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Yotattoo

Does tattooing hurt?

The tattoo artist is a professional with a license to operate and a certificate to show. However, this does not mean that when he does your tattoo, it’s not going to hurt you. It will hurt you because when he pushes the needle of the tattooing machine into your skin, the ink enters the tiny hole there and when this is done repeatedly, your pattern is created.

But does this action give you pain? Yes, but the intensity of pain varies from person to person and on which part of the body you are having the pattern done. It also depends on the complexity of the design and your own tolerance threshold of pain.

The areas where there are many nerves and bones such as the ankle are the worst for tattooing while the most popular parts of the body are the shoulders and upper arms due to the presence of muscle that serves as padding.

Outlining the tattoo is infinitely more painful than shading it, as the former is done with one needle while the latter is done with a group of thinner needles. Besides, if your artist does not have a light hand, he may dig the tool a bit too sharply into the skin and hurt you.

If you cannot bear pain at all, don’t go in for a tattoo, but choose henna body painting instead. As the needle of the tattoo machine goes over your nerve receptors on the skin surface, you may feel pressure and pain. You may feel scratchy or have a burning sensation. This continues while the artist is at work and will subside the moment he stops.

A word of caution: Avoid alcohol or take illegal drugs as painkillers just before your tattoo sessions. Aspirin and alcohol can thin your blood and decrease blood clotting, and can cause excessive bleeding. But you can take acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol before the session.

Coping with pain: You certainly can’t anticipate the pain you’re going to experience, but with just a little determination, you can convince yourself that it won’t hurt as much as you expected. Expect pain to be a part of the process because it involves a tattoo piercing your skin. The pain is certainly not unbearable, but here are some coping strategies to deal with it:

  • Find a reputable tattooist you’re comfortable with and if you feel confident with him or her, it will automatically minimize your pain.
  • Don’t turn up drunk at the tattoo artist’s studio or take drugs.
  • Instead, go prepared to feel the pain for a few hours.
  • At any time, if you feel you can’t bear the pain, speak to your tattooist about it and ask to take a short break, or go away and come back in a few days’ time.
  • Break up your tattoo sessions over a few days.
  • While the tattoo session is in progress, listen to music or let your imagination run wild.

Be prepared for pain and enter the studio as a mature and realistic person. And cope with it, believing it will soon be over. Then, lie back and wait for the results.

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