get tattoos, which could factor in the type of pain they feel, Forte points out. “I’ve had people tell me they love the feeling but most people just grin and bear it,” Forte declares.
Some are also better at dealing with pain. Imagine a tattoo tolerance chart. If you have a high tolerance, you’ll breeze through the process of tattooing with a smirk one or two times, however, with any intense pain. If you have a lower tolerance to pain, On the other hand, our experts recommend that the primary tattoo will be a small one and in a relatively pain-free area. For some, the excitement of pain may become addictive. Certain people will look for a new tattoo whenever they feel the thrill.
The Most Painful Tattoo Spots
“For someone who is pain averse or who has never had a tattoo before, be mindful of what areas of the body are more sensitive than others,” Forte recommends.
Our experts discuss the body parts that are most painful for tattoos:
- Bony body parts (such as ankles, wrists, ribs, or the sternum)
- Ticklish areas
- Skin-covered areas with an enveloping skin (such as elbow creases, ribcage, and armpits, the inside thighs, the areas of the feet that are high and chests, as well as the neck)
- Regions that are home to a large number of nerves (including the fingers, the head, face, ears, nipples and the genitals)
- The areas with damaged tissue
A few people begin using one of these areas to get their first tattoos, while others work on their body artwork before stepping into more painful places. This is a good option if you’re looking to get used to the pain of tattoos on your forearms, legs, and any “meaty” part of your body. The more fleshy, the less painful the feeling. Avoid the most painful areas when you are aware of high pain tolerance. It’s important to remember that the bigger the piece, the more pain. Be in because the process takes longer.
Forte recommends researching the level of pain that is that is associated with each body part before preparing for the tattoo appointment.
Other Factors That Impact Pain Level
Our experts say many other factors affect the amount of discomfort you may experience while getting a tattoo, such as:
- Tolerating pain
- Skin sensitivities
- The complexity of tattoos (Multiple shades, heavy shading, and intricate details take more time and, consequently, can be much more uncomfortable.)
What Do Tattoos Feel Like While Healing?
The healing process for tattoos varies from individual to individual. “You may feel a bit of pulsing or dull pain for a short period after getting the work done,” says Forte, “but that goes away quickly.” According to Mariah Small, tattoos typically do not feel as if they’re healing, but with larger and more intricate designs, you could feel a slight scabbing or itchiness in your skin. Nazarian states that some feel discomfort around the tattooed area, and others might feel itchy, usually due to the ink being used up or scratching around the tattoo. Velvet-healing tattoos are extremely dry. It “feels like an annoying sunburn.”
“You’ll know when a tattoo is fully healed when it feels settled into your skin–you can run your hands over it and it feels like the rest of your skin,” Mariah states.