I keep trying to get people with tattoos to tell me how much it hurt and what the pain was like, I think because I am worried I would get started on a tattoo and then not be able to finish. But pain is too hard to describe, and anyway it varies so much based on where and who. Three things that have set my mind at ease recently:
1. LOTS of people get tattoos. And though I am sure it has happened, I have not yet heard someone say that they got one and will never get another because of the pain; and I have not yet heard someone say they have only a partial tattoo because the pain was too intense to complete it. …Though saying this one out loud is certainly a mistake. How at this point can anyone who HAS heard such a story keep themselves from telling it to me now, for SCIENCE? But in this case I would like to knit a little non-scientific comfort blanket to hold, so shhhhhhhh. Tell me later, AFTER I write a post about what it was like to get a tattoo. I will try to remember to specifically invite such stories at that time. For now, I am leaning on the huge number of people who go back again and again for MORE tattoos. (Go ahead and tell THOSE stories now, if you like.)
2. I can get a VERY VERY SMALL tattoo to start. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me before. But if I wanted to I could get like ONE FRECKLE tattooed on my shoulder, just to see. I don’t think I’ll go THAT small, but I could do a teensy little flower or something. I don’t have to impress the tattoo artist with my originality, I can just pick something out of a book.
3. The cartilage piercing. I don’t want to seem to be comparing several seconds of sharp pain to the long-haul burn of tattoo pain, but that experience built a little structure in my brain, where “scared of pain” got paired up with “pleased and strutting after doing it anyway.”
I was thinking it would be fun and motivating if all of us who had been putting off tattoos could all plan to go on the same day, but the logistics of that are not workable. Plus, there’s a Right Mood, I think. Like, some days I just THINK of doing some task and my stomach lurches teeteringly into my poor throat, and other days I’m like, “Sure, let’s do it!” I feel fidgety even trying to say “Let’s aim for October!” The big hurdle for me right now isn’t even the pain, it’s the fear of going somewhere new and doing something new. That is going to take a very particular kind of mood.
1. The pain is definitely not bad enough to prevent me from finishing a tattoo or from getting more. I think the pain is the worst AT FIRST. Like the first 10 minutes? And then you just kind of glaze over. It still HURTS, but it’s also buzzing and you’ve hopefully taken some pre med painkillers and/or anti anxiety meds and you’ve got your ipad and you’re watching a movie. Also, my artist suggested that I chew gum during the tattoo which really helps me not fidget.
2. YES! Get something teensy to start. It’ll be your gateway tattoo.
3. You are obviously a badass. I think the anticipation is part of why you’re getting stuck in the thinking stage for so long. When you got that first cartilage piercing it ended up being somewhat spontaneous so while I don’t usually advocate for people to walk into tattoo shops and just pick something off the wall, I think that’s what you should do. Just… out one day, while you’re out, happen upon a tattoo shop, (Do a quick yelp of the place to make sure it doesn’t have horrifying reviews.), then walk in and just get a tiny one done in 20 mins. A wee star or a tiny flower or an itty bitty bunny.
Or maybe Pusheen!
Yes!! That would be amazing.
I did just what you’re thinking of and got a very small first tattoo, in a place that I’d heard was less sensitive. And now I have basically a half-sleeve that goes into some very tender areas.
When going in, I like to think about it as a chance to deliberately practice pain management techniques. “What mental tricks help this be easier? What things are good distraction and what are useless?” That way it feels like developing a useful skill as well as getting pretty art on my body.
Ok – relevant point I think here. I had breast cancer – when you do radiation, they give you dot tattoos (literally one dot, one poke of a needle that’s been inked – so they can line up the radiation machine every day) – I had been thinking, on one of the dot spots (I have 3) I would get a meaningful tattoo over the dot so I don’t have to look at the ugly dot forever and and a reminder to keep going. WELL, when she did the first dot, I was like “UM OUCH AND DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN”. That didn’t go over very well and really isn’t an option (so says the radiologocial onc) – so maybe I would def try the smallest tattoo you can think of before you commit?
I think these are different kinds of pain. I imagine, you didn’t “want” that dot. It was a terrible situation, so you weren’t really able to embrace and love it. However, if you were getting something that mattered, something showing that you are a survivor, or anything meaningful, that is a tattoo you DO want, so you would be more welcoming to the pain. You know, the end game is going to be something beautiful that you can keep forever. Your brain processes it different. I have over 15 tattoos, but I still have a nervous breakdown when they draw my blood for lab work.
Super possible – but no way am i getting the smaller cover tattoo I was planning! You’re right tho, I did not want those dots! FYI for any woman doing this – they WILL try and put the dot in the center of your chest – which will be visible with any vneck or swimsuit! They don’t have to do it there! After consulting w/the rad oncol. they moved the dots to not visible locations! She said I was the first person that even asked, everyone assumed they had to put it there!! So if you or a loved one ever needs this info, speak up!!!
I have three tattoos and I don’t remember any of them hurting that much, although the most recent one is 20 years old. I think at some point, it kind of goes numb and it’s not sharp pain. That said, I think it kind of depends where on your body you have it done. THAT said, I am going to go get a new tattoo next spring so obviously pain hasn’t scared me off. Worst case scenario, it hurts pretty bad for a couple hours and then you have art for the rest of your life. It’s a good trade off.
