Tattoo Pain Chart: Where It Hurts Most and Least (Male and Female)

You probably have seen someone with tattoos in certain sensitive areas. You may wonder whether the person felt painful or not when the tattoos were made. And actually, there are some areas of our body that will really hurt when a tattoo is made on it.

Body Parts That Hurt Most and Least for Making a Tattoo

There are a number of areas of our body that will really hurt if a tattoo is made on it, but there are also body parts that hurt least. Where are they? Here are the areas of the body that hurt most and least for making a tattoo according to the Healthline site.

Most Hurtful Areas

When a tattoo is made on the parts of the body with a lot of nerve endings or near bones that are less fat, it will be more hurtful than the other areas.

1. Lip Area

Lip area is one of the most hurtful areas for making tattoos because the skin on that area is loose and there are a lot of nerve endings. When a tattoo is made on that area, it will be very hurtful and even it can cause swelling, bleeding and bruising.

2. Face, Head, and Ears Areas

Same as lips, in your face, head, and ears, there are also a lot of nerve endings so that when a tattoo is made there, it can be very painful. And as you know, in these areas, fat is less than other areas. It means that when the needle punctures your skin, it will hurt.

3. Armpit Area

A lot of tattoo artists do not recommend people to get tattoos on their armpit because if a tattoo is made here, the pain will be severe.

4. Nipples and Breasts Areas

Nipples and breasts are sensitive areas so that if you get a tattoo here, the pain will be severe.

5. Rib Cage Area

As you can see, the skin around ribs is very thin. Fat in this area is also less than other parts of the body. So, getting a tattoo here will be very painful.

6. Ankles and Shins Areas

It will be very painful if you get a tattoo on your ankle bones and shin bones because those areas are under thin layers of skin. The severity of the pain may be the same as getting tattoos in the rib cage area.

7. Groin

In the groin, there are a lot of nerve endings. If you insist on getting tattoos on this area, the nerve endings can be irritated by tattoo needles and of course it will be very painful.

8. Behind the Knee Area

The skin behind your knees is loose and stretchy. Besides, there are also a lot of nerve endings. So, these areas are sensitive and can be painful if a tattoo needle pricks in it.

9. Elbow or Kneecap Areas

Under these areas, your bones lie under your skin. So, you can imagine that tattooing on these areas will be painful.

10. Hip Areas

Hip bones also lie under your skin. So, getting a tattoo on this area will be very painful as well. Moreover, if you have a very thin body with less fat around your hips.

11. Finger, Hand, Foot, and Toe Areas

A lot of people get tattoos on the hand, finger, toe and foot areas, but actually these areas are also painful for that because these areas have thin skin and have a lot of nerve endings. The worst is that if nerves in these areas are disturbed by the tattoo needle, it is possible that you will undergo painful spasms.

12. Stomach

The pain level of getting tattoos in this area depends on the shape of the body. If you have higher weight, you tend to have looser skin on your stomach. However, if you have lower weight, you tend to have tighter skin on your stomach so that you will feel less pain.

13. Inner Bicep Area

The skin in this area is usually soft and loose so that getting tattoos here will be painful, but it is not severe.

14. Neck and Spine Areas

Neck and spine areas are sensitive so getting tattoos here will be very painful.

Least Hurtful Areas

The least hurtful areas of the body when getting tattoos are areas with tight skin, have a lot of fat, have few nerve endings, and are not near to bones so that the pain will be moderate or even low.

1. Upper and Lower Back Areas

Skin on these areas is thick and there are also few nerve endings. So, the pain of getting tattoos on these areas is low or moderate.

2. Outer Shoulder Areas

Skin on these areas is also thick and there are also few nerve endings so that getting tattoos here is less painful.

3. Calf Areas

On the calves, there is a lot of fat and also muscle. Nerve endings in these areas are also few. So, as you can conclude, getting tattoos here is not too hurtful.

4. Forearm Areas

On the forearms, there is also a lot of muscle and thick skin. Nerve endings are not a lot as well so that getting tattoos here is not too painful.

5. Outer Bicep Area

Getting tattoos on this area will not cause severe pain because there is a lot of muscle and there are only a few nerve endings.

6. Upper Outer Thigh Area

There is a lot of fat here and there are only a few nerve endings. The pain level of getting tattoos in this area is low to moderate.

Some Factors That Affect the Pain of Getting Tattoos

The location of a tattoo is not the only factor that affects the tattoo pain. There are also some other factors including the tattoo artists, size and style of tattoos, gender, and experience.

1. Location of Tattoo

One of the factors that affect tattoo pain is the location of the tattoo on your body. Every part of your body has fat, the thickness of skin, and the number of nerves and veins which are different. If you get tattoos on the skin with a lot of nerves, for example, it will be more hurtful.

2. Tattoo Artists

Usually, professional tattoo artists who have become tattoo artists for a long time will be skillful so that they have a more refined approach when making a tattoo and as a result, it can reduce the pain.

3. The Size and Style of Tattoos

If the tattoo which is created is bigger and more complicated, it means that the needle will be on your skin longer. If the tattoo also needs more shading and color, it can cause more pain as well.

4. Gender

According to the Healthline site, based on research, women experience sensations of pain more intensely than men and it is understandable because women and men have physical and chemical differences. However, women are more accepting of pain than men.

5. Experience

On the Healthline, it is also explained that if someone has had tattoos, they may have higher pressure pain threshold than someone who has never had a tattoo. So, experience can also be a factor that can affect the tattoo pain.

As you are able to read above, there are a number of areas that can hurt most when getting tattoos and also there are a number of factors that affect the pain. The point is that getting tattoos can cause pain. Getting tattoos can also give you some risks such as scarring, allergic reactions, infections, and blood-borne diseases. Besides, after a long time, you may regret the tattoo or when your body changes whether to be thinner or fatter, the tattoo may not look stunning again. So, because of these reasons and other reasons that are not mentioned here, getting tattoos is not recommended. Having healthy and clean skin is better.