How to Overcome the Pain of Tattoos

When it comes to ink tattoo art, it seems that the old adage “without pain, there is no success” is somewhat true to this situation. All types of tattoos are painful, at least a little bit . However, if you make an appointment with a tattoo artist with the right amount of knowledge and know how to apply a few simple pain relief tips, you can almost completely control the pain of getting a tattoo. You may even be surprised how easily you completely “survive” the tattoo!

Table of Contents

Before Tattoo Appointment

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To calm your mind, you should talk to a professional about body tattooing. If you’ve never gotten a tattoo before, the best way to prepare yourself is to get rid of all the mystery surrounding this art. It’s even better when you come to your tattoo appointment feeling less nervous – the more relaxed you are, the easier the tattooing experience will be. Try talking to someone with multiple tattoos or the staff at a tattoo parlor and listen to their valuable experience. Most are happy to share that with you.

Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. Although getting a tattoo makes people feel uncomfortable, the pain is still nothing compared to having a baby and having kidney stones. Most of the people you talk to confirm that is true.

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You should know where the tattoo is the most painful. The pain of getting a tattoo is all influenced by the area of the body that you intend to tattoo. If you want to minimize pain, aim for a tattoo where it is least painful. Although everyone’s body is different, overall: ^{[1] X Research Source}

Areas with a lot of muscle (such as arms, legs, and upper pectoral muscles) and areas with a lot of excess fat (such as glutes, hip muscles, etc.) usually have the least pain.
Sensitive areas (such as the chest, armpits, face, and groin) and “stubborn” areas near the bones (such as the scalp, face, collarbone, ribs, hands, and feet) often hurt the most . . ^{[2] X Research Source}
Several articles online will introduce you to useful charts that can show pain levels in different parts of the body. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Know which type of tattoo causes the most pain. Not all tattoos are created equal. The level of pain experienced is also affected by the type of tattoo you intend to stamp on your body. Except for certain styles, in general:

The smaller and simpler the tattoo, the less painful the tattooing process will be. Of course, the bigger and more detailed the tattoo, the more painful it will be.
A tattoo with just one color is less painful (and takes less time) than a tattoo with multiple colors.
The same color area is also the most painful because the tattoo artist will have to work on this area many times.

During the Tattoo Process

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Keep yourself calm. It’s hard to relax as soon as the artist starts painting you. However, if possible, you should try to relax to make the experience easier. Take a deep breath, talk to a friend or family member, or even chat with the artist doing your tattoo. These tips will help you relax and distract you from what’s going on.

If you’re too nervous to go to your tattoo appointment, don’t be afraid to call ahead and ask if you’re allowed to bring anything to calm you down. For example, you may want to bring an MP3 player to enjoy your favorite tunes and help clear your mind during the tattooing process. Many tattoo parlors will allow you to do this freely as long as the items you bring don’t interfere with the artist’s work.

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Make yourself feel as comfortable as possible. Depending on the size and detail of the tattoo, you may be in the tattoo parlor for several hours. While you wait and walk around, you should be a little prepared to make the tattoo session more pleasant. Here are a few basics you should consider:

Have a light meal before the tattooing process. Don’t forget to drink one to two glasses of water to avoid dehydration.
Choose loose, comfortable clothing that can help you sit for long periods of time without feeling uncomfortable.
Bring anything you want to keep you entertained during the date (like music players, audiobooks, etc.)
Go to the bathroom before the tattooing process begins.

