Tattoos have been a part of Indian culture since time immemorial. You can often spot tattoos on the hands of older women. It was a practice in India for wives to get their husband’s names tattooed on their bodies. It was mostly forced upon by the families and ancestors so that no other man could lay eyes on her. However, it was a toxic and immoral practice and therefore, it was abolished. You may still find it in some remote villages.
Nowadays, getting a tattoo is a symbol of urban culture. Many people have started using tattoos as a form of expression. Tattooing has become an art form that requires practice, patience, and creativity. Nevertheless, even getting a tattoo requires a lot of patience and courage. For someone who wants to get a tattoo for the first time, the whole process can be painful and stressful. But if you have gotten several tattoos on your body parts already, then it may seem like a cakewalk. In either of the cases, getting a tattoo means you have to through some amount of pain.
It is better to do your research well. Decide in advance what kind of tattoo you want, on which body part you want it and by whom you want to get it done. Mostly, getting a tattoo at a place with sensitive skin and nerve endings right above the bone may hurt the most. But where the body is fleshier, it may still hurt but lesser. Research prepares you to take that leap of faith and go for it, in fact, first tattoos are always special. Different tattoo artists use different techniques to manage the pain caused by the needles.
Now, everyone has a different pain-bearing capacity but there are some areas in the body where getting a tattoo can be horrific. These areas are most painful because of the presence of bone, due to which it hurts even more. Our guide will help you to locate the most painful places to get a tattoo and then you can decide where to get it done:
1. Spine
Getting tattoos on the spine is again not a good idea. The skin above the spine is very close to the vertebrae which result in extreme pain while tattooing. Not only this but there is one more reason to avoid getting a tattoo on the spine. The nerves that race up on the back towards the neck is highly sensitive and can result in extreme pain. Even after knowing the amount of pain, many people get tattoos on their spines.
2. Ribs
Get a tattoo on your ribs only if you don’t feel pain at all. The pain caused by the tattoo on the ribs is just unbearable. Many people who get tattoos on their ribs recall the horror of the pain. It is because the skin over the ribs is quite thin and sensitive. Furthermore, for people who work out regularly, the abdominal flesh gets converted to muscles, which is why it can hurt even more. The ribs inflate and deflate regularly due to breathing, as a result, the pain grows more intense and unbearable. So if you are planning to get a tattoo on the ribs, be ready to toughen yourself.
3. Armpit
The armpit may seem like a weird but relatively better area to get a tattoo because of no bones, cartilage only. But don’t forget that armpit skin is quite sensitive. Even waxing the armpits can be dreadfully painful, imagine the amount of pain while tattooing. One more disadvantage of getting a tattoo on the armpits is that the movements of needles will make you ticklish making it difficult for the tattoo artist to work on your skin.
4. Elbow
The elbow area only has bone, no flesh. The tattoo hurts less when there is flesh or muscles, it acts as a cushion and prevents pain from getting into the bone. The elbow is certainly not the right place to get a tattoo because one wrong touch can lead to pain in the entire arm and you won’t be able to use that arm for quite some time. The inner and outer elbows, both are not a good option to get tattoos.
5. Knees
The knees are an absurd area to get a tattoo. Most of the time, it won’t be visible but still, people who are passionate about tattoos get them done at weird places. Knee tattoos take a lot of time to heal because it is one organ that is in constant motion. The outer knee tattoos cause excruciating pain because of thin skin right above the knee caps, but even if you are thinking of inner knees, it may result in more intense pain due to nerve endings.
6. Feet
Firstly, getting tattoos on your feet will prevent you from walking for few days so think of getting a tattoo done on the feet only if it is feasible for you. Secondly, the skin on the feet is quite evidently lean right above the bones. Every movement of the need will produce vibrations in the bones resulting in dreadful pain. Furthermore, the front of the feet is full of nerve endings leading to painful experiences, hence, it is definitely not a good option.
7. Inner bicep
People with lean body structures should opt for bicep and sternum tattoos since the vibrations on the bone will make it painful. Even people with bulkier biceps should keep in mind that the tattoo will be painful and will take relatively longer to heal. The pain in the biceps can also get transferred to the entire forearm making it worse. But it is better than getting tattoos on elbows, wrists, and armpits.
