Most painful spot to get tattooed

[JoKno]

As for places that I have had work, the worst was on the collar bone.

[gougetheeyes]

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.

All good points. I'm recently back in an "office job" and am finding, like the first, it's not a real problem. I'm technically part of "creative" so we probably have more leeway and being in New York, most people don't wear suits and ties anyway. It's funny though, you do your work with long sleeves and people are pleased, then you roll up your sleeves and people find you have tattoos -- and if they know what they're doing, it won't affect their opinion of you and your work. Like you said, show them why you're invaluable. Nowhere near hands/neck yet.. gotta give that some time. But I'm glad my work and work ethic come through in the end.

The never being icognito thing is interesting, too. I find when it warms up and I can shorts/short sleeves it, I'm always surprisingly self-conscious for the first week or two.

[gougetheeyes]

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.

Aw man, I got an inch or two away from the knee pit and it felt like it was right in the middle! Tough.

Interesting about the lymphs -- a lot of times the lymph nodes in my neck get just a little swollen and I feel like I'm getting sick, too. I've only noticed this recently, too.

[CaptCanada]

Well I don't know exactly why but how I understand it. White blood cells are seeing your body is under attack, and trys to clean up. Your lymphs fill up with some pigment and chemicals and swells up. So guessing more ink you put in your body the more you get swollen. If you give your body time to process the chemicals it doesn't effect you that much, unless you go though a long session. I'm not sure how correct this is, but it's just what I can gather from reading online.

[gougetheeyes]

Well I don't know exactly why but how I understand it. White blood cells are seeing your body is under attack, and trys to clean up. Your lymphs fill up with some pigment and chemicals and swells up. So guessing more ink you put in your body the more you get swollen. If you give your body time to process the chemicals it doesn't effect you that much, unless you go though a long session. I'm not sure how correct this is, but it's just what I can gather from reading online.

I'll buy that.

[JoKno]

Well I don't know exactly why but how I understand it. White blood cells are seeing your body is under attack, and trys to clean up. Your lymphs fill up with some pigment and chemicals and swells up. So guessing more ink you put in your body the more you get swollen. If you give your body time to process the chemicals it doesn't effect you that much, unless you go though a long session. I'm not sure how correct this is, but it's just what I can gather from reading online.

You're kinda right. We cover some of this kind of thing with EMT training. Basically your body is reacting as if you have an infection. White blood cells primarily try to kill infections in the lymph nodes due to the amount of proteins, antigens, and other things that come in handy. It's just like if you have a sinus infection and the glands in your throat swell. Some people it will be the lymph nodes closest to the tattooed area, other's it can be random. Most people don't have this reaction. Most bodies will just kick in with the reaction to try and blocking your pain receptors mostly by burning up your sugar supply. When this happens of course your blood sugar level goes down, and if you've been around a shop long enough or a convention, you see people pass out. Signs of your sugar being too low can include feeling shakey, sweaty, feeling hot, nausea or vomiting, "knot in your throat", dry mouth, and vision problems. I always take a big coke and a bag of candy when I get work done.

[CaptCanada]

Well okay, thank you for filling in the gray areas that the Internet wasn't. Normally I don't eat to much suger but I do normally eat a candy bar before starting getting tattooed. So I'll try getting a little bit more suger in my system before starting.

[SkinheadPete]

My chest/sternum so far. It was unbearable. But she used a really heavy liner for it.

[Jake]

You're kinda right. We cover some of this kind of thing with EMT training. Basically your body is reacting as if you have an infection. White blood cells primarily try to kill infections in the lymph nodes due to the amount of proteins, antigens, and other things that come in handy. It's just like if you have a sinus infection and the glands in your throat swell. Some people it will be the lymph nodes closest to the tattooed area, other's it can be random. Most people don't have this reaction. Most bodies will just kick in with the reaction to try and blocking your pain receptors mostly by burning up your sugar supply. When this happens of course your blood sugar level goes down, and if you've been around a shop long enough or a convention, you see people pass out. Signs of your sugar being too low can include feeling shakey, sweaty, feeling hot, nausea or vomiting, "knot in your throat", dry mouth, and vision problems. I always take a big coke and a bag of candy when I get work done.

This totally explains why I feel really spacey after longer sessions with a lack of blood sugar. Thanks!!!

[RoryQ]

Having slept properly the night before is a massive factor for me. I got the left side of my chest done when I was already tired/frazzled and it sucked from the moment I sat down in the chair. Doing the other side, a few weeks later, was a totally different experience ... Felt absolutely fine, and I would put it down to my being properly rested the second time around.

As I get older I also find I am less keen on doing back-to-back sittings or marathon sittings. I used to travel and end up getting two full day sessions done to finish something rather than spreading it out over a few trips. Now I probably wouldn't like to have to do that - I'd be more inclined to do one full day, or even just break it up and to hell with it. I wonder is age a factor with pain thresholds?