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Squeeze or chew something to ease the pain. If the tendon is stretched by squeezing something in your hand or biting something in your mouth, it can help significantly reduce pain. In fact, this is considered a technique that women often use to reduce pain during labor – and it really works. ^{[5] X Research Resources} Many tattoo parlors will give you something to use for this purpose. But if you don’t have one, consider bringing one of the following:

Rubber ball
Exercise clamps
Jaw guard
Gum
Soft candy
Towels, wooden spoons,…
Do not bite down if the object in your mouth is not soft. Grinding can also damage teeth. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Practice regular exhalations, especially during periods of severe pain. Even small things like controlling your breath can help you have a high tolerance for tattooing. Try to exhale each time you feel extreme pain. To do this, you can either exhale or make a soft noise in your mouth (like a soft humming). Exhaling steadily throughout the tattoo process will help you “squeeze” the pain more easily. That’s also why most health sources recommend that you exhale every time you “lift” your body during weightlifting. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

On the other hand, if you breathe the wrong way, there is a high chance that the tattooing process will become more painful. Try to resist the urge to hold your breath during the stinging moment. This will distract you from the pain.

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The less moves the better. You may have an urge to move, especially in times of pain and tension every time the needle goes into your skin. Try your best not to move around much. The less you do, the more accurate the tattoo artist will be and the faster the tattooing process will happen. You also know, artists will have a hard time drawing on canvas if it won’t stay still.

If you really have to move, tell the artist in advance so they can remove the tattoo machine from your skin’s surface. You do n’t want to cause them to accidentally make any mistakes – because the tattoo will stay on the skin for life.

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Don’t be afraid to take a break in between. Most tattoo artists will tell you about this before they start. However, it must be repeated: you should ask the artist to take a break if the pain exceeds the limit of tolerance. Most of them won’t be afraid to do as you ask because they don’t want your tattoo to turn into a traumatic experience. So don’t hesitate to rest for 1 to 2 minutes and then return to the process.

Don’t be shy when asking for a break. Most tattoo artists work with clients of varying tolerances and they “get it all” when they see a client’s painful reaction. Remember, you are paying for the tattoo, so do what you think is necessary for you!

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Take an over-the-counter pain reliever (but not one that contains blood thinners). If you feel very uncomfortable with the pain of a tattoo, you should try taking a small dose of pain reliever that is sold at the pharmacy. However, you should not take medications that contain blood-thinning agents or that have side effects that cause blood thinning. If taken in small amounts, these drugs don’t really pose any danger to getting a tattoo, but they will make your blood bleed more. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

An effective over-the-counter pain reliever that does not contain a blood thinner is acetaminophen (also called Tylenp or paracetamp). Some other common pain relievers include Ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen sodium. These may help ease your pain, but they actually thin the blood.

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Do not relieve the pain by drinking. While it may sound tempting to get drunk to get through the tattoo process (especially when you consider it a social event), it’s a bad idea. Most famous tattoo parlors would not agree to work with someone completely intoxicated. The reason is that intoxicated clients tend to be noisy, disorderly, rude, and make hasty tattoo decisions that may cause them to regret after sobering up. ^{[9] X Research Source}

What’s more, the alcohol content is known as a mild blood thinner, which can make you bleed more than usual. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Listen to the artist’s tattoo care instructions. If you feel some pain a few days after the tattoo is done, this is completely normal. When the tattooing process is over, the artist will give you detailed instructions on how to take care of the tattoo. Follow the following advice carefully to minimize the pain and make it go away in no time.

You can refer to the article on how to take care of tattoos for more information. There will be a slight difference in accuracy between the steps the artist recommends you follow with the steps in this article. But in general, you should keep your new tattoo clean, protect it from scratches and allergies, and regularly apply antibiotic ointment until it heals.
Avoid touching a wet tattoo with your hands or anything that has not been disinfected. If you accidentally touch it, gently wash your hands with soap and water. Accidentally transferring bacteria to a tattoo wound can also lead to painful inflammation (plus, it changes the texture and appearance of the tattoo). ^{[11] X Research Source}

Advice

Only tattoo in a clean and reputable place. Doing some research on several online sites for testimonials via search engines like Google and Yelp will ensure your direction and a great tattooing experience.
Although this is rare, some people may be allergic to tattoo ink. Red tones tend to make allergies worse and more frequent. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Steps

Before Tattoo Appointment

During the Tattoo Process

Advice

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