How Much Does It Hurt To Get The Inside Of Your Arm Tattooed

How much does getting a tattoo hurt?

That depends on where you become it. Getting tattooed on some parts of the trunk hurts more than than others, for a variety of reasons.

Our tattoo pain chart will assistance you understand at a glance where the almost painful tattoo spots and the least. Nosotros surveyed experienced tattoo artists and enthusiasts, asking them to rank tattoo pain level for each body office they've had tattooed on a 1–10 scale. We share our tattoo pain scale and discuss the results in this guide, so you'll have a better thought of what to look from your next tattoo!

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TATTOO PAIN CHART

These tattoo pain charts provide a visual of where tattooing tends to injure the most and least. Areas of the body that accept more nervus endings and bones that are closer to the skin tend to injure more than than those with more padding and fewer nerves.

tattoo pain chart

Getting tattooed is leap to involve some hurting, no matter where you get the tattoo. That'southward only par for the course! However, a number of factors bear on the specific tattoo hurting level you'll experience.

With any tattoo, the area tin experience tender afterwards every bit well, since the skin is healing. Following proper tattoo aftercare guidelines will assistance avert any complications like infection, assuasive any lingering pain or irritation to subside every bit quickly as possible.

Most Painful Tattoo Spots

Many of the most painful tattoo spots are bonier regions of the body, as our tattoo pain chart shows. If the basic are closer to the peel (significant they don't take much padding), getting tattooed is likely to experience more painful there.

Larn the top seven well-nigh painful areas to get a tattoo, equally ranked by tattoo artists and enthusiasts in our pain level survey. We asked respondents to rank pain levels for each body office they've had tattooed on a scale of ane to 10, with one beingness the everyman and 10 being the highest.

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#1: Ankles and Shins

Pain Level: x

The thin skin on the ankles and shins, combined with the fact that the bones lie so shut to the surface, makes these areas extremely sensitive when being tattooed. Survey respondents said the ankles and shins are the most painful places to get a tattoo.

"I have coordinates tattooed onto my talocrural joint, it'due south small and dark. It's my simply tattoo, so the well-nigh painful for me IMO." -Stina Round Rock, TX

#two: Calves

Hurting Level: 10

Interestingly, respondents to our survey said that the calves were one of the most painful places to go tattooed. This speaks to the fact that pain is highly subjective when it comes to tattoos since calves are ofttimes rated as one of the less painful places to get a tattoo. The dorsum of the dogie tends to exist much more painful than the side since information technology has many more than nerve endings, respondents noted.

" I have a white bronco on my calve; it hurt. At that place is nothing more than to say. Compared to my bicep, information technology was worse." – Trent Austin, TX

#3: Breast

Hurting Level: 10

For many people, the chest is one of the most painful tattoo spots. However, this depends on the person and the specific area of the chest being tattooed. The collarbone expanse is susceptible, for instance. Meanwhile, those getting a tattoo on the chest area may experience less hurting during the tattooing process as there is more tissue between the dermis and the chest plate.

"I have a black and grey ram skull chest tattoo which goes from shoulder to shoulder. The majority of my chest was fine; as soon as we got close to my collar bone and my sternum, my ears began to ring a little." – Brenna Nashville, TN

#four: Hands and Feet

Hurting Level: 10

The hands and feet have a lot of fine bones close to the skin, making these areas highly sensitive, equally yous tin can see from our tattoo pain chart. Plus, they are filled with major nerve endings!

"My hands and knucles were noting compared to the inside of my palm! All in all the easily are the worst!" – PaigeEl Paso, TX

#v: Elbow

Hurting Level: ten

At the elbow, the bone lies straight beneath the skin as well, so this area can exist quite sensitive to pain. The inner part of the elbow is extremely sensitive due to its nerve endings and thin skin.

"I have a blackness and grey ram skull breast tattoo which goes from shoulder to shoulder. The majority of my breast was fine; as soon as nosotros got close to my neckband bone and my sternum, my ears began to ring a little." – Brenna Nashville, TN

#6: Ribcage

Hurting Level: 10

The ribcage is a more painful place to go a tattoo considering—y'all guessed it—the bones prevarication just nether the surface, and the nerves are shut to the pare. Plus, the act of breathing exacerbates the sensation of hurting, even after tattooing!

"I have both of my ribs tattooed on 1 side I have a tall ship that runs from my belt to the inside of my armpit. on the other side, I accept blackwork. By far the about uncomfortable part of my rib tattoo was when we were lining out the tall ship and the creative person had to line over each rib, it felt similar my rib cage was a pulsate." – PhilHouston, TX

#vii: Knees

Pain Level: eight

The front of the knee joint tends to be a fairly tolerable spot to get a tattoo, survey respondents said, as information technology has thicker skin. Nonetheless, the back of the knees is highly sensitive since it has more nerve endings.

"I have a red Japanese Hana mask on one knee joint and a foo dog on the other, the knee cap was the worst part, equally nosotros started to piece of work our way down the shin the pain became surprisingly more tolerable." – JO Chicago, IL

It should be noted that certain other areas are likewise more sensitive to tattooing, similar the armpit and groin, due to their high number of nervus endings. Survey respondents did non happen to have tattoos in these areas, and tattoos in these spots are less common in general. While they didn't bear witness up in our tattoo pain chart top results, every bit you might imagine, tattoos in such areas can be quite sensitive.

Least Painful Tattoo Spots

The following body parts tend to be the seven least painful places to go a tattoo. Many of these body parts take many more than "padding" than bonier areas like the ankles and anxiety.