I do not have a tattoo, but have several close family members and friends who do. One such person, who I used to be close to, is a huge pain wimp, in an almost pathological way, as in does not even get VACCINATIONS (we are not close any longer). ANYWAY, I remember being almost floored that she had two tattoos. TWO! COMPLETE! Medium ones about the size of my palm. I guess the point is that going small first is probably a good idea, but I think you can handle it.
Also! I just remembered that water tattoos are a thing I just found out about. They don’t turn a color, obviously, but they last for a little while, turn red, and allow you to try out a design as well as the whole process. An unfinished water tattoo could probably be hidden easily under clothing until it disappears now that that weather is colder.
It is also possible that water tattoos hurt less? Or, other stuff? I know literally nothing about them except the above info, so google at will.
I was just beginning to think of a tattoo I wanted. Then I got pregnant. So that’s on hold for a while. But it might sound dumb, but I would consider getting a temporary tattoo of the basic size you’re considering and in the general area. I let my daughter put one on my ankle and found it extremely pleasing. It helped me get used to the idea of having something there that I can see all the time. And if you hate it, well, obviously it’s temporary and you can buy tons of them for cheap and put them anywhere and everywhere. You can go out in public and see how others’ reactions make you feel.
Somebody even told me you can order custom temporary tattoos, though that seems excessive if you don’t have a very specific thing you want to test out.
I have some custom temporary tattoos and they are THE BOMB! So fun! Phrases I like, sprinkled with flowers in place of letters for the most part, but a few copies are a photo of one of my mom’s barred rock chickens (those speckled black-and-white hens) and they are so cool!
Not helpful for the pain piece, but for the “not sure where it will look” part most tattoo parlor are able to do transfers of the design onto your skin with something like carbon paper. It doesn’t represent the color or all the detail well, but it lets you see how the size looks on your skin, and (importantly!) how it looks as you move that body part. I was almost certain I wanted a tattoo on my inner wrist, and had tattoos before so I wasn’t concerned with the pain (you feel badass and so high on the endorphins that it really isn’t that bad in the moment, and manageable afterwards when it is just sore). But I had them put the transfer on the wrist just to check, and when I bent my wrists (which happens every time I gesture, stretch, etc) the design bent in a wonky way that I didn’t like. I felt so grateful to have been able to try it out first!
I am an enormous pain whimp. The thought of getting a cartilage piercing is terrifying and… I have 4 tattoos. I started small and the last one was the largest. Also, it hurt the least (upper arm). Location is a huge factor. I would never get one on the top of my foot for example. But I’d say start small and go from there.
Ok. I just took my 65 year old mother to get a tattoo (we got matching ones – AWWWWW). So anyway Mom was tweaking and I was like “Jan. Chill.” and so I told her STEP by STEP on what was going to happen, focused on the feelings (ie sometimes the transfer paper is cold cause they use saline) because I know my mom and 80% of her being scared/nervous was because she didnt know what to expect. I likened it to being scratched while having a sunburn. It hurts but its like a no-big-deal hurt. After we were done she said that it was like shaving over a sunburn.
I like the sunburn analogies. I found that the sensation was more annoying than truly painful, for the most part. Like “oh hey, it would be great if that would stop,” not like “oh my god, make it stop MAKE IT STOP I CAN’T TAKE IT.” The part I found most painful was when the needle hit a part that had already been tattooed, like when coloring in a portion and touching part of the outline. I actually think the healing process was worse, because it itched SO MUCH.
Mine is on my lower back, just a little bit up from the standard “tramp stamp” location, and is about the size of my palm. I don’t think I’d be interested in getting one on my ankle, the top of my foot, or my big toe. I think those would hurt a lot more. I did take some pain medication beforehand, but I ended up having to leave and come back 3 hours later because the artist was running so far behind, so I think it had worn off quite a bit before we got started.
I agree that the pain is sharpest at first- first 5-10 min. sounds about right. And then it kind of goes numb a bit and you can still feel it, but it’s more of an irritation than a pain. (for reference, mine is about palm sized and on my outer thigh – so not a sensitive area). I think if you’ve been through labor pains, you will be fine- it’s much shorter and more predictable than those were to me. Also, your adrenaline kicks in to help you manage the pain. I felt AMAZING after my tattoo- like I could jump over tall buildings. I think that’s why people always seem to want more- the feeling afterward is a rush.
When I got my tattoo, the guy offered to do a little dot on me first (in a place that would be covered by the actual tattoo) so I could see how much it would hurt. If it was really too much pain, I could stop there and just have what looked like an extra freckle instead of a partially-finished tattoo. Maybe see if your tattoo artist will do something like that?
Also, you can Google “tattoo pain chart” to see how different parts of the body compare, pain-wise. My tattoo is on my foot, which is supposedly one of the more painful areas, and it did hurt a lot. But I survived it, and I wouldn’t let the pain stop me from getting a second.
Can you get a small tattoo that is a piece of the larger design you want? Maybe say, you want a bouquet and that way can start with a single flower? That way you’ll have even tried it in the area you want the final, bigger one to be, so you’ll know what to expect pain-wise.
I have one tattoo that I got almost 20 years ago (a stylized turtle on my left hip), and I still love it, even though it’s been warped slightly by pregnancy stretch marks. I was thinking idly I’d like to get another one on an arm, or maybe clean up this one by adding something related to my kids. Maybe their names or birth dates incorporated somehow? I’m looking for the PERFECT design before I commit though, so I don’t expect anything to move forward for a few years yet.
