The Most Painful Tattoos | Tattoo Artists Answer 

Bottom of the hands...commonly known as palms lol

My ribs and hip bone were absolute HORROR and I sat so calmly and so quietly, my artist said “you’re so calm you look like you’re falling asleep” meanwhile I felt like I was being cut in half and set on fire while also feeling nauseated but I loved it

Bruh it made me feel so much better to hear artists saying that the feet were the worst. I felt like I was exorcising demons when I got my feet done

My nana was in her 50's when she decided to get a rosary tattooed around her ankle and coming down on her foot. She sat through that whole thing like a G. She was just discussing paying her bills lol. I guess it's different for everyone.

Can you make a video about covering scars? It would help so much to hear artist talk about it. 🤗

And to think Ariana went through all of that pain to get a tattoo that said grilled barbecue fingers-

I'm really surprised nobody mentioned: - Armpits - Hollow back of the knee - Far side of the chest, connecting to the upper arms (the stetchmark area) - Upper collarbone connecting to the neck/trapezius

"Don't start with the ribcage...for sure." Guess where I got my first one😂 and my artist only told me that this was one of the most hurtful spots after he finished👍🏻

1:03 they folded there arms at the same time

Now do the least painful parts

I feel like I could easily sit for 8 hours if we didn't take a break. The pain after a 20 minute break seems to triple at the very least. I get that the tattoo artist needs a break though. I wouldn 't work a full day without breaks either.

I absolutely love how most of them agree that hands and feet are the most painful and to prove it none of them have tattoos in those areas...

How bout a video on recommended placement for first timers?

I got my palm tatted, it felt like a red hot knife digging into my hand for 45min

“There’s no organs on your foot” okay skin being the biggest organ on the body lol

Girls... Where you are in your cycle will affect your pain tolerance. Plan accordingly.

"Ribs. Don't start there." ...too late! 🤣

LOL my tattoo artist said he would rather tattoo girls and his parlor all day long instead of guys because he said the bigger they are the harder they fall

Woman normally have higher pain tolerance naturally. It could be to prepare us for child birth but I don't exactly remember if that's why.

I’m happy to hear that I’m not the only experienced one to eventually pass out. After 30 tattoos, I got a 6 hour one and towards the end, I got lightheaded. Never happened before. But it’s always does eventually.

The last artist I worked with told me that the back of her knees was worse than childbirth.

Palms and soles makes sense because you need a lot of sensitivity there.

My artist told me I was like a rock when I got my rib tattoo 💪🏼 But I was dying inside 😅

Dunno why I giggled at butt crack. My humor is child level 😂

“I think the brain has a lot to do with the perception of pain” It has everything to do with the perception of pain lol nerves are nothing without a brain to receive the signals.

Just got a 5 hour rib piece done yesterday, definitely uncomfortable but not unmanageable. Part of it went up into my armpit and that was pretty rough but any tattoo that you really want you get through it!

My first tattoo was on top of my foot 😅 the shop was close to closing for the night and two other artists were watching and talking about how none of them had anything on their foot. I was regretting the hell out of it but not going to let it go unfinished. I got through it and am in love with the finished piece.

Jess: bone and cartilage and organs... me: ooof yeah.. Jess: there's no organs in the foot.. me: oh shiz you're right.

I'm kinda mad that they didn't say armpit... 😂😂 my cousin has around her armpit done, and she said that was horrible.

I’m that 90lb girl with rib tats 😂, it hurts but it’s not childbirth 🤙🏾

I remember getting my entire elbow tattooed and I can attest, needs ALOT of ink and the swelling was outrageous. I could feel the ink swishing around in there

Sitting in the tattoo chair right now, maybe this video is not the best to watch. i’m going to have a lot of shading inside and outside of my elbow😅

Just got a foot tattoo a few days ago. Without a doubt it was the most painful experience of my life. I've had 2 other tattoos, and I figured I had a high pain tolerance and since it was just a small script on the side of my foot and not the top, I'd be alright. Nope. I'm now terrified to get any more tattoos below my ankles.

"There's no organs in the foot." Skin is an organ, lady.

I feel so validated that rib tattoos are painful for experienced tattoo artists too, lol!