8. Sternum
Youngsters are major fans of sternum tattoos because they not only look cool but also appear easier to get. However, chest tattoos being less painful is only a delusion. The chest is a very sensitive area which muscle mass. The nerves that lead to nipples make it difficult to bear the pain. Also, if you are planning to get tattoos around your nipples, be ready for extreme pain. Even women will experience a great amount of pain in breasts and nipples if they get tattoos on the sternum due to sensitivity.
9. Neck
Many people are fond of getting neck tattoos because they look attractive and rightfully visible. If you are ready to bear agonizing pain just to look attractive, then you can go for it. Otherwise, getting a neck tattoo is definitely a reg signal. The neck area is covered with numerous nerves racing up to the head, hence, the needles going in and out several times can be painful. The pain can even spread in and around your shoulders for several days.
10. Collarbone
There is no need to explain why getting a tattoo on the collarbone is difficult. When the needle fills the ink within the skin, it moves inside the skin and then comes out. This procedure goes on for several hours depending on the size and colors of the tattoo. Therefore, these movements happen right inside the bone when you are getting a tattoo on the collar, which is why collarbone may not be your first choice to get a tattoo.
11. Head
Choosing head to get a tattoo needs extreme courage because not only is it risky but also painful. Every needle vibration will be felt within your head causing severe headache for hours. The pain also depends on the size and type of artwork. The area of the head where you want to get the tattoo can also be a determining factor for the amount and severity of pain. Most people who already have shaved heads like getting tattoos in this area.
12. Throat
Neck tattoos are still fine but throat tattoos are not for the fainthearted. Even looking at the process of throat tattoo can be ghastly, let alone getting one done. But still, some people who enjoy pain get tattoos on their throats. Even doing a tattoo on the throat is very dangerous, the tattoo artist has to be very careful while doing it. The nerves can lead to extreme pain in the throat for several days.
13. Fingers
Just like hands, the skin on the fingers is also extremely lean and hypersensitive. Many people get tattoos on their fingers with creative ideas but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t painful. However, if you are really determined on getting it done since it is once in a lifetime thing, then you can bear the pain. Tattoo artists, however, find it quite difficult to make tattoos on fingers because of the curves, details, and fragility.
14. Hands
It might seem like hand tattoos are easy to get because of their popularity but they are actually not. The skin on the hands is quite thin and right above the bones. Even if you are thinking about getting a tattoo on the palm, the nerve endings make it extremely difficult to bear the pain. Due to spasms and sensitive skin, the pain in the hands may persist for several days.
15. Wrist
The most amount of tattoos made by the tattoo artists are on the wrists, the reason being easy visibility. The tattoo artists suggest getting first tattoos on the wrists as they are can be easily seen and you can perform daily activities after getting it done. But that doesn’t deny the fact they are painful. Comparatively, the pain is lesser than other body parts but for lean people, the pain can be unbearable due to thin skin.
16. Lip
Lips are one of the most soft and sensitive parts of the body. The area of lips is also not vast as compared to hands, chest or back. Therefore, people opt for small and simple designs that can be done with least pain. The nerve endings in the lips are quite sensitive and can ause bleeding and swelling for longer period. If you are determined to get a lip tattoo, make sure it is something worth getting.
17. Ear
People have all kinds of obsessions and passions. The ones passionate for getting their entire body tattooed completely stand out from the lot. In this process, they have to get tattoos in weird places of their body where pain can reach extreme length. Ears are fragile and delicate, hence getting a tattoo there can be frightful. Having no flesh or cartilage on the inner and outer sides causes excruciating pain while getting tattoos in ears.
18. Calf
The pain while getting tattoo on the calves primarily depends on which area you are getting tattooed. The muscle area of calf is a good option to get a tattoo as it provides cushion for the needles. But if you want the tattoo at the front side right above the bones, then be ready to bear the pain because the spasms in the bone will hurt for a long time. Go for the areas with thicker skin where the pain can absorbed by the muscles can does directly affect the bones.
Alright! So now that you have a proper guide to where it will hurt the most while getting a tattoo, you can choose the place carefully. And remember fear and nervosness will only increase the pain and be confident about getting your favorite design done. Happy tattooing!