What tattoo are you thinking of getting? It’s so fun to contemplate the possibilities.
So fun! I was thinking of a big colorful tree on the outer side of my calf, full of little symbols and words and things woven in. I like that I could add more symbols/words to that later—like a charm bracelet, but a tattoo! But for the tiny starter tattoo, I am thinking of a little mouse or a hedgehog or a flower or a Pusheen cat, on the more padded place right under my shoulder (like, upper upper arm), or maybe Shawna’s idea of doing a small thing on my calf that can be incorporated into the big tree.
I would love a little alert fox on your arm.
This is a good way to do it, in my opinion. Of course, I’m biased, because that’s how I did it. :)
I got a cluster of flowers on that nice padded spot on the upper arm, maybe as big around as a Chunky soup can. Later on, I added branches and a bird, so the tattoo ended up being basically a half-sleeve. The upper arm is really not bad for pain. The only downside, really, was that I wasn’t prepared for the pain of finishing the tattoo, because the area near my elbow, and the bony part near my shoulder were a lot more sensitive, but it was still very bearable.
Like others have said, it starts off kind of sharp and sting-y, then you go numb…ish. Like, you can still feel it, but while part of your brain is going, “Ok, enough of this,” the other part is like, “Hey, I have a book I love on my kindle app, plus I can play Candy Crush for as long as I want, this is actually a nice break from my busy life.” I would say it wasn’t til the last 20 minutes or so of a two hour session that I started really not feeling well. I was tired of sitting still, I was tired of the pain sensation, my artist and one of the other artists in the shop were having a silly conversation, featuring a lot of potty humor, which isn’t my thing, and I wanted to scream at them to SHUT UP OMG SHUT UP. Right about then, my husband said, “uh-oh, I think Kera’s just about had it with this process.” Which made me laugh, and my artist assured me that we were practically done, if I could just tough it out a few more minutes. So that re-set my mental state, and I was fine after that.
I think you would do really well at this, Swistle. You’re really good at coming up with Coping Thoughts, and this would be a great way to exercise that skill. Shop around a bit, find an artist you really like and trust–that makes a huge difference. I wish you lived in Seattle, I’d send you to my artist. She works in a woman-owned and run shop, all the artists are women, the space is pretty and comfortable. It was more like going to a small salon than a tattoo parlor, but still with a tiny bit of edge, ’cause we’re working with needles, here, not curling irons. :D
I wrote a similarly-sized reply elsewhere in the thread. You’ll find that people with tattoos are like mothers: Once one starts telling a labor story, everyone has to chime in with theirs.
I would love details about the shop in Seattle, please! I have loved my tiny starter tattoo for 6 years and I want another one. I have not waited this long because of any problem with getting the tattoo, it’s the deciding what to get that is so difficult (for me).
Two Birds Tattoo in Greenwood/Phinney area. They’ve got four or five artists, and each one specializes in different types of art–some do classic, some do Sailor Jerry type, some do watercolor, but nearly all of them are able to do anything. They are busy, so expect the process to take about six months or so, from consult to finished tattoo.
I have 3 tattoos, one on my upper arm, very close to my shoulder. Out of the 3, that one hurt the worst, especially at the top. The closer you are to bone, the more it will hurt. If that’s a factor for you.
I would agree with the comments about it feels like shaving over a sunburn type of pain. Irritating but not that big of a problem. I think your plan to get a small starter one is a good one.
I have 3 tattoos. The middle one hurt the most, but I still went back for another. You can totally do this.
I have three tattoos. For some reason, I got the biggest one first. It did hurt, but the way I think about it is that the pain is the shortest term thing about a tattoo. The cost impacts you for a few weeks (more or less, depending on your budget), the tattoo itself is forever, and the pain is just an hour or two. Smallest piece of the puzzle.
It felt like a sunburn to me, and was sore after, but the worst of it was during the tattoo. Being 32 weeks pregnant with twins was FAR more painful to me, not to mention labor, birth, etc. I found it much easier to have a friend with me who I could talk to to distract me from the pain. The last one I did by myself, but I just talked a LOT to the artist to keep myself distracted.
Also, I find that shading hurts more than just lines, so it is possible to take that into consideration while picking out a design. You could also get something outlined first, then go back and have it filled in if you want later.
Got my first just under a year ago, and did two that day, then got two more about 3 weeks later, and then got two more 5 months after that. So I now have 6 and a year ago today I had none. Will likely get more when I have an idea that really appeals to me.
I have a couple of small tattoos. None are exceptionally well done, but I don’t regret any of them. I have recently become obsessed with the idea of getting a lobster tattoo’d on the inside of my bicep. Except I’ve been told it’s an exceptionally painful spot to tattoo. I also can’t decide between a cartoony/trad lobster or a more true-to-life picture.
I have two rather enormous tattoos. One is unfinished, not because of pain, but because I got pregnant in the midst of having it worked on (multi-session affair). And now I would have to CALL to make the appointment and bleh. Calling.
There’s something about tattoos that just seems a lot COOLER than *I* am. Like, we are in high school, and the tattoo artist is going to know that I’m not COOL enough for a tattoo, and s/he is going to JUDGE me for it, and kick me out because I’m not cool? This is not logical, but it is a very real feeling I have. Not based in reality. However: no tattoo artist that I’ve ever met, in any capacity, has directed any feelings like that towards me, or made me feel that way.
