There are some body-areas that hurt more than others when you get a tattoo.
The main reason is the number of nerve endings of each area, and the amount of fatty tissue between those nerves and the skin.
There are some areas that, despite having many nervous endings, can have a sufficient layer of fat, enough to dampen #pain (as it happens with the upper part of the arm).
On the contrary, there are other areas such as the ribs, where the needle approaches in a more direct way to the nerves due to the lack of fatty tissue, and there, pain is stronger.
There might be other influencing factors, such as the pain threshold we have according to our genetics or the tattoo size. A small design that could be done in 20 minutes is way different from one that occupies the entire forearm, which results in more hours of work and a degenerative resistance.
If you want to learn a bit more about every aspect that could make pain increase and the most affected body areas.
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Ribcage
The #ribcage is a particularly painful place to get a tattoo, because "you don’t have as much fat, muscle, or skin on your ribs, meaning you will feel the scratching of the needle a lot more." He also suggests the heightened pain "could be down to the central nervous system, as the nerves surrounding the ribs are supposedly really close to the surface of the skin." And one other reason a tattoo on your ribcage will hurt is that "the ribs move every time you breathe, which makes the tattooing process more painful. "the worst thing about getting a #tattoo on the ribcage is that the pain doesn’t let up.
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Head
who have that it's renowned for being really bloody sore. "Not only is it painful because of the lack of fat and abundance of nerves here, but apparently the noise and vibration is a little scary - it can feel like they are drilling your skull!" Delightful. "There is definitely a psychological as well as physical pain barrier to get over when it comes to getting a tattoo," he points out.
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Inside of thigh
The inside of the #thigh "should be one of the less painful places to tattoo because it isn’t close to the bone, and there is a lot of flesh and muscle". But in reality, it can be one of the most painful locations on the body to get a tattoo done because "it's an area that isn’t as exposed and is therefore more sensitive. It may also be more painful than other areas as it heals, purely because it will likely rub against your other leg quite frequently," he adds.
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Inside of upper #arm/#elbow
Not to freak anyone out, a tattoo here "hurts like hell". Why? "Two out of the three main nerves in the arm run right under the inner elbow, making it highly sensitive. "Whenever the nerves are pinched, it can cause pain to run right through the arm, not just the area where the needle is.
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Feet/ankles
A tattoo around your feet and ankles can cause so much pain and discomfort because "the skin is so so close to the bone, with very little fat to pad or cushion the needle strokes". Ouch.
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Inside of wrist
Same goes here. "Like the feet and ankles, there is little fat there. And as well as that, "there are a surprising amount of nerve endings on the inside of the wrist" which can only add to the pain.
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Armpit
Granted, an armpit tattoo might sounds like an odd one, but people do get them done. And it can be particularly sore, the tattoo marketplace founder explains, "because the maxillary nerve is located here as well as the glands, and the skin around the #armpit is extremely sensitive".
Most painful places to get a tattoo: Hands/fingers
"Having a #tattoo on your hands and fingers is painful for a number reasons; the skin is thin and therefore sensitive, they are bony and filled with ligaments, and, as the #ink doesn’t stick to this area of skin very well, the tattoo artist may need to go over the design a few times,
Least painful places to get a tattoo: Side of calf
"Anywhere in the area above the ankle and below the knee is a good place to get a tattoo, especially if you opt for the side of your #calf muscle, away from the shin bone. because "there aren’t as many nerve endings in this area. As you get to the back of the calf, near the back of the knee, it will become considerably more painful."
Least painful places to get a tattoo: Outside of arm
A tattoo on the #outside of your #arm tends to be far less painful than one on the inside of the arm, because the skin on the outside of the arm isn’t as close to the main nerves running through the arm. For example, while the inside of the elbow is notoriously painful, when I had the outside of my elbow tattooed I could barely feel it," he recalled.
Least painful places to get a tattoo: Outer shoulder
"The outer #shoulder is a common place for people to get their first tattoo as it is considered one of the less painful areas - again, this is because there are few nerve endings in this particular area, and there is enough flesh to provide cushioning against the needles.
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