Hey tattoo people, a question for you...

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Replies

  • MetamorphosisMe
    MetamorphosisMe Posts: 69 Member
    I don't have a high tolerance for pain, but got one anyway. For me the outlining was the worse, the shading not so bad. Mine took roughly two hours. Would I get another one? You betcha! And I plan to once I reach my goal on here.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    I fell asleep during my 8 hour session!


    The first time I went, I was sweating and the second he touched the needle to my skin, I had a huge sigh of relief. It hurts but it's nothing you can't take!
  • erinfog
    erinfog Posts: 95 Member
    it just kind of feels like scratching. when it's over it feels like a sunburn for a few days.
  • laurasimmons
    laurasimmons Posts: 575 Member
    I have one right between my shoulder blades it wasn't that bad at all. I don't know about eating meals before hand never head that before.
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
    Ever been scratched by a cat? That first "ouch M*&^#&*&cker" moment...that's what it feels like...

    It's tolerable...and addicting.

    The stupid one on my ankle was the most painful. I have another one on my upper back and that was fine.
  • ggcat
    ggcat Posts: 313 Member
    I have a small black heart near my hip bone....it actually tickled for the whole 10 minutes it took! :)
  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
    I have plenty, and they really are not painful...to me anyways.....make sure you eat something since its your first.....and any pain is mild afterwards.....just a bit sore.......and ifs its a small one, it will be over before you know it!
  • LolasEpicJourney
    LolasEpicJourney Posts: 1,010 Member
    To be honest, I have a tattoo on my left shoulder blade area - it was one of the least painful I have ever had. (I have 7)
    The only time I find tattoos hurt is while the needle is actually tattooing. The area will be sensitive to be touched for a while until it starts healing, but like I said, only minor pain while the tattoo is actually being done.
    Everyone has different sensitive areas of their body though, what might hurt for me, wouldnt hurt for you, and vice versa.

    Best of luck!
  • KLo924
    KLo924 Posts: 379 Member
    That was one of the more painful spots for me, but I've heard other people say it wasn't so bad (for comparison, much of my legs are covered, including one ankle - achilles tendon was the worst pain, I think--as well as some of my chest, which was also no fun). In general the less fat or flesh under the tattoo the more painful it'll be, so over bone or tender skin, like the inside of your upper arm, is worse, while your thigh would be nothin'.

    I think the best description I've heard is it's like scratching a sunburn. Fortunately, your body kicks into gear and after several minutes the pain seems to decrease - until you run out of adrenaline or whatever helpful thing it is after several hours (I max out around 5 hours).

    My routine is I take some ibuprofen right before (not sure if it's really helps, but it's a mental thing at this point :) ), and I have something like a fruit smoothie so I have some good sugar in my system. Then I drink water and eat a little trail mix throughout. Each person is different, though. For example, my husband always--about 10 min. in--gets really lightheaded and needs to stop for a few minutes. He has a Coke, recovers, and is fine for the rest (up to about 4 hours). People's bodies react differently.

    Good luck and be prepared to get addicted, and share pictures! :)
  • Lucianna_D
    Lucianna_D Posts: 84 Member
    It really depends on the artist if he has a heavy hand then expect a bit of pain.. The pain is kind of addicting, if it is small you will be done before you know it.. Some artist stencil which will take a bit longer for prepartation, my artist draws on you so it is much faster... I don't think you need to anything more than what you eat regularly & just take some Ibruphen after you get it done.. Don't forget to buy your Aquaphor.. Welcome to your new addictions.. :)
  • evereadysmile
    evereadysmile Posts: 137
    You'll be surprised by how much it doesn't hurt, especially on the shoulder blade (over bone is a different story). My baby sister got her firs tone on her shoulder blade last year and she fell asleep while he was doing it! Eat like normal, but you know, if you usually have dinner at 6, and your appointment is at 5 or whatever, eat first, it can end up taking longer than you think and you don't want to get want to get too low blood sugar. After the fact it'll feel like skinned knee. Remember that it is a wound and treat it as such. Keep it clean and dry and follow the instructions your artist gives you.
  • katescurios
    katescurios Posts: 224 Member
    I liken it to a cat scratch. If it's relatively small you should be able to handle it no problem. If you get something beiiger that needs a lot of shading it gets more painful because they have to go over the same area more than once and it takes longer so the skin has time to start to inflame and get sore.

    Definately eat a good meal as getting a tattoo releases a lot of adrenaline and endorphins into your blood system which can make you feel a little woozy. I would suggest taking a sugary drink or snack in just in case. It's kind of like when you give bnlood, some people don't have any effect, others faint, it's totally individual so better to be prepared.

    Be warned, they can be addictive because of the rush of good feeling you get, kind of like the rush you get after a really good workout.

    Keep the covering on for a few hours and make sure you keep it well moisturised as per the tattooists instructions. Look around you and make sure everything looks clean in the studio and that you are comfortable with the tattooist, if you aren't or are in any way concerned about the hygiene, turn around, walk out and find another studio!!!!
  • KLo924
    KLo924 Posts: 379 Member
    The after care is the most annoying part. With the spot you picked, make sure either you can reach it pretty well or you have someone to help you.