I was not prepared for the fact that you are sitting right next to a person who is physically touching you, for a period of time, and you will maybe feel compelled to chat, and say stupid things and then agonize about them. I tell you this not to discourage you, but because I feel like this is something that I would have liked to PRE fret about. Like if I had worried about it more beforehand it would have gone better? I have no idea.
Oh and they DO hurt, but it’s not….unbearable? My back tattoo goes over many sensitive spots that are SIGNIFICANTLY more painful than the less sensitive areas, so there IS a difference in location.
It hurts most AT FIRST. And then it’s not really that it stops hurting, but it stops being a NEW SENSATION.
And the needle gun thing is VERY LOUD which is sort of distracting in a way.
Take a non-blood thinning pain med prior, I find that helps.
Yes. Yes, I have that not-cool-enough feeling. Like the artist will think, “Here comes some middle-aged-mom poser trying to recapture her youth and be cool/relevant again.” I am trying to override that feeling with defiance.
And I am glad for the heads up about feeling compelled to chat, and then possibly agonizing afterward! I feel that way with hairstylists, and the one time I got a manicure I felt almost beyond compelled, since we were sitting face-to-face across a table. For the tattoo I am going to try to override that with a “close my eyes and chill” concept.
My artist actually played pretty loud music most of the time…fortunately, it was music I liked, and as an added bonus, it covered up the noise of the tattoo machine, which sounds like the dentist. Yeah, it hurt, but…it wasn’t that bad. Mine is a fairly large piece on the outside of my calf. I’ve had chronic, horrible back pain for years, and had to deal with surgeries and more injections than I care to count. The tattoo, though, was better….because you know that, at some point, it will stop. Shaving over a sunburn is about right. It’s definitely sunburny while it heals. But overall, it was a good experience, the artist thought I was a badass because I totally didn’t flinch or move around & it was my first one, and I feel badass with it. I got mine ~ 4 months ago for my 42nd birthday. :) I can’t wait until I can afford more. PS – I also started with a cartilage piercing, a nostril piercing & tragus piercings. I want another cartilage piercing, too. The nostril & tragus ones didn’t hurt at all compared to the cartilage one.
Also, if you’re curious, I posted a pic of the tattoo on twitter: https://twitter.com/goingloopy/status/734104049981628416
It cost $400 and I tipped the artist $60 (he was very happy with this).
I have four tattoos, including one on each foot (rumored to be one of the more painful spots to get tattooed). Yes, they hurt, but in a very tolerable way. And, not to compare children to tattoos, but we all get pregnant knowing childbirth is no walk in the park. We do it anyway because the temporary pain is worth it to get the end result.
I have over 15 tattoos. I’ve actually lost count. Here are some things I can tell you. They hurt more the older I get.
The thigh, upper arm (just below the shoulder) hurt the least, because there is no exposed bone (think hip bone, rib bone as exposed, no muscle covering it).
The actual back shoulder doesn’t hurt too bad, unless the tattoo is big enough to come down near your ribs.
The ribs hurt really really bad.
Most tattoo places now have a numbing spray they use, similar to what you would find in a first aid kit. It cuts the pain by about 2/3.
The pain has to be viewed in a different way. For me, I want the tattoo, so, yes, it hurts, but it’s okay, because I want this thing, so I’ll shut up and do it. There is some spots that make me scrunch up my face, and maybe even get a little teary, BUT I will not be that girl who cries or makes a scene in the tattoo parlor so I just breathe it out and close my eyes. The artists respect the quiet ones more.
It hurts more AFTER the they stop and take their first break, because the already tattooed skin is now swollen and puffy, so it all kind of stings after. They wipe the tattoo constantly with a paper towel and some liquid, that does start to sting after a while. Be prepared for that, it’s cold, and stings, especially after the artist takes a break.
Feet hurt. Calves aren’t as bad. Ribs hurt. Lower shoulder near the ribs hurt. Wrists feel weird when they go over the big bundle of veins and nerves, and hurt a lot the next day. Fingers hurt just a bit. The thigh was by far the least painful of all of them. The back isn’t bad unless they hit rib. Which is okay, you can get a pretty good area done with just a couple “oh shit that hurt” spots, and say you survived. Lower back hurt less when I was heavier, because the machine didn’t reach my bones as easily. When I lost weight, it felt like he was touching hip bone the entire time. That’s another truth, tattoos hurt less when I had more fat between the needle and the bone. I had my hip done after the weight loss, and it was awful because the hip bones I hadn’t seen in 15 years were now visible, and his machine was just grinding away on it. In hind site, I would have done the hips before the weight loss. A good artist can tattoo over stretch marks. It can blur a little bit, but not enough that I would advise against tattooing in an area with stretch marks. I would advise a bold line, and a large tattoo with out tons of black line detail in that area.
Also, it’s going to hurt afterwards. A LOT. For a couple days. Then, it itches. Like OMFG does it itch. And you CANNOT scratch it. To resolve the itching, you slap it. This sounds weird, it looks weirder, but it’s sooooo effective. Aquafor in my opinion is the best vasaline type stuff to put on your tattoo as it heals. I’ve been using it for fifteen years now, and my tattoos all heal amazing and look beautiful. DO NOT PICK AT THE SCABS. It will peel the tattoo and distort it when it heels, and blur any lines.
