What will you expect when a needle pricks your skin? Won't it hurt you? Of course it will. So how different can the making of tattoos be? Whenever and wherever you will get a tattoo done it will hurt. However you can get different answers from different people because it depends upon the resistance of the person getting the tattoo done. There are certain other factors also which determine how much do tattoos hurt. So, let's find on what exactly is the pain experienced during tattooing dependends on.
How is a Tattoo Made?
Well, as we have discussed before, the tattoo can either be extremely painful or completely painless. Before we go to the tattoo hurting part let's find out how tattoos are done. A tattoo needle has a hole which injects ink inside the skin. The needle goes about 1/16 of an inch deep in the skin. The damage done to the skin is minimal. In some cases, bleeding from the skin is observed. In a person taking blood thinners, chances of bleeding are more. Coming back to how is a tattoo done...First the tattoo artist will draw the outline and then do the coloring. Once the tattoo is complete, blood and excess ink will be wiped off and then the tattoo will be covered. Now that you know the process of tattoo making in brief, you will be able to get a fairer idea of how much can tattoos hurt you.
How Much a Tattoo Hurts?
Many people love to get tattoos done but fear from the pain it will cause. An adult can usually withstand the pain during the making of tattoos. There are many factors which may affect the intensity of the pain. One important factor is tattooist. The experience of the tattooist and his skill in inking the tattoo will determine how much pain is caused. His/her way of doing the tattoo will determine how painful tattooing will be. The other factors are:
Tattoo Placement
Tattoo placement plays a very important role when you think of the pain caused during the tattoo making. The areas near the bones, nerves and cartilage tend to hurt more than areas which have more muscle and fat. Tattoos which will hurt more are those made on the head, ribs, wrist, elbow, on the back near the spine, ankle and even foot tattoos. These areas are either bony or have nerves and cartilages. These areas will also take time to heal and will also pain during the healing process. So one must understand that they do hurt and be prepared to bear the pain. The areas which are rich in muscle and fat like thigh, calf, stomach, lips and upper arm are the least painful places to get a tattoo. So if you do not want to bear the pain then go for these places.
Size and Type of Tattoo
If the tattoo is small and is simple then obviously it will take less time to be completed and will hurt for less time. In large-sized tattoos the work cannot be completed in one go as the skin becomes hard after some time. Hence in case of large tattoos you may need to take multiple sittings with the tattooist. This will cause more pain tattoo healing will take more time. The next thing is the type of tattoo. If the tattoo is simple it will be completed soon, in turn causing less pain while a complex tattoo design will require more time for completion. Filling colors in tattoos, for instance, is painful for some.
Pain Threshold
Some people may experience a lot of pain during the making of a tattoo and some may feel less pain of no pain during the process. This is because some people have more sensitive nerves and skin than others. This may also depend upon the pain tolerance level of the person. Researches reveal that women are more tolerant towards pain than men.
Psychological Factors
Your psychology plays a very important role here. There are many people who fear the needle. Hence although they may not be in pain, they think they are. The fear of the pain tattoos cause may sometimes also lead to fainting, which is in fact not a result of tattoo pain, but of mere fear. Drop in sugar and salt levels in the body might cause a person to faint during a tattooing session. So, if you are going for getting a tattoo done, don't think too much about the pain.
How to Reduce the Pain Tattoos Cause?
Now you would have understood how much do tattoos hurt on your back, wrist, head or any other part of your body. I have some tips which can help you reduce the pain to some extent.
- Drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated as it will help in healing fast.
- Try not to look at the area which is being tattooed. People who have a fear of needles will get a relief.
- Make yourself psychologically prepared for the tattoo. This will also reduce the fear of the needle and the pain.
- Follow the instruction of your tattooist and take proper tattoo care. It will heal fast and will reduce the pain to a great extent.
