Pain from tattooing depends on an individual’s body part and padding level, with thinner skin near bones being more sensitive. For instance, forearm Tattoos rank low or moderate on the tattoo pain scale because their soft skin has few nerve endings and ample padding from muscle. Meanwhile, elbow ditch and knee Tattoos lack padding, ranking higher on this scale.
Burning Pain
Burning pain is similar to when something hot has been applied directly to the skin for an extended period. This feeling occurs as a result of repeated tattoo needle puncturing of the skin and also depends on the sensitivity of the area; those with less fat and thin skin may feel this sensation more strongly than others.
Sharp or Stinging Pain
Sharp or stinging pain resembles bee stings and usually appears in areas with thinner skin or over bones. Additionally, this discomfort may result from creating delicate designs too deep into the skin or using needles too deeply than intended. Head Tattoos are often among the most painful experiences due to their dense concentration of nerve endings and minimal fat or muscle content, making this area exceptionally sensitive to pain. Therefore, this location should be treated as high risk.
Sharp Pain
Sharp pain is often felt in areas without enough fat or muscle padding to support the needle and can feel similar to bee stings. This usually happens during procedures requiring wonderful designs or lines or on body parts with thinner skin, like wrists and elbows. Knee ditch, elbows, shin bones, and ribs have many bones close to the skin, making tattooing them uncomfortable.
Dull Pain
While sharp pain may feel jabbing or stabbing, dull pain often feels gnawing or achy and typically lasts even after its source has healed or dissipated. Light pain can occur throughout the body but is most prevalent in the neck, back, shoulders, arms, knees, hips, buttocks, hands, chest, and head areas. It may result from overdoing it at the gym, sitting at a desk all day with poor posture, or just sitting too long! Be careful – these symptoms could also be signs of arthritis, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome – it’s best to consult your physician if the dull ache persists for longer than two weeks; keeping a pain diary will allow your physician to accurately describe its source and prescribe treatment options for it.
Vibrating Pain
Tattoos applied over bony areas may cause vibrating pain. This occurs as the needle pierces the skin above a bone. Its nerves pick up on vibrations transmitted from it and send them directly back as pressure or tingling sensations to you as a feeling of pressure or tingling – often felt in the outer wrist, ribs, ankles, and knees.
Pain levels will depend heavily on factors such as your biological sex, age, weight, body composition/shape, and personal pain tolerance. Areas that typically cause less discomfort include those padded with muscle or thick skin without many nerve endings (forearms, chest, shoulders, and back of neck) and natural areas with reduced fat or more nerve endings, such as armpits or groins. Extremities, bony spots, or those sitting atop concentrated hubs of nerve endings often prove most uncomfortable – such as sitting over nerves on your head, which means extreme discomfort when tattooing occurs!