Make sure your artist is good at lines. The base of almost every tattoo is a line. My artist has the ability to do very very long lines. The result is that you don’t have a bunch of broken stop and start points in your tattoo. I have one tattoo done by a different person and their line is wiggly, stops and starts, is a different width, and is blurry. I’ll regret it forever.
Tip your artist. THIS IS IMPORTANT. They will remember that, and take care of you the next time around. Also, be aware, the lady at the front of the tattoo shop is almost always going to be sort of a bitch. That’s her job. Tattoo artists get a lot of groupies, and the front desk has to separate the groupies from the real customers. Also, your artist may have a bad bedside manor. This doesn’t matter if he does good work. My artist is a total asshole to almost every new customer. I’ve been with him for 20 years now so we laugh, and joke and get along. At the beginning though, man was he a butt. I didn’t mind though, his work is phenomenal.
Most artists have a specialty. Any good artist will tell you theirs, and advise you if what you want isn’t their specialty, and should be able to direct you to someone they trust to do it. Example. My artist specializes in “traditional” tattoos. If I bring him in a portrait, he’s going to refer me to Rob, in the same shop. If I wanted a big mural of dragons, and fire, he would refer me to Jonny McCann in the same shop.
Never call their tattoo machine a “gun.” They don’t like that. It’s a “machine.”
Any good artist will put the tattoo on you first in a transfer, and let you look at it a bit in that location and size, before they start. Then, they will draw the first line on you, stop, and ask you if you are okay. That gives you a chance to run out then with just one line LOL.
Another thing you should be aware of. Small tattoos over time blur. If you want something with a lot of lines, like….wings with all of the feathers drawn in, over time all of those little lines making the feathers will blur if the tattoo is tiny. A good artist will often tell you, if you want this to look good, and last for life we need to make it larger. They are always right. I was very stubborn on my first tattoo, on my ankle. It blurred, It’s 21 years old and I’m still mad I didn’t listen. If you want feather wings, pick a larger area to put them. IF you pick a small area, pick a tattoo with as few lines as possible. Script looks pretty when it’s fresh and new, but it fades over time if it isn’t a large script.
Other things to be prepared for. Tattoo artists love to “embellish” the tattoo. What they show you originally in the drawing that may be two colors, could turn out to be five or six colors, and have some color shading around, and behind the tattoo. If you want exactly what is in the picture you bring in you need to specify you want it EXACTLY LIKE THAT, with no extra shading, detail or embellishments.
I could talk about this endlessly. I got my first tattoo when I was 15. I’m 34 now. I have had the same artist the entire time, minus that one time I was being a brat and went to someone else. Biggest regret ever. Good luck. You will love it. It only hurts for a little bit, and then you will forget all about it, and be designing your next one.
I’m in the same boat as Swistle, kinda, and this is immensely helpful info! Seriously, thank you.
Also, everyone keeps pointing out that it hurts, and then goes numb. This is true. HOWEVER It stops being true if at any time the artist takes a break. And Swistle, they almost all take a smoke break. Like I mentioned, this allows the tattooed skin to swell up, and get sensitive. So the wet paper towel will now sting, the shading will now sting, and it all has to go numb again. For example most artists will do all of the outline, take a break and then come back to color it in, when they come back to color it in, it will sting, and hurt again.
Someone above mentioned chatting with the artists. This is true, they are touching you a lot, but, a lot of them aren’t super chatty, they are focusing, and in my opinion chatting is a distraction from the permanent line they are drawing. Another weird thing to be prepared for. Depending on the location, they may have to grab and pull, pinch, and stretch your skin. This is weird, and it can leave a bruise. An example of that would be my upper arm sleeve. You know when you hold your arm out to your side, and wave, that little bit of fat that hangs down and keeps waving, during an arm tattoo the grab that area and pull it tight, to make a better line. I was not prepare for this, nor was I prepared for the sever bruising the occurred the next few days from having my skin pulled on for two hours.
as I recall, its’ been a while, the pain kinda goes away until you start a new area. Do you know how they sell that buzzing bee thing for children and shots? the idea is the vibration numbs the area and then the shot doesn’t hurt. so, tattoos are the needle doing the vibrating, and there is pain, but it gets numb pretty quickly. You’ve had 5 children, you can definitely handle it and not freak.
My tattoo artist drew a small dot/line to start with and asked me if that was so bad. I said no, and she was like “Then you’re ready to do this!” So you can get a sample, so to speak, of what the pain will be like.
I thought it was a sort of stinging/burning sensation, but not as bad as the word “burning” might make you think. I originally got a smallish tat in the middle of my upper arm, and later had stuff added around it. The pain was really only bad in areas that went over bone–there’s a couple of spots at the top of my shoulder that really sucked, and my tattoo wrapped around the outer and inner edges of my arm, and those areas were a little more tender than others, but still, not bad. My artist works fast, so my first tattoo, a cluster of flowers about as big around as a soup can, took about 45 minutes. When I added branches and a bird to the mix, the tattoo went from my shoulder to an inch or so above my elbow. That took her about two hours. By the end of two hours I was DONE, but up until the last half hour or so, it wasn’t bad.
