" It's a good thing tattoos hurt " word from Jack Rudy .

[kylegrey]

Jack Rudy on Tattoos' Stigma and Why It's Good They Hurt | OC Weekly

[Suiren]

I'm always surprised by the "how much will it hurt?" questions or "I'm too scared of the pain to get tattooed/ pierced" comments. My friends say this all the time.

I always told myself I'd rather go through the pain than not have the body mod.

[Colored Guy]

Like anything else.. the doctor draws blood.. go to the dentist and you'll be in pain to some extent during or afterwards. But do you pass out ( I know people who do at doctor appointments), no. And you go back when you have to.

Tattooing, same deal. You know it will hurt, small tattoo, small pain, big tattoo, big pain. I've seen people tap out from a ladybug tattoo the size of a pea. I've seen artists tap out before the client did. In the end, the human mind isn't able to recreate the sensation of pain. I find it to be more of a mental thing than a physical thing. It hurts, maybe a bit as it heals... but most of us do go back for more.

[Dan]

IMO the pain is part of the addiction to tattoos,it's like no other pain,it's pain we ask for !

I love the whole process of getting a tattoo,from the consultation,

to the mental preparation in the weeks & days leading up to the tattoo,

to the physical preparation the day before & day of (getting good sleep/pre-hydration/a good meal,etc,etc)

to the mental preperation of getting into that "groove" to get the tattoo,

the mental challenge of dealing with & overcoming & getting through the pain in a way that I actually have learned to embrace the pain to deal with it,

our human ability to really mentally overcome the pain is an amazing thing to me,I love it ! I love the minute by minute mental challenge during the tattoo process.

and yes,I believe we earn our tattoos through the pain in part.

[Synesthesia]

Selfishly, I wish tattoos didn't hurt because I am not into the pain aspect of it all. :D But if I really think about it, I agree that I'm glad they do hurt. It helps weed out "undesirables." If you're not willing to handle even a few minutes of pain to get your upside down wrist script, then you clearly aren't invested in it. Tattoos should be seen as a commitment...that's the part of it I'm addicted to. You do your research on artists, styles, subject matter...you sit through the pain and pay hard earned money for it...and you live with the consequences of your action as you're now "a tattooed person" or a more "heavily tattooed person." If you're not really committed to every aspect of that process, you're not ready to be tattooed. It's just another test to prove how much you want it. And honestly, you feel so much more accomplished and proud of yourself when you make it through a tough session, it makes the experience more fond and meaningful.

[Beans]

I'm happy there's pain as well. It's actually taught me a few things about myself and has given me the courage to try new things and say yes to new experiences. As I've gotten older with some health issues, I began shying away from new and uncomfortable situations (physically speaking) But now 13+ ish hours in, I've been embracing physically new and possible and probable pain inducing activities. I'm not afraid of getting hurt anymore. I began 4 wheeling and I'm loving it, joined two softball leagues and have begun hiking, with plans to go sky diving this summer too. Have I gotten hurt? Yes, but I'm able to shake it off now and move on. Completely unexpected.

[pidjones]

I have passed out several times in the doctor's office from pain.

That said, I have had piercing (nipple) and tattoos and find neither to be a problem. Yes, the piercing hurt (VERY briefly) and the tattoos were annoying, but so far that's all I've experienced. I've had much more, and longer lasting pain from sunburns.

[bongsau]

The pain creates vulnerability, it reveals your true self.

Through the pain you can receive clarity.

My tattooer and I were talking about the tattoo pain threshold yesterday actually.

We were discussing how everybody receives 'X' amount of tattoo credits, some receive more than others.

But once you're credits are used up, they are used up and tattoo pain will be worse for you moving forward. So tattoo and spend your credits wisely!

[pidjones]

The pain creates vulnerability, it reveals your true self.

Through the pain you can receive clarity.

My tattooer and I were talking about the tattoo pain threshold yesterday actually.

We were discussing how everybody receives 'X' amount of tattoo credits, some receive more than others.

But once you're credits are used up, they are used up and tattoo pain will be worse for you moving forward. So tattoo and spend your credits wisely!

Wow, that's deep.

[misterJ]

The pain creates vulnerability, it reveals your true self.