1:03 I like how they put their hand back at the same time

My ditch huuuuurt, but I'm one of those "hate GETTING tattooed, love HAVING tattoos" types lol

My very first tattoo was on my ribs when I was 18 and about 100 lbs. It didn't feel good, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was, I'm sort of shocked to see tattoo artists saying it's one of the most painful place. I guess feeling your ribs sort of vibrating isn't a comfy feeling, but it wasn't unbearable.

Position is everything. When I got my first tattoo on my forearm it hurt a little by the wrist but like two inches away from that it tickled.

My first tattoo was done on my ribs. And that was probably the most pain I have ever felt at one time. Worth it (to me) but was seriously painful. The artist and I had to split the tattoo in two sessions. The shading session was the least painful of the two. The least painful one for me was the top of my thigh.

why is post malone in the thumbnails when he is not in the video?

1:03 when they crossed their arms at the same time... SATISFYING

Pain is in the mind! You have to train it and tell yourself it isn’t that bad! Having that train of thought definitely helped me through my tattoos and even child birth and having no pain medication for both my kids!

Nobody: Not even an atom: Laura Martinez: *and also the deek*

1:03 soooooooo IN SYNC!!!!!!! noice!

The ditch of my elbow was by far the worst. My artist tried to talk me out of it, but said I sat better than most grown men he's tattooed! I'm super happy that I decided to deal with the pain!

First time I've heard people say the inner thigh was bad -- for me it was phenomenally painful, I'm so glad I never have to go through that again.

Females TAKE PAIN LIKE A BOSS! All my tattoo are on the "painful spots" fist tattoo I got all the way down my spine, second top of foot, top of hand ect.....

I have an arm, ankle, rib, hip and foot tattoo. I always say the foot hurt the most but the rib was harder because you have to be so still and basically not talk.

Just had 8 hours heavy black work from my hip up to my shoulder including my spine and ribs. It was, without doubt the toughest session I've ever done. Everything sucked the whole time😬

My most painful tattoo was the back of my neck. I had gotten a tattoo that didn't turn out right, and them years later I had it covered. The second time was worse than the first time because the artist had a really heavy hand and manages to drag it into two hours. I didn't cry but I was shaking. It's a spot where I can feel my skin physically recoiling in pain and my body gets goosebumps. The fact that you feel the vibration through your entire head and it fucks with your vision just makes it worse. I've never cried or made a peep during any of my tattoos. But the back of the neck was a challenge.

Everyone has a different pain tolerance, I've got my face my ears my throat, alot, usually fall asleep, only one that gave me issues is the crown on my left hand

“LIKE A NEEDLE THROUGH YOUR SOUL” YES YES THIS A THOUSAND TIMES I constantly get asked if my palm tattoo hurt, and I always say the worst pain of my life no shit it hurt 😂 this is gonna be my new response I’m also shocked to see this many tattoo artists saying the feet were so bad because I got both of mine the same day back to back and didn’t think they were very bad 😭 I don’t wanna be that guy that’s like iT dOeSnT hUrT, of course it hurt, but definitely in my top easiest tattoos that I have 😅😭

A friend of mine lost a bet and got his anus tattooed. I haven't seen it but he said it's half done because he started to cry.

For my first tattoo I got a large compass rose covering my knee and the edge of my knee cap hurt the most. That’s a new level of pain for me that I haven’t experienced since.

I had my fingers tattooed last week and whilst the top of the finger was okay the sides were pretty painful. I only had line work but I would say it was on par with rib line work pain. Shading on ribs is a whole other beast! 😣

"Ze dique"

1. Top of the foot definitely 2. The ditch (where your arm bends). Ribs weren't bad, neck wasn't bad at all, the only thing that hurt was how I had to hold my head. 3. Top of the calf muscles

I'll say this. A few days ago I got my ear tattooed (the lobe & the upper cartilage). I thought it was going to be brutal but it was by far the least painful tattoo I've gotten.