I didn’t really have any post-session pain, except that I got the tat on my left arm, and I usually sleep on my left side. So the first couple of nights were rough, because I would roll over to the left, but that hurt, so I’d shift around and have trouble falling asleep in a different position, finally fall asleep, and then roll over onto my left side and OUCH! After that first tat, I made sure to schedule so that I don’t have to work the next day. :D
The itching is pretty bad. And if you’re the picking type, it can be tough to resist the urge to pick at it when it starts scabbing, but you have to resist. Once the itching started, my favorite time of day was shower time. I’d just stand with my arm under the stream, letting the water flow “scratch” the itch for me. I would also just press my hand against it when it was bad. For me, having any sort of sensation to distract from the itch was helpful. I have heard others mention that they would slap the area, but I found pressing to work fine.
I waited til I was 40 to get my tattoo, and now all I can think about is how much I want to get another, and how sorry I am that I waited so long to do it. Yeah, you have to grit your teeth and endure some pain, but at the end of it, you feel like a badass and you’ve got a piece of artwork that will always be with you.
I have 2. One on my inner ankle and one on my lower back of neck. Both hurt like ever loving heck. I still remember the pain and sweating from the ankle one (and the apparent odd dehydration). 8 years later, I got my 2nd, scared that I’d sweat through it like the first one. I did not, but it did hurt badly and every time he hit a spot, I kicked my leg out. I love them both but I will not be getting more…I don’t have that urge! Good luck!
My first tattoo was of a black tribal snake, on the left breastage area, like over where your bathing suit strap sits. He’s about 3.5″ x 1″. I have always compared the pain to someone trying to color on your skin with a mechanical pencil. Like scratchy with just a hint of discomfort. It didn’t really hurt at all in the days after, but when it starts to heal it itches like a son of a bitch.
My second tattoo is a yellow daisy on my left knee, in the little dippy part to the side of the patella. 2″ x .75″. The closer to the bone you get when you have a tattoo done, the more it hurts. The fleshier the body part, the less it hurts. The daisy was similarly scratchy with moderately more discomfort and maybe a twinge or two of pain.
Really, it isn’t a big deal. It’s not comfortable like kitten fur, more like kitten claws. Ouchie in the moment but no big deal.
My next tattoo will be around 4″ x 5″, on my right thigh. All done in dark grey, it will say “I am not a girl. I am a storm with skin.” with cloud outlines to the upper left and lower right.
Cartilage piercing hurt WAY more than either tattoo, and the pain lingered a lot longer for the piercing.
I say DO IT.
Oh. I could talk about tattoos forever (I have 8, of varying sizes, but none bigger than my hand & most black line only), but most of it’s been covered here. Another commenter said something about kitten claws, & I think that’s a great comparison. Imagine a cat kneading you with very sharp claws. It’s painful but you forgive it. And that’s just at the beginning. The numbing does happen, & I have found it hurts less for subsequent tattoos. On the bone is mos def more painful than on fat, inner arm areas hurt like hell, as does the pelvic area in front (I have two there. Never again). The best point being made is that the pain is temporary & it’s for something you want. You can do this. Get one!
The last point I’ll make is not one I’ve seen here, & that’s about cost & size. Many tattoo parlors have a minimum. So even if you want something tiny, it might cost $60-$100. That’s something to consider, IMO. I have a very small, 13-letter, type set tattoo that cost me $75. It took less than 10 minutes (once he was actually tatooing). I don’t begrudge the cost at all, but it’s something you’ll want to reconcile no matter how tiny.
Yes, the artist I went to had an $80 minimum and mine took less than 5 minutes. (More if you count the time it took to make and apply the transfer of the design.) I don’t regret it, though – it looks good and is exactly what I wanted. I’d rather pay a lot for a job well done (and clean, safe tattoo shop) than be unhappy.
There is a reason for the minimum. Regardless of how big or small the tattoo is, certain things have to happen. The paid apprentice has to sanitize the station, lay out plastic, put out vaseline to hold the little ink pots, etc. The artist still has to pour in enough black ink to fill their machine. I’ve asked my artist about it before and they still have to use a pretty large amount of ink just to fill their machine. When I get all of my tattoos, even for the smallest touch of yellow, they have to fill the entire pot. The artist still has to use paper towels and fluid to clean your tattoo. Once it’s done they still need to use plastic and tape to cover the tattoo, then again the apprentice has to clean up all of the pots, the needle has to be tossed out, and the whole station is sanitized. Also, even if it’s a small tattoo, some times they use more than one needle. Each needle does different things. Some are for outlines, some for shading, some make tiny dots for really neat shading. Etc. The artist also pays to rent space. In the end all of those small things factor into their minimum, to cover all of their overhead, the cost of the apprentice, the cost of the front desk girl, and then make a small profit.
Everything that misguided mommy said is 1000% correct in my experience. Read and read again.
My first was on my foot. Yes, it hurt, but I then had two more after (both on my shoulders). The itching is THE WORST. Slap it like she says. You got this. On my third, we were a couple hours in, the adrenaline had worn off and I was staring to just feel really sore and over it. I told my artist and asked how much longer she thought. Turned out she said fifteen minutes, so I just sucked it up and got through it, but she would have been happy to stop and finish another day. There is nothing wrong with that. Is you get a smaller one to stay though you’ll not even run into this.
I promise you it’s not as bad as you imagine at all. You got this!