Through the pain you can receive clarity.

My tattooer and I were talking about the tattoo pain threshold yesterday actually.

We were discussing how everybody receives 'X' amount of tattoo credits, some receive more than others.

But once you're credits are used up, they are used up and tattoo pain will be worse for you moving forward. So tattoo and spend your credits wisely!

I have to say that I am starting to understand this. I feel the credits for each session and when I am done I am DONE! I try to fight through but have only made it like 15 minutes past that finish point. and those few minutes were much worse than the hours before

[RoryQ]

Of course I'm glad tattoos hurt: I agree it's an integral part of keeping them for the dedicated only... Willing to sit and take it for the lifetime reward of the tattoo.

But...

I got to admit that I stopped philosophising too earnestly about the educational or self improving nature of the pain the time I got my front lined out. It wasn't a relevatory experience for me ... I just felt like I got carved up! I guess I found my personal tipping point that day.

Small tattoos, or decent pieces most places on the body... I can grin and bear it and, yes, I probably learned a thing or two about managing pain mentally. Even my back piece was pretty Ok.

But a really long sessions on a sensitive place like the torso or ribs... mostly just makes me miserable end of story. Can't make a purse from a sow's ear.

[Tesseracts]

I don't think pain is a big deal. It's not going to bring me enlightenment any time soon, but even though I dislike pain I can deal with it. It's not that I'm less sensitive to pain, it's that I have the mental ability to put up with it. I don't want to be self congratulatory but that's the only way I can explain it. Pain is temporary. It's no different than a sport, or any other activity which is uncomfortable in the short term but good in the long term. Which, actually, is basically anything. If you want to accomplish anything you need to deal with struggle.

[soraya]

Selfishly, I wish tattoos didn't hurt because I am not into the pain aspect of it all. But if I really think about it, I agree that I'm glad they do hurt. It helps weed out "undesirables." If you're not willing to handle even a few minutes of pain to get your upside down wrist script, then you clearly aren't invested in it. Tattoos should be seen as a commitment...that's the part of it I'm addicted to. You do your research on artists, styles, subject matter...you sit through the pain and pay hard earned money for it...and you live with the consequences of your action as you're now "a tattooed person" or a more "heavily tattooed person." If you're not really committed to every aspect of that process, you're not ready to be tattooed. It's just another test to prove how much you want it. And honestly, you feel so much more accomplished and proud of yourself when you make it through a tough session, it makes the experience more fond and meaningful.

YES!!!! I agree with everything you said!!!!

I know people get tattooed for a lot of reasons. But if you cut to the core, sweep away all of the beautiful symbolism, meaning, memorials, and life stories, I think that the absolute essence, the elemental appeal of a tattoo it is that it is a PERMANENT addition to your body. IMHO, that is why all of us get tattooed. So yes, tattoos should be viewed as a commitment, whether you get a dot on your finger, or a body suit. As you said, @Synesthesia, commitment to the consequences of living as a tattooed person is really something to think about.

I didn’t realize it until I had a couple of tattoos, but the pain matters to me a lot. I don’t like the pain, but I like that there is pain. It makes it hard, something you have to earn, and really want. Its like running a marathon: You get to 18 miles and you think you are going to die, that you can’t go on. But you press on because you want to reach your goal. You collapse on the ground at the finish line, your body is slammed for a week, but you are exhilarated that you did it. Because it was hard, and painful, and you pushed through it. Would you feel that way if you had driven the same 26 miles in you car? No! Too many things in life are easy and painless. I need some things that are difficult, and painful.

And that is part of the appeal of tattoos to me. Committment, permanence and pain. To me all three are essential.

[Bosco]

Just getting my first tattoo yesterday, I may not be as informed as others. But yes I am glad that tattoos have an aspect of pain to them, my take on it is that, if you want this to be part of you until your rotting in the ground, then you have to commit to it and go through the pain of getting inked. Yes it will temporarily hurt, and it did, but as soon as I saw the finished product I was immensely glad I did it. And having a bunch of medical issues, I was proud I was able to say "this was the first time I'm happy to be stabbed with a needle."

