If you’re looking to get a tattoo, there are lots of places that are great to start.
Tattoo artists recommend the arms, lower legs, or if you need something easily concealable, the shoulder.
These areas are padded by skin and fat so that they don’t hurt as much as, say, right on top of your wristbone.
The key to minimizing the pain of a tattoo is to stay relaxed (it’s a lot to ask when you’re having a needle poked into you, I know), and to follow your tattoo artist's aftercare instructions.
But there are a lot of spots for tattoos, especially trendy ones, that are way more painful than others. Tattoo artist Andy Escenbach told Mashable some of the most painful places, and we’re here to share them with you.
- Head. This is because there isn’t any really padding over that skull. Also, you can hear EVERYTHING, which makes it extra stressful.
- Face. For similar reasons. Do we really have to explain why this is a bad idea?
- Hands. Your hands see too much environmental damage to really hold the shape of a tattoo for very long. It’s better to just go for somewhere on the arm.
- Sternum. Again, if you’re tattooing right on top of a bone, it’s just going to hurt.
- Elbow. According to Escenbach, this area is different for everyone. It either hurts a lot or not at all.
- Ribcage and stomach. These are especially bad, since the pain from a rib tattoo persists for much longer than anywhere else. At some point in a lot of tattoos, the area will go slightly numb so you can bear it. This doesn’t happen on your ribs.
- Butt, inner thighs, and knees. These areas may all be padded with fat, but they also have lots of muscle and nerve endings, which make them extra painful.
- Ankle and foot. These places aren’t as painful as the other ones listed, but they’re popularly referred to as the most painful places to get tattooed.
In the end, it’s all about how you handle pain. So really consider your own pain tolerance before getting a tattoo anywhere.
Would you still get a tattoo in any of these places?
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