Most painful spot to get tattooed

[A.Sanchez]

Ps. y'all are pussies. It didn't hurt that bad. There were a couple of unpleasant spots but overall it just felt like a tattoo. I was able to relax into it, meditate and it was over.

[hogg]

WOW. Props to you and Bryan for that! Man, it's just too good. And that's super fast, too.

[Lochlan]

A. Sanchez and Bryan very nice tiger tattoo! Thanks for the picture. Let me know when Scott starts to lay into you and I can try to swing by to watch it not hurt, haha.

[AngelPie]

I was just talking about this the other day with a couple people. The very last time my chest was tattooed it was about an hour on each side. Right side wasn't too bad and I got used to it after the first 10 mins or so. But the left side, it was like I never relaxed, it felt like the first 10 minutes the entire time. My chest was relatively easy up until that point. I've heard thing about the left side.. some kinda.. chakra.. something..

I've asked a tattoo artist about this before and was told that if you're getting tattooed on either side in the same session, it's more likely that the first side (whichever side that happens to be) tends to be less painful and the 2nd side is more painful because all of your endorphins have rushed to relieve the 1st side's pain, so when they start on the other side, you don't have the same relief.

Seems probably, but I have no idea what the truth is.

[AngelPie]

i think my backpiece still wins for the most painful spot, the whole area, i just couldnt find a sweet spot to relax at whatsoever. after that, has to be hands and feet, in that order. got my ribs done when i was younger so dont remember the pain, kinda fell asleep i got told, i dunno haha

I have my ribs done, and I also fell asleep having them done (Done in 2 3-hour sessions). I was so overprepared for the pain, that I think it barely seemed painful once I was having it done. Maybe I have a high pain threshold. I am noticing that most (if not all) of the people that said the ribs were the most painful are male on this board. I will say that having them tattooed was a breeze for me, however, washing it the following day, I nearly fainted. Definitely the most irritating spot for healing for me so far.

[A.Sanchez]

A. Sanchez and Bryan very nice tiger tattoo! Thanks for the picture. Let me know when Scott starts to lay into you and I can try to swing by to watch it not hurt, haha.

I should really watch what i say. i don't want to invite a greater hurtin' coming my way. My first sitting with scott is on the 18th at noon, would love to meet ya.

[Lochlan]

I should really watch what i say. i don't want to invite a greater hurtin' coming my way. My first sitting with scott is on the 18th at noon, would love to meet ya.

Yeah, I have a feeling Scott will enjoy himself. I think since my brother keeps saying Scott has a heavy hand which I don't agree with Scott lays into him a little more. I'll try and swing through....

[Jake]

I've thought about it a bunch and I have a hypothesis about that Lochlan...

I think I just took shitty care of my body when I was starting to get tattooed by Scott because my last two sessions after improving my eating/sleeping/self-care have been way easier with him. Then again it could just be that I went straight for some of the more universally acknowledged painful spots at first (chest, belly, parts of the legs) whereas the last two sessions have been upper arm.

[MsRad]

Yeah, I have a feeling Scott will enjoy himself. I think since my brother keeps saying Scott has a heavy hand which I don't agree with Scott lays into him a little more. I'll try and swing through....

Scott didn't feel heavy handed when he tattooed the backs of my arms. he did tickle my armpits though.

[Deb Yarian]

Mainly, my extremities are done ( have tattoos on them) plus my chest, abdomen and lower mid back.

From what I can recall the very top of my foot , front of my ankle was very intense.

[ibradley]

Hands down, my ribs were the worst!

As far as healing though, my back killed me. I had to peel myself off the bedsheets every morning for 4 or 5 days after each session.

[dari]

Ribcage.

Motherfucking ouch.

[ShawnPorter]

Palms. Thomas told me before doing them how much they were going to suck. I believed him, but really couldn't comprehend just how terrible it was actually going to be.

My brother in law shot pics of them being done (both palms, same day) and you can tell by my face how unimpressed I was. Shawn’s Keys

[dari]

Palms. Thomas told me before doing them how much they were going to suck. I believed him, but really couldn't comprehend just how terrible it was actually going to be.

They are incredible, and you are a champ.

[ShawnPorter]

They are incredible, and you are a champ.

