Guide · 6 min
How much does a tattoo hurt? Area by area, without dramatising
It is almost everyone's first question and almost nobody answers it clearly, because the honest answer starts with "it depends". It depends on the area, the technique and you. What can be said with precision is which areas are hard and why, and that is what actually helps you decide.
Why some areas hurt more than others
Three factors explain almost everything: how much fat and muscle sits between the needle and the bone, how many nerve endings the skin of that area has, and whether the skin is taut or loose. Where the bone sits right underneath — ribs, sternum, ankle, collarbone, spine — the vibration carries through, and that is what feels sharper.
That is why the forearm, upper arm, thigh or calf are comfortable areas: there is plenty of mass. And it is why the ribs have the reputation they have.
Comfortable, medium and hard areas
Comfortable: forearm (outer side), upper arm, shoulder, thigh (outer side), calf. These are the ones we recommend for a first tattoo if you have no reference for how you handle it.
Medium: upper back, the fleshy part of the chest, inner forearm, shin. They bother you, but they are perfectly manageable.
Hard: ribs, sternum, spine, ankle, top of the foot, inner arm, neck, hands and fingers. They are not impossible by any means, but it is worth knowing before you sit down.
Pain is not constant: it changes during the session
The outline and the fill feel different. The line is sharper but goes fast; the fill is duller and longer, and it is what tires you out. In long sessions what wears you down is usually not the intensity, it is the accumulation.
That is why we split large pieces across several sessions and stop when needed. Nobody tattoos better with a client at their limit, and a badly endured session shows in the result.
What actually helps
Arrive having eaten. A drop in blood sugar is the number one cause of feeling faint on the chair, far ahead of pain.
Sleep the night before. Fatigue lowers your threshold enormously.
No alcohol the day before or the day itself: it thins the blood, makes the skin bleed more and makes the pigment hold worse.
And say when you need to stop. There is no prize for enduring in silence.
Numbing creams: why we do not recommend them by default
They change the texture of the skin and can alter how the ink goes in, so the result can suffer. If you have a real reason to use one — a very hard area or a very long session — talk to us before the appointment, do not arrive with the cream already on.
Real work
Studio work, no renders
Every photo on this website is a piece done at Arkadia.
Questions before you book
Quick questions
Does a big tattoo hurt more than a small one?
It is not more intense, it is longer. A big tattoo does not hurt more per minute: it hurts for more minutes, and that is what tires you out. That is why large pieces are split across several sessions. At Arkadia we tell you in the quote how many sessions we calculate and how long they are, so you know what to expect before you sit on the chair.
Can I take a painkiller before getting tattooed?
Ibuprofen and aspirin thin the blood, so the area bleeds more, the pigment holds worse and the result suffers. If you need to take something, paracetamol is the option that interferes least. Best of all remains arriving rested and having eaten: it matters far more than people expect.
What if I feel faint during the session?
It happens, and it is not unusual: it is almost always a drop in blood sugar, not the pain. We stop, lay you down, some sugar and it passes in a few minutes. That is why we insist you come having eaten. At the studio in La Elipa we always keep something sweet at hand precisely for this.
Free quote
Been turning that idea over for months?
Tell us about it and we will come back with a price, how many sessions it takes and how it would sit on your body. Free, no strings: if it does not add up for you, that is fine.
Free quote · Valid for 30 days · The slot is confirmed once the deposit is paid