[jen7]

I am somewhat of a weirdo in that I look forward to ordeals of all types. I prefer full day sessions because of the ordeal aspect more than the results. I used to run marathons for the same reason. Stay up for weeks at a time, hunger strikes, you name it. I have a masochistic streak or something. Not for intensity, but for endurance.

I don't know if this came from my past (child abuse survivor) or whether it is just an innate aspect of my character.

Anyway, does this resonate with anyone?

[TattooedMumma]

Great read, thanks for sharing the article with us.

[Colored Guy]

Tattoos are a rite of passage, every time you go for another, you are not the same person, physically and maybe mentally. The pain is a part of it and we all get through it. Most areas on at least my body (not counting towards the armpit...) are not that bad and I endure it. I don't sit as well as I used to for long sessions, 3 hours is enough now.

[dansafcman]

My thoughts as a "newbie" - Started my 1st tattoo last week at 32 years old. Half sleeve upper arm. It wasnt as painful as I thought it would be (so far) - my tattoo artist did 4 hours then did an hour for free as I was holding up so well.

Having said that, 2 things make people really think about what they want before they get tattooed imo.

1. the fact that it is permanent

2. the fact that it is painful

Remove one of those from the equation and you would get people doing a lot more bad half-thought out rubbish imo. If it didnt hurt I can imagine (more?) people getting big pieces done then regretting it later.

[soraya]

On March 20, 2016 at 0:49 PM, jen7 said:

I am somewhat of a weirdo in that I look forward to ordeals of all types. I prefer full day sessions because of the ordeal aspect more than the results. I used to run marathons for the same reason. Stay up for weeks at a time, hunger strikes, you name it. I have a masochistic streak or something. Not for intensity, but for endurance.

I don't know if this came from my past (child abuse survivor) or whether it is just an innate aspect of my character.

Anyway, does this resonate with anyone?

This does resonate with me. Ordeal is a good word. I like the ordeal of tattooing. The ordeal of getting them, the ordeal of healing. In a way there is even an ordeal to simply living with them that is appealing. I like the fact that I have to be conscious of what I wear to work because of them. I sort of like that they have imposed an extra layer of discipline on me.

[Devious6]

The most frequent question I get when people see that I got my first tattoo is focused on the pain. "Did it hurt?" "How much did it hurt?" The answers to both are easy...but they really don't get to the root of the question people really want to ask - "How much pain would I feel if I got a tattoo?" In my case, the answers to the first two questions are No and Not at all since I never felt anything I would really call "pain." Scratching? Irritation? Yes. Pain? No.  But, there's no way for me to answer the real question of how much would it hurt someone else since we all process pain differently. And, I also recognize that my tattoo is done on what is one of the least painful spots so my frame of reference is limited.

Still, this comes from someone who once set a fractured bone in his own hand thinking it was a dislocation. My brother in law, the ER Doc, told me I set it as nicely a he would have...but he would have given me some Novocain first.  

[mactattoo]

You've got to read the whole article to appreciate how much experience and corporate knowledge Jack Rudy possesses, watching the industry and the clientele change over the past several decades. 

[Tiresius]

"It's a good thing tattoos hurt, because otherwise, every pussy in the world would have one."

There's some hyper-masculine posturing! 

Also funny: he used his mother's sewing needle and Indian ink for his first tattoo - a spider he drew on himself. And yet he is pretty judgmental of today's youth who just go to a friend who happens to have a tattoo kit 'cos it's free'.

[oboogie]

Hey, how old are you? I feel like you must be quite young. Just curious.

Edited August 2, 2016 by oboogie

[Tiresius]

Old enough to see where this is going and decide not to go there ?

[lape]

I actually don't see you saying anything wrong? It is hyper mascline posturing, but just look at the imagery of traditional tattoos- it's mostly aimed at men, so is anyone really surprised that a tattooer used the word pussy to describe wimps?

As for the other part, he kinda talks shit about all his friends too that wanted tattoos from him. Then again, most tattooers I've met have started the same way. I guess what they wish for is that people rather come and ask for an apprenticeship instead of just creating shit until they quit or realize that they need training. But the next legendary tattooers will probably also start out with moms india ink or a china machine..

 

oboogie do you ever play any other card than the age card?