I asked Mike Wilson to tattoo my palms twenty years ago. He said "you know how bad that shit's going to hurt, right?" and we never got around to doing them. I finally saw some of Hooper's work a few years back and made my way up to NYC. He's such a calming guy; thankfully. He did both palms, and I headed back to Philly to see a concert... I had to stand at the back of the club because the bass coming out of the speakers was making my effin' hands throb. Two years later and I figure I have 99.5% pigment retention. One little spot that didn't get put in solidly but still looks fine. Thomas said we can touch it up.

We'll see. Haha. I doubt I'd want to feel that again.

[CaptCanada]

Well that is very nice to hear that you still have ink in your palms. I have wondered what I would get on my palms if I ever got to that point (lack of space on the rest of my body). But I have feared that with fading and all that the pain wouldn't be worth it. Very nice to hear other wise.

[Jake]

Well that is very nice to hear that you still have ink in your palms. I have wondered what I would get on my palms if I ever got to that point (lack of space on the rest of my body). But I have feared that with fading and all that the pain wouldn't be worth it. Very nice to hear other wise.

I know quite a few people with palms that held most of the ink from only one session. It is indeed quite possible!

[MsRad]

don't palms and the bottom of your fee mainly fade due to your skin shedding? i thought i read that a long time ago....

[ShawnPorter]

(I typed this all up and the browser crashed- apologies if it posts twice)

This is an oversimplification, but if palm tattoos are done correctly, they'll heal correctly.

There's a different technique to getting the pigment in there than normal tattooing. All of the artists I know who have long lasting results use the same method. There are anomalies of course, but there's a guaranteed technique of getting that pigment in there that will work when regular tattooing won't.

I was at a convention in Wisconsin once and a buddy was about to get his palm tattooed. I asked the artist if she had ever done palms before. She hadn't. I politely told her that there's a "better way" and, me not being a tattooer myself, she blew me off. I told my buddy that if she went through with how she was going... it wouldn't heal. He got tattooed anyway. Three months later almost 100% of the pigment was gone. I got some sweet I-told-you-so mileage out of that, I'll tell ya.

Mine are holding fast at two years and a handful of months; here's a four year old piece by Hooper: Palm Tattoos « Hoopers Electric – Meditations in Atrament

[luca]

so far:ribs,stomach and upper leg

[gougetheeyes]

I asked Mike Wilson to tattoo my palms twenty years ago. He said "you know how bad that shit's going to hurt, right?" and we never got around to doing them. I finally saw some of Hooper's work a few years back and made my way up to NYC. He's such a calming guy; thankfully. He did both palms, and I headed back to Philly to see a concert... I had to stand at the back of the club because the bass coming out of the speakers was making my effin' hands throb. Two years later and I figure I have 99.5% pigment retention. One little spot that didn't get put in solidly but still looks fine. Thomas said we can touch it up.

We'll see. Haha. I doubt I'd want to feel that again.

Shawn, missed these palm posts.. incredible. The palm is one spot I'm not sure I could ever go through with. I've already given myself until the age of 35 or so to even consider anything on my hands since I'm not a tattooer. Also, throbbing hands due to bass is both amazing and terrifying.

[ShawnPorter]

Yeah; tattooed hands (and neck/throat and temples, in my case) change your day to day reality. It used to be negative; now it's everyone wanting to talk about a tattoo they have/want or one a friend has. Fall and winter allow me the temporary reprieve that hoodies/gloves/scarves offer, but the rest of the year I sort of have to deal with it 24/7. You're never incognito.

On the job front, I've been in General Management as well as IT at a Fortune 100 with all of the visible LFL tattoos and it's never slowed me down. A case of resume vs. tattooed hands. Show them why you're invaluable to them and you may find yourself invaluable.

Sorry for rambling off topic; runner up for most painful tattoo were my ribs; and David still wants to outline up into my armpits. Oh joy.

[Rebushido]

ass cheeks! fuck it hurts!

[Jonesy]

Back, shoulder blade so far... Ouch!!!

Jonesy...

[CaptCanada]

Well although I still haven't gotten a tattoo on to many locations I'll give my two cents. Yesterday I had just above the back of my knee shaded. Like right where it just starts to bend, it's a pretty good place, but could be just an off day. Didn't sleep to well and wasn't as hydraded as I normally am.

Follow up to this is getting tattooed everyweek; it's hard on your body. My lymph node in my groin swells up and makes my leg very sore for a few days and makes it feel like your starting to get sick for a few hours.