"hands too, to a point...she did my hands, i passed out" bruh

I have my waist (I call it my corset tattoo), left forearm, left inner arm, left shoulder, right wrist and upper forearm (it's four thin lines circling around the arm) and in between my shoulder blades. My kryptonite was around the buttcrack. The pain was like a knife slicing through the skin. I literally told my artist that I would punch him if he tattooed that area because it was so sensitive that I couldn't sit still. For me personally, the pain levels are: - Wrist: Tolerable in short bursts but can get uncomfortable real fast. It can feel like dragging a blade on the skin. - Forearm: Quite comfortable but if you're getting a full coloured/black and grey piece, it might get a bit unbearable. - Inner arm: This was a weird one as the areas that I thought would hurt the most ended up being the most bearable. The areas closer to the elbow are more sensitive and you can feel the pain radiate to your funny bone. The bicep area was the most painful for me and I really couldn't understand why. Also, another sensitive area is closer to the armpit. - Shoulder: Not the most pleasant but still tolerable. Areas close to the clavicle or shoulder bone may cause you to feel the pain on your neck as the nerves are connected. I had a bit of a neck pain when my artist went over those areas but it's nothing that a tissue massage can't fix. - Waist: It's a huge area but basically it covers the lower ribs, back and hips. Close to the ribs both hurts and tickles and because the artist has to press on you to tattoo it get a little hard to breathe. Like I said above, my butt area is my kryptonite and as such, it was the worst area for me to get tattooed on. The back isn't quite as bad but anywhere on the spine may cause the pain to radiate to different parts of your body.

I haven’t had hand or feet tattoos but I have my chest done and couldn’t have done more than the hour it took to do it

Wooohh so excited to get my belly and ribs tattooed in a few months! It's gonna be GREAT.

That guy with the New York City face cap, I loveeee his skin and love is left full-sleeve tattoos too. He seems very organized

And yet this still doesn't deter me from wanting my palms done..... fuuuck hhaa

So far my foot, wrist crease and elbow ditch have been the worst.

Having most of these places tattooed for myself and my pain tolerance the inside of my elbow and the inside of my bicep or below the bellybutton on the stomach/groin area were by far the worst. Top of the foot, back of the hands, ankles, ribs, etc were a cake walk in comparison. My first tattoo artist told me he had more big tough looking men pass out and tiny women be completely fine for similar tattoos. He thought it had something to do with women possibly expecting it to hurt worse while the man thinking he could handle more pain than he could.

Your mentality going into it has a HUGE effect as well. My first tattoo was 5 hours on my ribs and I sat like a rock. I was dead set on getting it for years so I was ready. My inner bicep was done after a month of mental hell. That day started bad and ended worse. After only 4 hours I tapped

Good video fellas

to be totally honest. outlines rarely get painful "no matter" (exceptions to this rule do exist) the placement. Shading is where the pain is at. going over the same area again...and again....and again is really ...reallly REALLY BAD ... ( for me ). I got my neck done recently and the first hour was easy after that I started to loose it real fast. couldn't even take touching the area two days after. My ranking for the way I felt it : the shin just under the knee lower ribs ( where a lot of men have their lovehandles ) upper ribs ( going towars the armpit ) neck sternum elbow (and the elbow crease ) shoulder joint (like directly ontop of it)

For me, my most painful was my lower back. Second session of this full back piece I had planned. I'm kinda surprised no one mentioned lowerback.

My first two tattoos were done on the top of my feet, one right after the other. The pain was high but tolerable. I had a tougher time with the awkward way I had to hold my legs during the tattoos and the healing process afterwards. Every step was a nice little explosion of pain for the first few days. Recently I got a tattoo on my inner forearm and the wrist and bend of elbow was more painful than anything I’ve ever felt in my life. Way more painful than the top of my feet. Luckily, the rest of the forearm tattoo was pretty much painless.

I have a full back piece.. The low back area.. lots of deep breaths to get that done.

the example of the lady being tougher than expected kind of funny to me. Men are stronger, bigger, faster, but I've never met one that can deal with pain nearly as well as the women in my life. Maybe it's becasue some of us have learned to push through vomit inducing pain every month? I know it's not universal, the person i know least able to deal with any pain is a lady, but still... do ladies generally wuss out sooner on tattoos?

Bruh I got my first tattoo on my ribs I literally felt just the vibration but the pain tolerance is not the same for everyone

I found my shoulder blades to be the most painful I've had done, felt the needle hitting the bone felt proper bizarre.

I have a tattoo on the inside of my arm and it goes super close to the crease of my elbow, can confirm that the crease is suuuuper sensitive, it was worse than any other part of the tattoo

I have a big chest piece and the worst of it part was my sternum and the outer parts of the my chest toward the shoulder. The only time it felt nice was when it reached on to my stomach.

