Tattoo Tips - How to Avoid the Pain

Getting a tattoo can be a fairly painful process considering a tattoo needle pierces the skin 3,000 times a minute. But it doesn't have to be as excruciating as it sounds. Here are some helpful hints on how to avoid pain when getting a tattoo.

Psychological ways to avoid pain:

Practice mind over matter. If you love the design you're getting (which you should), then it should be pretty easy to focus on how beautiful your piece will look when it's done and not worry about how bad it hurts during the process.

Listen to music, bring a friend to talk to or think about something else completely. I wouldn't advise talking to the tattoo artist so much; you wouldn't want to distract them from their important task at hand.

Sit still! The job will get done quicker and with no errors. If you happen to move and the artist inks you outside of the design, they may have to modify the design, which usually means more inking.

General areas to avoid:

• Veins close to the surface
• Bones (areas where skin and bone are very close)
• Areas where the skin in thinner
• Areas with a lot of nerve endings close to the surface
• Sensitive skin that is not exposed to sun very much
• Flabby skin

Specific areas that typically hurt:

• Hipbone
• Ribcage
• Tops of feet (and feet in general)
• Ankles
• Hands
• Wrists
• Behind the ear
• Skull
• Pubic area

Basically all the sexy areas to get inked will come with some degree of pain.

Now, an individual's threshold to pain will also play a major factor in how much they can or can't tolerate. A general rule is that if you're more susceptible to pain, or if pinching or poking with your fingernail hurts, the tattoo process will not be at ALL enjoyable for you. If you can stand a medium pricking sensation on your skin (or more like an eraser burn), then you'll make it through.

If you're worried about the pain, start out with a smaller tattoo or a creative outline. The more simplistic the design is, the less amount of time it will take, and the less amount of pain you will have to endure. Once you get used to the feeling and make it through a few pieces, your body will not perceive the danger and pain to the same degree.

Now that you know where the painful places on your body are, you can avoid the pain when getting a tattoo. If you really want a tatt in a typically painful place, you can just suck it up and deal with the pain because in the end, you will have exactly what you want and the price you pay won't even matter.