The Most and Least Painful Spots To Get A Tattoo: Tattoo Pain Chart and Tattoo Pain Guide

Maybe the #1 question ever asked at a tattoo shop (besides the price) is, “How bad do tattoos hurt?”.

It makes sense that questions about tattoo pain are so common, needles are pounding into you skin thousands of times injecting ink. It's a spooky thought. There is always going to be some pain, and yes, there will be blood.

But you may be wondering "Just how bad your tattoo is going to hurt based on where you are getting the tattoo?".

That is why we put together this guide to the most and least painful places to get tattooed. In this guide you will learn how much tattoo pain to expect based on what body part you are getting your tattoo. This guide will start a visual tattoo pain chart, so you can easily see how painful the spot you are getting tattooed will be. Then, it will go more in depth about the most and least painful places to get tattooed.

Should you let how bad a tattoo is going to hurt decide where you get your next tattoo? Of course not. But, it is good to know how bad your tattoo is going to hurt to help you mentally prepare for your tattoo appointment. Now, let's jump into the guide to the most and least painful tattoo places to get tattooed.

Visual Tattoo Pain Chart

Most Painful Tattoo Locations:

As you can see from the visual tattoo pain chart the most painful places to get tattooed are:

Head tattoos

Neck tattoos

Lip tattoos

Armpit tattoos

Ribs/Side tattoos

Stomach tattoos

Hand and Finger tattoos

Genitals and Inner Butt tattoos

Inner Thigh tattoos

Back of Knee tattoos

and, Foot and Toe tattoos

The fact that these places are more painful to get tattooed doesn’t mean don’t get tattooed there, it just means be aware that if you decide to get tattooed in those locations it’s going to be rather painful. 

So be prepared. It may be a good idea to shorten your tattoo session to make enduring the pain more manageable. Almost any tattoo pain is manageable for an hour or two, but any longer than that a lot of people begin to tap out.

Least Painful Tattoo Locations:

As you can also see from the visual tattoo pain chart above there are areas that tattoos aren’t too painful, these include:

Shoulder tattoos

Upper Back tattoos

Upper Arm tattoos

Forearm tattoos

and Outer Thigh Tattoos

Don't let this list of least painful tattoo locations limit where you are considering getting tattooed. You should get a tattoo where you want to be tattooed, not just because it hurts the least. Your tattoo will last a lifetime, so being uncomfortable for a little while to get it shouldn’t be your deciding factor.

And, just because these are least painful tattoo locations doesn’t mean they are painless. After a couple hours even the least painful tattoo spot can become almost unbearable. So, be prepared wherever you get a tattoo for some pain, it is after all tiny needles ripping through your flesh over and over again.

We hope this guide to the most and least painful tattoo locations helped alleviate some of your curiosity about your next tattoo. And remember, this is just a guide to the most common painful areas, everybody is different. Some people can take side tattoos for hours, but wince at the idea of getting their ankle tattooed. While some think face tats are nothing but they would never get another calve tat. Point is we are all unique and this is just a guide.

p.s. If you are really worried about the pain there is tattoo numbing cream, spray, and ointment. You can read more about how it works, and we’ll it works by reading our article about tattoo numbing creams and sprays by clicking here

If you are hardcore and could careless about the pain, then book your tattoo at Mr. Inkwells Tattoos. Sometimes beauty is painful, but that pain is part of the experience, it’s a barrier to entry that not everyone can pass, a price that all aren’t willing to pay. For those who are, I say welcome, it’s much more fun on this side of the velvet rope.

See you soon!