Getting Inked? Here Are the 6 Most Painful Places to Get a Tattoo

Considering a tattoo? While the design and what it means to you is key, it can help to know where on your body will hurt the most. Tattooing pain depends on how many nerves are in an area, how close to the bone the needle will be, and how thick the skin is on that part of the body. Here are six of the most painful areas to get tattooed: 

1. Ribs

Ribs are ranked as the second-most painful area to tattoo because the epidermis is very thin, and you’re virtually tattooing right against bone. The feeling is described as very sharp and intense. 

2. Spine

Tattoos on the spine can be incredibly painful as it’s an area dense with nerves and there’s virtually no fat. Even a small tattoo design can feel very pronounced on your spine. 

3. Ankles & Shins

The ankle and shin area is pretty much bone with no muscles or fat; thus, the needle is really close to bone. The common reference for a tattoo on the ankle is “it just feels like pinches, over and over again.” 

4. Elbows & Knees

The skin around a joint is more sensitive, stretchy, loaded with nerve endings; simply making it much more diinbutive than surrounding skin.

5. Hands & Fingers

These are very sensitive, packed with nerves, and because of that pain is almost always high. Their skin is also thin which increases pain sensitivity while tattooing.

6. Armpits

Yes, there are armpit tattoos. They are considered to be the most painful of all. Armpits are very sensitive with little flesh and even a light pinching of the skin can hurt.

Why Do These Areas Hurt More?

Pain usually increases when:

The skin is thin

There is less fat or muscle

There are many nerves

The needle is close to bone

If you’re afraid of pain, you should start in a fleshy area like the upper arm or thigh. You can also talk to your tattoo artist—they’re experienced and they can help you based on your comfort and tattoo design choice.