Are you planning to get a tattoo soon? Well, the first and foremost thought must be where exactly you want to get the tattoo. No, we aren’t talking about the tattoo parlors. Choosing the body art where you want the tattoo is the fundamental decision, and knowing more about a tattoo pain chart could help you tremendously in your decision-making process.
While the main part of your decision involves aesthetic preferences, but you should also consider the pain factor. Not all body parts equally hurt when you are getting a tattoo done. The consensus is that the fatter and thicker the area, with fewer nerve endings, the pain will be lower. On the other hand, bony regions or areas with the least fat, thinnest skin, and maximum nerve endings will hurt the most.
We’ve compiled a tattoo pain chart to help you know which parts to avoid if you have a low tolerance for pain!
The Ribcage
Since this area does not have as much fat, muscle, or skin, you will feel the scratching of the needle a lot more. In fact, the tattoo pain chart suggests the pain can even reach your central nervous system, as the nerves surrounding the ribs are quite close to the skin surface. Besides, the ribs move every time you breathe, which adds to the pain. Let us put it this way; if you’re getting a tattoo on your ribcage, you might have to ensure a consistent level of pain for up to six hours straight!
Inside of thigh
Theoretically, this might strike as odd since this area is far from the bone and has a lot of flesh and muscle. But in reality, getting a tattoo here is a painful process since it is not an area that is often exposed and is thus, highly sensitive. It also pains during the healing process as it will keep rubbing against your other leg.
Inside of upper arm/elbow
Want to get a tattoo done here? Well, be prepared for an agonizing experience! The inside of the upper arm or elbow is highly sensitive since two out of the three primary nerves in the arm run under the inner elbow. Whenever during the tattooing process, the nerves are pinched, the pain runs all over your arm and is not limited to just where the needle is.
Feet/ankles
The skin in this area is very close to the bone, so there’s hardly any fat to cushion the needle’s strokes. So, this is considered a highly sensitive area as per the tattoo pain chart.
Inside of the wrist
This area too hurts badly when getting a tattoo done, precisely for the reason mentioned above. Additionally, the inside of the wrist also has quite a few nerve endings that amplify the pain.
Hands/fingers
The skin in this area is thin, and therefore, sensitive. This area is also bony and filled with ligaments. What’s more, the ink doesn’t stick to this area very well, which means the tattoo artist often needs to go over the design a few times. Now that can surely not be a pleasant experience.
Armpit
It sounds pretty odd, but trust us, some people like to get a tattoo on their armpits too! And they sign up for quite an agonizing experience, given the armpit has the axillary nerve as well as the glands. Besides, it hardly needs to be mentioned that the skin around the armpit is highly sensitive.
Head
Last but not least, the head as your chosen spot for a tattoo can subject you to an intensely painful experience. This is due to the lack of fat and abundance of nerves on the head and because all the noise and vibration can make you feel like they are drilling your skull! Do you have an appetite for it?
On the other hand, if you are not really a brave heart but still keen to get a tattoo done, you can consider areas such as the outside of the arm, side of the calf, and outer shoulder. These areas won’t make you sob in agony all the way through. That being said, you can’t be a wimp if getting a tattoo is high up there on your bucket list.
Tattooing involves piercing the skin’s top layer with a sharp needle repeatedly, and this needle is covered with pigment. It is a complete no-brainer that it cannot be a cakewalk.
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