Hey tattoo people, a question for you...

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 =(

I know...I need to get mine touched up, but I don't really want to. LOL

I don't blame you!! Mine is Yoda in black, gray, and white... and let me tell you... that mother ****er is never getting touched up LOL

The pain is not too bad. Don't take meds beforehand though as it thins your blood and makes things harder for the tattoo-er. MY one on my shoulder-blade was probably the least painful, it's a recommended "starter" spot. My entire shoulder blade and arm went tingly with I guess the endorphins after, I loved it, lol!
MY hip hurt the most, I was quite skinny back then and I swear it felt like the needle was going "dink dink dink" in my bone!
I've heard neck and the underside of your arm hurts the most.

edited because MFP seems to think my first description of the sound was offensive!

I have 5 tattoos, they are not that bad. The worse one I got was on my spine, made my back spasm uncontrollably the lady kept saying sit still...I was like lady I'm not moving! haha I have one on each shoulder and honestly it feels like someone is rubbing on your skin with an eraser...then after it feels like a sunburn for about 3 days...then it's REALLY itchy, but don't scratch it! you can rub it but scratching with your nails will pull the scab off and can take the ink with it. You asked for honest...been through it 5 times and the experience was the same each time hope this was helpful...oh BTW they are very addicting, I am predicting #2 shortly after #1

One leads to another..then another.. it's an annoying pinch pain. Stings a bit but when they rub the wet cloth over it from time to time.. you'll be all like... Ahhhhh that's nice.

I own a tattoo shop, one thing I can tell you, pain is different for everyone. The tattoo procedure itself can be a little painful depending on placement and pain tolerance, it feels more like a burning or electrical sensation, the after care can feel like a really bad sunburn. Generally speaking, that high on the back isnt horrible, to me a painful tattoo is on the breastplate or calf muscle, you do want to eat before you go in, sometimes the adrenalin rush you get can make you feel sick on an empty stomach, so it helps to have a little something on it, also, if your artist allows hard candy in his station, then you may want to take a few of those, the sugar can help you overcome feeling faint. Make sure you are well hydrated and dont drink any alcohol 24 hours before you get your tatt, alcohol thins your blood and you dont want to bleed any more than needed. Exfoliate your skin beforehand but DO NOT use lotion, the oils can get into your pores and make it harder for the ink to go in. Try to remain very still (this includes tapping your foot, texting on your phone. etc)and keep a low voice (no whining) during your tattoo, this makes it easier on the artist, even though he is a professional, no artist can do a good job if they have a jittery client. Most important thing to remember, a great tattoo is 50% client, 50% artist. A reliable reputable artist can create a great work of art, but its up to you to care for that art throughout its healing and thereafter. DO NOT neglect your aftercare, it will make or break your tattoo.

I was hungover from tequila while getting the wings done. Had to make the poor guy stop three times so I could run to the bathroom and retch. :sick:

The upper back area doesn't really hurt. I was actually ticklish in some parts. I think you'll be just fine. Try taking a sewing needle and scratch yourself repeatedly to get an idea of what it will feel like. Sometimes it's not painful, but it can be annoying.

It really depends where you get the tattoo! It doesn't hurt but it doesn't feel good ether. Its just kind of irritating. It's a good pain because at the end you have a cool tattoo.

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.

Good luck. And congrats on your first tattoo. I've heard any where on the bone hurts. Although I have one near my shoulder that didn't hurt at all. It might feel like burning at first but then its just numb. If you tolerate pain then it shouldn't be a problem. I had a high tolerance too. Again good luck.

It reminds me of a needle being scraped across your skin. I would definitely eat a good meal before you go. My last one took two hours and I didn't eat beforehand, I felt so nauseous the last hour!

I have one, on my lower leg, and when she touched the my calf with the needle,I about came out my seat. But the stinging afterword was the worst. I mean you can't do anything about it, just stinging. Like getting your ears pierced , but a little bit harder.

Like everyone is saying, it depends on too many factors. I was prepaired for it to be really bad when I got mine done, but 20 minutes into it, I was still fine. I will say that for ME, the longer the time, the more it hurt. Maybe because of going over an area multible times?? When I got my second time under the needle, I told my artist that the first one really didn't hurt (different artist) and his reply was, 'don't worry, mine do'... he said it so quickly and right before he started that I almost didn't catch it! But again, the further into it, the more it did hurt. Some parts were actually Cuss Worthy!
Yes, you really can't stop at just one... be warned! LOL

I have a fairly good sized tattoo on the back of my upper thigh. I giggled through the whole thing. I was actually a little disappointed by the lack of pain.

Then there was about a week of tightness, discomfort, etc., but really nothing that bad.

I think they kind of feel like a slight skin irritation like a sunburn, especially when doing a lot of shading. Really nothing to worry about. You are going to be anxious and the second the needle touches your skin you will say "OoooooHHhhhh, so it's not that bad"