Remember, exact pain level varies based on a number of factors like age and the skill of the artist. The results shown here are based on the scores from our tattoo pain level survey conducted among artists and enthusiasts.

#1: Upper Outer Thigh

Pain Level: 2

Because the upper outer thigh has few nervus endings and a lot of padding in the form of fatty, it tends to be the least painful identify to get a tattoo, equally our tattoo pain chart shows.

"I have a neotraditional woman wearing a native american war bonnet which baisically takes upwards my whole thigh. I sat through my entire session with Joseph Haefs in one session." – Jorie, Knoxville, TN

#two: Upper and Lower Back

Pain Level: iv

Aside from the spinal area itself, the back tends to be less sensitive to pain due to the presence of fewer nerve endings and adequately thick skin.

"When I tattooed the logo of a company I no longer piece of work at onto my lower back, it was surprisingly painful. Still, information technology was nada compared to my ribs." – Phil, Houston, TX

#3: Sternum

Pain Level: viii

Equally our tattoo pain chart shows, respondents in our survey institute the sternum to be 1 of the less painful spots to go a tattoo. However, some people exercise discover the sternum to be a sensitive area.

"My sturnum tattoo Hurt I accept a chandelier way mandala that runs downwardly my sternum and nether my breast onto my ribs" the ribs hurt worse than the sternum portion of the tattoo. Information technology was nevertheless painfull though…" – Chelsea, Boston, MA

#4: Shoulder

Pain Level: 5

The shoulder area tends to take more than cushioning and fewer nerve endings, making the pain less severe during the tattooing process.

"The scream mask that I got tattooed onto my shoulder is a coverup. Realism requires a ton of saturation and then the artist worked the area pretty hard. Otherwise the tattoo wasn't that bad." SarahAtlanta, GA

#5: Breadbasket

Hurting Level: 6

The stomach tends to have a lot more cushioning in the form of fat or musculus than many other body parts. And, of course, there are no bones to worry nigh, which too makes the stomach a less painful identify to get a tattoo. People with tighter skin in the tummy surface area tend to experience less sensitivity while existence tattooed here.

"I had a mommy makeover tattoo that I got done after my terminal daughter and the pain was aught compared to childbirth!" Kennedy Richmond, VA

#6: Outer Bicep

Hurting Level: 6.5

This surface area has a fair corporeality of cushioning over the bone, so it'south less sensitive than certain other parts of the arm, like the elbow, as our tattoo pain chart shows.

"When I was stationed in Yuma, AZ I got a globe and an eagle tattooed onto my arm. SEMPER FI!" – AugustSan Diego, CA

#7: Forearms

Pain Level: 7

A forearm tattoo can be surprisingly painful because of the radial nerve that runs through it, making the forearm one of the more sensitive spots on our tattoo hurting chart.

"The hurting that I felt was tolerable, and I have a traditional black cracken tattoo spanning the length of my forearm. It was vastly dissimilar from that of my chest tattoo which had me writhing," -David Table salt Lake City, UT

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Communication for Reducing Tattoo Hurting

By taking sure easy steps, you tin assistance minimize your pain level while getting tattooed. Know the dos and don'ts of preparing to go tattooed so you'll take the right measures to lower your hurting level. Here are our biggest recommendations:

Exercise go early in the solar day, or when yous're not tired.
Don't drink booze.
Don't take painkillers.
Do eat a proper, filling repast 1 to 2 hours before your session.
Notwithstanding, don't swallow if you're getting your tummy tattooed!
Do choose someone with experience!
Practise ask tattoo artists for breaks if needed.
Stay hydrated before and later!

Beginning drinking more than h2o a couple of weeks before getting tattooed for best results. Avoid booze for at to the lowest degree 24 hours earlier your tattoo appointment (and afterwards, on the day of your appointment). Booze thins the blood, which tin can cause excess bleeding, making tattooing more challenging and delaying healing.

Bring a snack with you if you lot'll be sitting for a long session, so you can continue your blood saccharide levels up. Eating well will aid your body to naturally reduce the sensation of pain (plus, you'll be less fidgety!). Taking breaks during a long session will help brand pain experience more tolerable, likewise.

If getting your stomach tattooed, ask your tattoo artist for guidance virtually what and when to eat before your session.

Concluding Thoughts on Tattoo Pain

As discussed, some pain is unavoidable when getting a tattoo. However, if you lot're eager to avert college levels of pain, you might consider getting a tattoo on i of the less sensitive areas of the body shown on our tattoo pain nautical chart.

Alternatively, talk with your tattoo artist about ways to minimize or cope with the awareness of pain during the tattooing process. Many experienced artists are skilled at making their clients as comfortable every bit possible, even for more sensitive regions like the ankles and easily.

Is laser tattoo removal painful?

If you're interested in laser tattoo removal, the same regions of the body that are most sensitive for tattoos tend to exist slightly more sensitive for tattoo removal. However, laser removal is much less uncomfortable than actually getting tattooed—and significantly faster!

Each session lasts from a minute to several minutes, depending on the size of the tattoo, and it feels more like getting snapped with a rubber band than having a needle poking at your pare. As with tattooing, following proper tattoo removal aftercare protocol similar avoiding alcohol and sun while staying hydrated will minimize any lingering irritation.

Our experienced specialists at Removery are skilled at minimizing discomfort. Book a consultation to find out more about tattoo removal cost south and other details, whether in preparation for a comprehend up or but to get rid of your old ink!