My husband has a tattoo, which he was never going to get but he had some deal with himself about his team winning the STUPID world series, so now he has one. He is not a wussy or anything but I don’t think of him as a person who enjoys or even doesn’t try to actively avoid pain and he did fine, with his. My brother has a SHIT TON of them, all over his body. I think the piercing and also just the general toughness with which you present yourself makes me not worry at all! Exciting!
Also, my last post should have ended with “typing on an iPhone, please excuse any errors”. But you get the idea. :::hanging head slightly embarrassed:::
I do not have a tattoo and I don’t plan on ever getting one, but I love these comments and the original post. I’m gaining so much knowledge….that is totally why I love your blog :)
Me too! (Other Jenny)
Start small. My first (and thus far only) tattoo is a single word on the inside of my wrist, and I was stunned at how much it DIDN’T hurt. This is likely because it took less than 5 minutes. It felt like someone was scratching me with a sharp pen while writing on me – I cold see how it would get uncomfortable or painful over a long time, but mine was so fast there was no pain at all. I’m now actively planning the next one. :D
I have one tiny dot that is 23 years old. It was my tester. I have 6″x3″ tattoos on the backs of both thighs that are 5 years old. And several in between in different sizes and locations. I have also worried about being able to finish what I started. I have always completed my tattoos, and I know of no one that has unfinished work due to pain. And to compare the pain, I have pierced ears, lip, tongue, and septum – piercing pain is over quickly but sore for weeks. Tattoos are painful during application only, and then itchy after. Whatever you do, just DO NOT SCRATCH. Tattoo artists want you to have good tattoos and will always help you decide on a good location and good placement – your good tattoo will probably bring in other clients. And if you don’t find that, find a new artist. You can follow many on Instagram these days.
I have three. A huge birds nest with swallows representing each of my children. One on my foot that is a flower vine that I’ve had for 20 years and still get complemented on and when my aunt died I took in a card she had signed and they traced her signature transfer paper’ed it to my wrist and I have love, her name on the inside of my wrist in her handwriting. Wait I have one more college indescretion on my hip that has been decimated by a stretch mark. My husband asked me what they bruise was not too long ago he forgot I even had it.
If you’re not sure who you want to use at a particular place take in your small peice and while they are doing it talk to them about the bigger peice. They’ll get some ideas and can help you with placement and stuff plus it’s something to talk about without trying too hard to think of stuff like Jenny was talking about. And if you don’t really like their technique or whatever you haven’t committed to hoursnof sitting in their chair. You can normally call and do a consulting appointment to talk about what you want. And it could take a few sessions to get it all finished for the birds nest first I did the lines and then came back in a couple of weeks for color.
Also the one needle outlining is always much worse than the color brushing in to me.
I have 2 tattoos. My first was on my ankle and the artist literally made a face and gasped a “your funeral” type of gasp when I told him it was my first tattoo and would be on my ankle. But honestly it wasn’t bad at all. It wasn’t a lingering type of pain, only hurt while the needle was actually touching my skin. So any time the artist lifted the needle to readjust (which happened frequently, think about how often you lift a pen while coloring) the pain immediately disappeared. Also it goes way quicker than you expect, both of mine were finished in under 20 minutes.
Honestly, the physical pain of getting the tattoo is nothing compared to the regret you could have years later when you look at something you have done to permanently alter your skin. (TRUST ME!)
I realize that sounds very dramatic, but I truly can’t think of anything in my life that I really 100% regret except the tattoo (and mine is in a hidden place that can’t even be seen in a bikini). If you are determined to do it and it is something you have always wanted to do and you just can’t imagine not doing it, then go for it! Otherwise, I just hope you don’t feel the way I do. Sorry to be such a non-fun commenter!
PS. Love your Blog!
There’s no way to know for sure until I do it, of course, but this feels like the category of thing I’m more likely to regret NOT doing. Or perhaps a better way to say it is that I’ve definitely worried that I’ll regret it, but if I weigh “regretting doing it” against “regretting NOT doing it,” I think the latter is sadder and more likely for me.
Regarding the comments that say it will hurt afterwards “a lot”. Your mileage may vary. Mine hurt at the time I was getting it, but I felt nothing afterwards that I could describe as pain or even itching. Like, at all. I don’t want to say it won’t hurt or itch afterwards for you, but it doesn’t for everyone.
Mind you, I also had a skin cancer doctor carve out a lesion (that thankfully turned out not to be cancerous) leaving a 1/2 inch diameter crater on the side of my shin and not do anything to close it up, and I also felt no pain from that. Of course, I was numbed when it happened, but I was bracing myself for it to start hurting when the novocaine wore off and it never did.
So many great comments to add! My experience taught me two things
1) I find with all things in this category (tattoos, needles, giving blood) my experience is directly related to my expectation. If I go in expecting excruciating pain, it’s not that bad. If I go in over confident remembering how it really wasn’t that bad, my system is shocked and it seems horrible. This might be just me.
2) I did not numb out to the pain of any of my tattoos. The pain seemed directly related to the area they reached with the machine. That being said, in the end I’d say they hurt exactly how much I expected them too (after considering it being skewed for my weird perception issues).
You can totally do it! I think middle aged moms getting their first tattoo are bad a$$.