Starting on my back late this year or early next year, and I feel like it is going to be a sensitive area for me - I'm slightly apprehensive about it. No pain no gain though :p

[AbbyRoad]

my lower back around my "love handles" and my ribs near the same area.

[ELECTRIC BLUE]

So far, most painfull was getting the aum mani padme hum mantra across my midriff coloured in by hand by a young and therefor inexperienced japanese tattooist, followed closely by me putting a firebreathing skull on my left ribcage using the nipple as eyesocket, as ever the masochist apprentice, in the end taking ten minute breaks for every five minutes of tattooing! Usually the only complaint i have is a damn stiff neck

[Tick]

Pain is def relative to many factors. I've noticed them all. As I age and am much more heavily tattooed I am so familiar with the process that I dread having to go through it again, and that makes it worse. I try to be super healthy for as long as possible before a big session. That helps. Good sleep, a meal before, relaxation, etc. These are all important. But, hands down, my back piece has been the hardest to take. Mostly all the lining (thank god that is done). Spine and the inside of the ass crack have been pretty consistently the shitiest spots of it, but whatever.

If it didn't t hurt, you wouldn't earn it.

[missmaralaena]

For me, it's definitely got to be my shins. As far as possible sensitive areas, I have my feet, ankles, elbows and ribs so far. But out of all my things so far, my shins are my least favorite. I feel like maybe smashing them up repeatedly over my childhood had something to do with it. They're pretty gnarly. So of course they're pretty much covered.

My ribs only seemed to bother me right at the area where you transition from last rib to stomach, and my elbow only bothered me right on the actual tip. I also hate the back of the arm.

[JOLLY J]

I think the most painful spot to get tattooed is Tijuana.

[Bolohead]

Got my first a month ago between my shoulders blades 3/4 down my spine... no issues. Just got my second on my left shoulder, with no issues. I had been told, that over the spine would be tender, and it wasn't. Maybe someday, I'll find that tender area and report back.

[tat2tony]

Upper thigh/lower ass

[CaptCanada]

Upper thigh/lower ass

yeah, that's a sharp spot if your not ready for it... but I'm assuming you are only talking about the back of the leg when you say upper thigh, where cheek meets leg.

[cfgsteak]

You're kinda right. We cover some of this kind of thing with EMT training. Basically your body is reacting as if you have an infection. White blood cells primarily try to kill infections in the lymph nodes due to the amount of proteins, antigens, and other things that come in handy. It's just like if you have a sinus infection and the glands in your throat swell. Some people it will be the lymph nodes closest to the tattooed area, other's it can be random. Most people don't have this reaction. Most bodies will just kick in with the reaction to try and blocking your pain receptors mostly by burning up your sugar supply. When this happens of course your blood sugar level goes down, and if you've been around a shop long enough or a convention, you see people pass out. Signs of your sugar being too low can include feeling shakey, sweaty, feeling hot, nausea or vomiting, "knot in your throat", dry mouth, and vision problems. I always take a big coke and a bag of candy when I get work done.

I've been thinking about this. I wonder if eating a good meal that includes a really good complex carbohydrate like brown rice and drinking water wouldn't work better. The complex carb should provide plenty of the sugar that gets burned up...coke (or any drink with a lot of caffiene) is a diuretic...so it will dyhadrate you, so I think by getting your sugar that way (through a coke) you are just potentially creating another issue (dyhyration). If you are really worried about not having enough sugar then I would eat a pice of fruit in addition to the complex carb. Candy makes me crash and makes me thirsty too.

Then after you should definately replenish your sugar supply with some good beer. ;)

[ShawnPorter]

Nibble and Sip: tattoo nutrition and my experiences with long distance cycling

My friend David's take on tattoos and nutrition.

[Bubbleberry]

Where the collar bones meet your ribs, right in the centre or the chest - that sucked.

Really detailed piece on the spine between the shoulders was bad - after a couple of hours it felt like the needle was hitting the same spot over and over and over - it SUCKED !

[Liesel]

I just got my ribs done. I had been putting it off because I heard it was really painful but it wasn't bad at all. I think it was because it only took 15 minutes. My first one I got on my stomach and it was really painful. That one took about 50 minutes. So for me I think the pain depends on the amount of time it takes to get it done. For the first 20 minutes I'm ok.

[ShawnPorter]

The armpit wasn't as terrible as I had built it up to be, but the upper inner thigh was a bastard. The pit is mostly healed (it's a week old tomorrow) but the inner thigh is gnarly.

[MsRad]

The armpit wasn't as terrible as I had built it up to be, but the upper inner thigh was a bastard. The pit is mostly healed (it's a week old tomorrow) but the inner thigh is gnarly.

eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[Tight-Lines]

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ME TO RISE TO MY FEET.

I saw "The Pit" and had to quote Jasta.

MOVE!!!