My first two tattoos were my ribs and hip, both done the same day when I was 15. It was so comfortable, and the girl didn’t tell me anything about pain, but she kept asking if I was okay so I knew she knew that it was supposed to be painful. Luckily my pain tolerance is through the roof

I went in for my first tattoo a week ago, and my tattooer draws up my design, it looks great. He puts it on my arm, it looks great. He starts tattooing, and I realize that the position he placed the stencil covered my elbow ditch. Did not plan on signing up for that on my first tattoo lol, holy damn.

“I don’t even know how I did that, I was dead” 🤣

I got the edge of my palm done and It felt like he was digging in with a razor blade, definitely was feeling woozy lol

So I'm having a full sleeve done over two consecutive days in 3 weeks.. and I find myself watching these hehe. ^^

Had all of these but bittoms.of foot and happy to know I made it through them. For me it was the part of rhe sternum where there is a small bone extension. The vibration on that was tough

My Sternum, the center of my chest, was BRUTAL. Extremely painful. Several layers

4:36 is that Himiko on his hoodie, from BNHA? That's awesome :D

For me, I've only got one thigh tattooed, and the top was fine but the outside going down towards the knee hurt enough for me to pause what I was doing

I almost screamed out loud when we were working on the bottom of my upper arm (the inside of the elbow...what do you call that? you know, the same spot when a needle is put in to draw a sample of blood) ...Why do I remember that pain so clearly?

3:54, I've got a full arm sleeve my neck tattooed, but nothing compared to the pain of having a moustache tattooed on the inside of my index finger 😅😅

Inked: I'd love to hear tattoo artists' take on blackout tattoos. This subject, I believe, was not covered yet.

One of my tatts is a large lower back tattoo that extends to the side. Where the tattoo goes over the love handle... BRUTAL! Every time that area was being done it felt like electric current shooting through my back. My body started shaking at one point and Im a mumma.. I birthed a child, I can take pain!! Upper back felt nothing, arm felt nothing, lower stomach wasnt bad but tickled. My husband says side of knee and back off knee were his worst by far and he is covered

I got my first tattoo done by a friend's friend's brother (bad idea and not advised) on the inside of my wrist and it hurt, but it wasn't unbearable or anything. I got 4 small ones done the same day as a present from my mom, completely spur of the moment (also not advised). There's only one that I would actually want to keep. The rest are gonna get covered up as soon as I can, but I can wait because it's been 6 years!

My first tattoo was mi ribs didn't hurt that much but it was lettering

This is hilarious because I JUST got my first tattoo 2 days ago and it was on my ribs. And they're all talking about how bad rib tattoos are and to not get that as your first tattoo. And honestly it sucked so bad!! But I pushed through it because the tattoo means so much to me. I even have a very high pain tolerance but it was super bad. I'm very impressed with myself for finishing it! Also everyone in the shop kept saying how well I was handling it especially for it being my first! Way to go me! I'm 115lbs and got my first tattoo on my rib cage and it's not small either! Feeling like a badass let me tell you!

First tattoos when I turned 18: First tattoo was on my finger- not bad Second tattoo, same day right after the first was my foot- my whole body was sweating and shaking. I wanted to stop but I'm glad I didn't so I only had to go through the pain once

My 4th tattoo was a mandala on my ditch and it was not nearly as bad as people say. Even my artist (who’s covered in tattoos) was worried about getting her ditches tattooed. What hurt more for me was inner elbow/bicep area, and very top of the shoulder, the boniest part. Completely different for everyone!

The French girl is right, the amount of pain really depends on your pain tolerance. I got both of my elbows worked on and the pain wasn’t as nearly as bad as everyone says.

"bottom of ur feet and the bottom of ur hands" .... Was it just me or did anyone else laugh cuz it's sounds so funny. Bottom of ur hands 🤣🤣

I got the top of my foot and a bit of the ankle, took it like a champ but definitely painful. My artist complemented me on and called me brave. It was swollen for a good week, I can’t believe I wanted both done the same day!

Just had my elbow done yesterday and it was unbearable 🤢 I have 2 neck tattoos and they were a tickle compared to that!