Ha! I am like that too! I went to my first cartilage piercing thinking it would be SO PAINFUL—and then I was like, “Hey, that wasn’t so bad!” So for the second one, I went in thinking, “It wasn’t so bad!”—and then was more like, “YOW, that HURT!”
I wrote about getting my first tattoo (on my blog, the post is called There Was An Old Lady Who Got A Tattoo) if you’re curious. I was surprised that it was not painful; just a couple times when I felt a burning sensation.
I went back for a second, bigger tattoo a month later. ;) Debating a third, but for now two is just fine. :)
This is an awesome post, Swistle!! I have been thinking about getting a tattoo a lot lately. I used to have pretty severe reactions to any sort of interactions with needles. (As in, almost passing out every time I got a shot or had blood drawn.) In my older age, that has faded so I’m not as nervous about it. However, I am trying to lose weight and figured that a good non-food reward might be a tattoo. I watch Ink Master a lot and am always amazed at how good some of those tattoos look. I agree with starting small. If you ever decide to go big and custom, make sure you research artists and shell out some good money for one because I have heard you get what you pay for usually.
I love this post so much because I’m right there with ya!
Like many others have said, I only found my tattoo to be painful (rather than just uncomfortable) when going over already-inked areas where the skin was already tender. Mine is on my wrist and I was amazed how manageable the pain was- annoying bordering on painful during, but I had no real pain afterwards and don’t even remember much itching either. Mine’s quite small though, which may have something to do with how easy the healing process is too. Definitely go for it, you can for sure handle the pain! I haven’t regretted getting my tattoo for even a second!
I have two tattoos and I’m ready for my third.
The first one is a fleur de lis on the inside of my wrist. It’s small, about 1.5 inches long and didn’t hurt too badly – kind of like others have described, like shaving over a sunburn – although it bled quite a bit. Only took 15 minutes or so.
The second one is on the top of my foot – tree branches with three little birds. It’s my reminder to never worry about a thing, ha. :-) Anyway, that one hurt significantly more, especially the part of the branch that’s along the side of my foot. Turns out there are a lot of nerve endings over there, and also I have bony feet so that did not help matters. The tattoo artist said that most people have a really hard time with that particular area, so just something to keep in mind I guess. I was glad it only took about an hour total because ow. Not much bleeding for that one, but possibly because it is mostly just outlines. There aren’t any filled in areas. As a side note, I need to get one of the birds recolored. It’s kind of a golden yellow and looks awesome in natural light, but turns practically invisible when I’m indoors (which is most of the time). Evidently that particular color doesn’t work well with my pasty white lady skin, which there was no way for me to know at the time, so I plan to have it done again with a different shade.
For my third tattoo I plan to get my kids’ birth flowers, possibly on the inside of my left heel, kind of right by the ankle bone. The design is causing me a bit of consternation though, because my daughter’s birth flower is white and I’m not sure how that will work. I figure I’ll take in some pictures of the flowers and let the artist draw something up. Probably the same guy who did my bird tattoo, as that’s neighborhood place and I really liked him a lot.
This is so exciting! I can’t wait to see what you end up with!
i have…i think 14 now. over fleshier parts hurt less than bonier part,s but the pain is really not bad. the whirring sound is a little weird. one thing i find helpful is to bring something like a stress ball to squeeze as a distraction.
Adding my voice, not because I think you need more convincing or reassuring, but because it is a fun opportunity to talk tattoos. I have three that I LOVE. Each one is special for a different reason, and two of them were custom designed by a fantastic artist in seattle. Every single part of my experience was positive (the planning alone! The working with the artist! The getting of the tattoos! The healing! The final result!). My oldest tattoo is a little more than two years old and I got my newest in June. Every time I see them, they bring me such happiness.
Long time reader, have never commented on a blog in my life. It’s like you read my mind- I have been thinking of getting my first tattoo for about a year now. This post inspired me so much that I went and just did it this past Saturday, at age 49. Sand dollar on the top of my foot- my youngest daughter went with me and got the same, my mother and other daughter are getting the same as well. It has significance to the women in my family. It was painful, but not horribly so. The hardest part was twisting and holding my foot the way the artist needed me to. We brought in the actual sand dollar and he just traced it out. I went with an aqua blue color- and it looks amazing! No regrets at all- just do it!
I have two tattoos and am getting a third next month. Pain really depends on location and personal tolerance levels.
If you are getting a tattoo on a very bony area it will hurt a lot during the tattoo process. I’m talking feet and ribs specifically. The tattoo artists know that and will give you lots of breaks during the process.
If you are getting a tattoo on a muscly area you will have several days of searing pain when you use that muscle after you get the tattoo. I’m talking calves, wrists, and the underside of the forearms specifically. I got a tattoo last year on the soft underside of the forearm and every.single.time. I turned my wrist for about 4 days a tear would fall out of my eye.
Don’t let the thought of the immediate after pain scare you off. You’ve had 5 kids, you can literally handle the pain of any tattoo. I’ve had no kids and need laughing gas to get my teeth cleaned and I’ve made it through with minimal agony.
The coloring really, really, hurts. I’m not going to lie to you. But the beauty of a tattoo is you can see the progress and that helps you get through the pain because you can see how beautiful it looks.
A good thing to remember is the more detail or colors a tattoo has the bigger it has to be on your skin for these things to show up. If you pick a simple design with a colored outline you can get in and out in less than a hour then come back and color it in if you want later.
I hope this helps!