    Also, this. And, be prepared to be out of commission for working out for a week or so depending on the size of your piece. A race I'm training for in November has me holding off for another installment of a piece I'm working on on my leg... C'mon November!!
  • hdsqrl
    hdsqrl Posts: 420 Member
    All these comments about it not hurting make me laugh. Of course it hurts. It doesn't hurt as bad as a broken bone, walking on a badly sprained ankle, or giving birth, but it does still hurt. The comment about it feeling like a bad sunburn afterwards is spot-on. After each of mine (most of my back is tattoo'ed at this point), I always do the ow-ow-ow dance when my husband tries to apply ointment or lotion to it twice a day. After a week, the sunburn feeling is gone, so just ride it out. Take mild showers, use a good aftercare product, and don't scratch at it.

    If your design calls for any long lines, those might be the worst - long lines, to me, feel like a knife is being dug into my skin. Other people hate the shading the most. It'll all depend on your own reactions to it, really.

    DO bring something to eat and drink, for sure. There may be moments where you feel a little dizzy and/or need the distraction that eating or drinking can give you. I'd grab a Snickers bar or something similar, to give you the sugar boost if you start fading out.

    But it's so worth it! :)
  • jonski1968
    jonski1968 Posts: 4,490 Member
    Solar plexus and kneecap the 2 sorest places i`ve been done...
  • LucilleHighball
    LucilleHighball Posts: 107 Member
    Pain isn't that bad. The most important thing is that you are relaxed and breathing. Tension only makes it worse. It will be over before you know it, and you'll be ready for another in no time.
    Its like a sunburn. If you scratch it, it hurts, for a moment, but its just tender.
  • Nightelyn
    Nightelyn Posts: 31
    I have three. The one on my back was the least painful out of the three (I have one on my lower hip and one on my collarbone). 228142_172808642774229_6544335_n.jpg
  • IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym
    IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym Posts: 5,573 Member
    I have 3 - 1st one is on my left hip (mostly done on the hip bone) 2nd is mid back (done mostly on my spine) and the last one is on my ribs on the right side. They were more annoyingly uncomfortable than painful, especially the rib one, since I had to lay on my side and hold my right arm over my head.
  • ccludden
    ccludden Posts: 10 Member
    I just added to my collection on monday. I would compare the pain to a sunburn being scratched...repeatedly. after a while the area can kind of go numb. But the back is a good place to get a first tattoo.
  • erxkeel
    erxkeel Posts: 553 Member
    Mine hurt like a C@cksucker.
  • citygirl04
    citygirl04 Posts: 286 Member
    They don't hurt as much as a brazillian. :D
  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 Member
    Getting my first tattoo on Saturday. It’s fairly small and going on my upper back, near my shoulder blade. My tolerance for pain is pretty high so I’m not too concerned about it but I am curious as to what to expect.

    Be brutally honest, how much pain can I expect to be in and how long does the pain usually last for? What would you compare the pain to? How much should I eat before going in? I’ve heard that it’s important to have a good meal beforehand.
    :smile: its a combo of geting a tetnis shot and road rash:smile::devil: oh and have someone slap it after you'll like it i sware:devil:
  • Davidgettinghealthy
    Davidgettinghealthy Posts: 76
    Best advice I've ever heard? Take someone with you to bs with while you're getting it. Makes the time go by faster and keeps you from focusing on the sensation.
  • trackercasey76
    trackercasey76 Posts: 781 Member
    Think of a bee sting or someone slapping your sunburn. The first 5 minutes hurt pretty good then you kinda go numb. After about 4 hours of constant work it hurts like a B!itch but I don't think you have to worry about that.
  • sh4690
    sh4690 Posts: 169 Member
    Its not sore at all :) After about two minutes I stopped feeling it to be honest, aside a few little niggly parts on my fatty bits, loved it going over my spine though! aha! As soon as it stops the pain stops really, just really itchy afterwords.

    Get your tattooist to do a practice one without any ink on the needle so you know what to expect when the ink is actually there :)
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    Depends on the needles. Single needle work is brutal. It feels like someone is drawing on you with a razor blade. Fill work isn't so bad.
  • allifantastical
    allifantastical Posts: 946 Member
    I have one in between my shoulder blades, half sleeve, and one on my foot. The foot probably hurt the worst. People who say tattoos don't hurt are lying. It hurts....but it is supposed to...It's nothing you can't handle. You will be fine.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    It feels like if you were to have a sunburn, someone writing on it with a pencil. Best description I can give. The more bony of an area, the sorer it is. Of course, this is all my opinion. I have 12 tattoos, technically 16 if you include cover-ups and re-dos.

    The aftermath, it basically feels like a decent sunburn. Not too bad. Make sure you don't let it get dry!
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    I have one in between my shoulder blades, half sleeve, and one on my foot. The foot probably hurt the worst. People who say tattoos don't hurt are lying. It hurts....but it is supposed to...It's nothing you can't handle. You will be fine.

    foot sucks!!! I have two foot tattoos and one took well over 3 hours =(
  • Lotusstarr
    Lotusstarr Posts: 112 Member
    You may hit a few nerves... which may make you jump unconsciously other than that... it's more like a scratching feeling..Being you're getting a small piece, shouldn't take more that a few hrs...you probably won't experience pain.

    Pain (more than the normal feeling) means you should be stopping anyway.... Most people's pain doesn't start until around 4 hrs... some people 6 some people 2.... but normally if it does hurt it means your skin is rejecting the color anyhow and should be completed at a later time with a second session.

    Oh and remember to BREATHE! Holding your breath tends to make your body tense up and make the needle more intense... breathing loosens you up and allows the body to not focus on the one spot.

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