The Tattoo Pain-Scale

[Zaftiggurl]

I keep having literal tattoo nightmares! The funniest one was last night... I dreamt I went to the studio, they sketched the design and told me to come back, and when I did they handed me these really ugly temporary tattoo like sheets to put on my body, because it was a new method that didn't hurt. And I was like, "NOOOOOO", I want my tattoo and I need to experience the pain that goes with it. Pretty messed up, lol!!!

[jen7]

my pain was so bad this time that I had flashbacks all night while trying to sleep! yowza!

That said, I sat like a friggin rock for 7 hours. Made some faces, but did not move or make a sound. Not bad for a middle aged pencil pusher.

[xcom]

my pain was so bad this time that I had flashbacks all night while trying to sleep! yowza!

That said, I sat like a friggin rock for 7 hours. Made some faces, but did not move or make a sound. Not bad for a middle aged pencil pusher.

@jen7,

HA!

I am a puss... On my last session I sounded like bear doing mating calls. The last planet had so many passes I almost tapped out. This happen on the last 15Min of work...

I applause you!

[CultExciter]

@jen7,

I am a puss...

You mean like an octopuss? Cause all the ladies I know are tough as nails.

[xcom]

You mean like an octopuss? Cause all the ladies I know are tough as nails.

I am glad you surround your self with tough people.

puss as in wuss. Since is quoted I am not going to edit the original post put that's what I meant.

[Beans]

Well, I am no longer a plain skin gal. I made it 4 1/2 hours minus 1 potty break and 3 1minute stretch sessions. All while on the dreaded (.) and I now have the begenning of an awsome 3/4 sleeve. The worse part was the funny bone and under the arm pit. I think i may have been levitating about 6 inches off the bench the last half hour, but I never complained!!!!!! Im feeling really great about the session and I love my artists. Yay!

[jen7]

congrats! yeah the funny bone made me want to punch someone

[Beans]

I didnt want to punch anyone necessarily but i had to keep schooching back towards my artists. while my arm was perfectly still, my body kept trying to leave.

[purplelace]

One of my friends made me laugh, he said he saw a tattoo pain scale poster in his tattooists. He said if I was there and saw it, I'd probably burst out laughing! But, then again as well all know I'm not the normal when am getting tattooed :p

[xcom]

Did the whole front of my leg. Chin "ok" very tolerable, Side of calf and calf tolerable, ankle and ankle area..... fffuuuuuckkkkk! No thank you. It hurts like a mofo but was able to tolerate the pain. Unlike my back that some spot just made want to punch something, the leg so far has been a walk in the park...

[knucklehead211]

Did the whole front of my leg. Chin "ok" very tolerable, Side of calf and calf tolerable, ankle and ankle area..... fffuuuuuckkkkk! No thank you. It hurts like a mofo but was able to tolerate the pain. Unlike my back that some spot just made want to punch something, the leg so far has been a walk in the park...

Yeah, I thought the shin would be awful but I was in the zone for most of that. Back of the calf was painful, and even though we only did a couple of lines by the ankle I'm still dreading it...imagine the shading and full color!

[xcom]

Yeah, I thought the shin would be awful but I was in the zone for most of that. Back of the calf was painful, and even though we only did a couple of lines by the ankle I'm still dreading it...imagine the shading and full color!

Tell me about it. The ankle its a bitch... LOL

Going to get mine blasted on the 8th of next month... Uuuugghhhh LOL

[Colored Guy]

I'm finding that areas where I have dense muscle, like the back of my triceps, can be almost as bad as the armpit.

[Daniel Adam Willis]

Anywhere with soft tissue or multiple nerve endings is just super painful.

[sora777]

The back of the calve was awful for me, i mean i was pulling my hair to distract myself from the pain and the back of my leg is just all different shades of red so it was intense.

[LizBee]

Upper arm fine, creeping towards armpit and crossing over onto chest NO BUENO, same for the crease of the upper armpit on the back. Collarbone bad bad bad, but, as mentioned above, mainly because of the vibrations that travel all through you.

Ankle bad bad bad, and I really had to work on staying put for that one.

I also found that it was much easier to remain in my zone for long sessions when a friend/loved one was NOT there. When someone I know is there, supposedly for support, I find it much harder to keep my mind where it needs to be. When they leave I can go back to my happy place and things move along much better.

[tc3500]

The back of the calve was awful for me, i mean i was pulling my hair to distract myself from the pain and the back of my leg is just all different shades of red so it was intense.

Got my first tattoo a couple weeks ago.....4.5hr on right calf and it did hurt more than I expected, 3.5hr in could feel my body starting to say WTF?!!

Scheduled my second tattoo for January and planning on another 4-5hr, this time on right upper chest. After reading posts here and knowing how interesting the calf was.....I'm a little worried if I can sit for it, but really do want it placed there. Yikes!!

[LizBee]

You can do it, @tc3500. It is all about the breathing. You'll be glad once you've got the tattoo to show for it!

[tc3500]

You can do it, @tc3500. It is all about the breathing. You'll be glad once you've got the tattoo to show for it!

Thanks LizBee.....extremely amateur yoga breathing is what got me through that first one, lol. When we finished it I wasn't sure there would be a second tattoo in my future but the pain was temporary and your exactly right, the finished product is definitely worth it!!

[LizBee]

What's remarkable is that whenever I get another tattoo, even if its been only a few months, when the machine starts up I'm instantly thinking, "wait, I don't remember it being THAT painful!" like your brain helps you forget such things. Then you settle in, and everything's okay. I like to chat while I'm being tattooed, but that is not something all artists want to do. If not, I keep earbuds handy and listen to music or a book on tape to distract me.

[sora777]

Tc3500 you'll be fine, it's all temporary and pain is such of subjective thing. I have an entire back peice and everyone one complained about the center of the back to me. For me it wasn't bad but what stung to me was the lower back hip area. I found it tender, so it's all subjective. Thankfully my guy liked to talk and we sat there laughing and bs'ing the entire time.

[Rustyrider]

I had a traumatic injury early last year, and while recovering, I went in for a sternum piece. It was so weird that I felt NO pain. I think the connections in my brain were screwed up. I hurried and got 3 tattoos quite painlessly.

Unfortunately... It didn't last.. Lol

[Colored Guy]

I had a traumatic injury early last year, and while recovering, I went in for a sternum piece. It was so weird that I felt NO pain. I think the connections in my brain were screwed up. I hurried and got 3 tattoos quite painlessly. Unfortunately... It didn't last.. Lol

I was involved in a bad-enough car accident in 2011 with a back injury. I had a chiropractor say that your body only lets you feel just so much pain at any given time. This is why car accident injuries might take time to fully surface. This is what probably happened with you.,.. you had enough pain going on at the time.

[pheonixsan]

yikes, i'm rethinking that underboob tattoo :rolleyes:

[Danny93]

Wilfred Hardy was my Great-Granddad and it’s amazing to see how his memory lives on in the world of tattooing all these years on