How Bad Does Getting a Tattoo Hurt?

Most of your friends have one, you want one, but you are not sure if you can handle the pain involved in getting your first tattoo.

Everyone has been there, but when it comes to asking friends what to expect as far as pain goes, you hear all sorts of things which either scare you or make you less afraid. It can go either way.

You cannot however take what others say as what you will experience. I had some tell me that it felt like getting stung by wasps, then someone else told me it was like getting sliced open with a hot knife, and others said that they enjoyed the pain. I couldn't help but wonder if they were sadists!

But believe me I am no sadist and I do not get a high off of pain. I wanted my tattoo done so badly though, and had thought about it for so long that I finally decided to just go and get it done, and chalk it up as my own experience, which it was, and will be for everyone else.

For me, my first tattoo felt like nothing of the sort, I felt absolutely nothing. It was equivalent to someone running their fingernail lightly across the surface of my skin. No stinging wasps, no knives on fire, no pain to even try to enjoy as my sadists friends described- nothing!

Was I lucky? Maybe.

Asking around though about what to expect as far as the level of pain you will receive from getting a tattoo is normal, and those who tell you it is not normal and you are not ready, are just tattoo snobs that think they know better, with some higher than thou attitude. You know you are ready, otherwise you would not have found this page.

However as far as wondering how badly it will hurt, that is truly anyone's guess, because for each person it is a different experience. The area where you get your tattoo can also play a role in how painful it is.

My tattoo was a nice shoulder piece, and took around 2 hours or so to complete. Sitting in the chair without being able to move was more painful. Does this mean you will have the same experience though? Absolutely not.