Yes, tattoos do hurt because they involve needles repeatedly piercing the skin, but pain levels vary greatly by individual, body part (bony areas like ribs/wrists hurt more; fleshy areas like arms/thighs less), and the artist's technique, often described as a stinging, scratching, or burning sensation. Most people find it manageable, comparing it to a bad sunburn or cat scratch, and many find the discomfort less severe than anticipated, with factors like preparation and artist skill helping manage it.
Pain: The pain is often compared to a constant scratching or burning feeling. It varies depending on your pain tolerance, the location of the tattoo, and its size. Areas with more muscle or fat tend to be less painful than areas with thin skin or bone, like the ribs, elbows, or spine.
A tattoo pain scale of 1-10 varies by body part, but generally, lower numbers (1-3) are like light scratches, mid-range (4-6) feel like a bee sting/sunburn, and high numbers (7-10) are intense burning, cutting, or sharp pain, common on bony areas (ankles, ribs, spine, elbows) or areas with many nerve endings (hands, inner thigh). Fleshy areas with muscle/fat (outer forearm, thigh, upper back) tend to be less painful (3-6), while areas close to bone or with thin skin (feet, head, sternum) rank higher (7-10).
If you have a medical problem such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes, skin problems like eczema or psoriasis, a weak immune system, or a bleeding problem, talk to your doctor before getting a tattoo. Also, if you get keloids (an overgrowth of scar tissue) you probably should not get a tattoo.
Mild burning: Some people describe the pain of a tattoo as a mild burning sensation, similar to that of a sunburn. Lot of scratching: Others compare him to a lot of scratching or redness. Vibration: In some areas, particularly the areas of bone, you can feel a vibration similar to that of a tunnel boring machine.
Yes, a $50 tip on a $300 tattoo is a good tip, falling slightly below the standard 20% ($60) but representing a solid 16.7%, showing appreciation, especially if you had a good experience; however, tipping $60-$75 (20-25%) is generally considered excellent for great service, so $50 is a respectable amount.
Tattoos are permanent images in the skin, delivered by needles injecting ink into the dermis. This tissue is just underneath the outer layer of your skin, called the epidermis. The ink is injected into the dermis by a machine that delivers thousands of tiny pricks per minute via needle.
14 Most Painful Places to Get a Tattoo
Research on tattoos older than 40 years shows that ink particles remain in the deep dermis and local lymph nodes. According to the WHO data from animal experiments, black and red tattoo ink particles reach the liver, and titanium dioxide (white pigment) reaches the liver, spleen, and lung (4).
24% of tattooed Americans regret at least one tattoo (Pew Research Center, 2023). Regret rates increased from 14% in 2012 to 24% in 2023. 32% of American adults (approximately 88.5 million people) now have at least one tattoo.
In conclusion, you can shower after getting a tattoo, but don't submerge the tattoo in water for any prolonged period of time. Follow the instructions your tattoo artist gives you, and if you're bandaged with Saniderm, you can keep the covering on your tattoo while you shower because it is waterproof.
A $500 tattoo is typically a medium-sized piece, often around palm-sized or slightly larger (roughly 4-6 inches), but the actual size heavily depends on the artist's hourly rate (usually $100-$200/hour), design complexity, color, and location, allowing for 2-5 hours of work, potentially resulting in a detailed forearm piece or a smaller chest/back design, rather than a full sleeve.
Tips to Reduce Tattoo Pain
No, $200 an hour is generally not considered a lot for a professional, experienced tattoo artist in 2025-2026, often falling into the standard or even lower-mid range, especially in major cities or for specialized styles like realism or fine-line work, though rates vary significantly by location, artist demand, and expertise. While some talented artists charge around $100-$150/hour, high-demand or highly specialized artists can easily charge $250-$300+ per hour.
The risks include:
Yes, you can donate blood if you have tattoos
The same rules also apply to ear and body piercings.
Tattoos. Some tattoo ink contains traces of metal, but most tattoos are safe in an MRI scanner. Tell the radiographer immediately if you feel any discomfort or heat in your tattoo during the scan.
“Tattoo ink can technically move through the body, but it does not usually travel very far,” explains Ploch. When ink does move, it's because the immune system has broken the pigment down to a size where it can be fed into our lymphatic system, which drains into lymph nodes.
The most painful places for women will be areas with more nerve endings like your nipples or breasts including between your breasts. If you're planning a sternum tattoo this can also be a painful spot, same as your ribs. You may want to opt for hand poke tattoos here as many people say they're more gentle.
For a $500 tattoo, a standard tip is $75 to $100 (15-20%), but you can tip more, even $125 or higher (25%+), for exceptional work, a long session, or custom design, with factors like artist's expertise and your satisfaction influencing the amount. Tipping 20% ($100) is generally considered great service, but tipping less is also okay if you're on a tight budget, while tipping more shows extra appreciation.
Tattoos generally do not increase the risk of skin cancer. However, the Skin Cancer & Dermatology Institute does not recommend tattooing over moles or getting tattoos in body areas with many moles. This can make changes in moles harder to detect.
Delivering the ink into the dermis rather than the epidermis is the reason why, despite the estimated 5 billion skin cells we shed a day, our fine line botanicals and minimalist geometrical drawings lie on our forearms and upper backs forever. The dermis is bustling with immune cells.
After getting a tattoo, avoid scratching, picking scabs, submerging it in water (baths, pools, hot tubs), prolonged sun exposure, tight clothing, and using harsh/fragranced soaps or heavy petroleum jelly; instead, keep it clean with unscented soap, moisturize lightly with artist-recommended lotion, and let it heal naturally to prevent infection and fading. Always follow your tattoo artist's specific aftercare instructions for best results.