Arms
Arm tattooing is an increasingly popular trend. Unfortunately, this can also be quite painful! Fredrik Bjerkegrd, founder of Inkbay and Inkbay Tattoo Services, claims that tattooing your elbow ditch (the underside of your inner elbow) is one of the most painful locations on your body for two significant nerves running directly through it and with little padding between the needle and nerves. He notes this phenomenon occurs most commonly when trying to draw intricate designs with a hand. This kind of pain is widely known as sharp or stinging pain.
Tattoo Body Pain Chart and Outline
We have developed a chart and outline to assist with better understanding the degree of discomfort associated with different parts of your body when considering getting inked. While not providing an exact measure of how painful tattoos can be, these charts give an approximate indication of pain levels in each region, helping you choose where best to ink your next ink job.
Back
Back tattoo art offers a perfect canvas for large pieces with vivid saturation and intricate detail. However, pain levels can differ widely depending on the design and placement of each tattoo piece. The spine is a susceptible bony area packed with nerve endings, making it highly reactive to needle insertion. Regarding pain scale rating, the spine ranks 9/10, making it one of the more painful spots to get tattooed. Upper or lower back tattooing can be less painful than getting one on the spine due to thick skin with few nerve endings and high levels of padding – although it still typically falls within the low-moderate pain range.
Thighs
Thigh tattoos are one of the best places to get one because this area typically covers itself in fat padding, making piercing more comfortable for your skin. But keep in mind that your thighs contain many nerve endings and tiny bones – potentially sensitive areas that need particular caution! Tattooing on either the front or back of your thighs typically causes mild pain for men at level 3 and moderate pain for women at level 5, though specific areas such as your inner thigh, kneecap backs, and inner calf may be particularly sensitive. To accurately represent how getting a tattoo will feel, look at this tattoo body pain chart. While less exciting, this will allow you to make the best decisions tailored specifically to your unique requirements.