Tattoo healing time depends on the type of tattoo and the location of the tattoo. Swelling is due to poor blood circulation in your leg. The tattoo may be painful for a week to 10 days after the initial infection, but if the pain gets worse instead of getting better, it may be indicative of an infection. From male to female, explore these charts to find the tattoos that will cause the least pain. Your experience may vary as its been shown that older people can handle pain more effectively than young people. Can thigh pain cause problems anywhere else? How Long Does It Take a Tattoo to Fully Heal? I got my tattoo done four days ago and it is a big piece, taking up Getting a tattoo generally involves some pain, but the tattoos location and your personal pain tolerance will affect how much it hurts. Because your hip bones lie just below your skin, getting hip tattoos can cause severe pain. The most painful places to get tattooed have the most nerve endings, the least fat, the thinnest skin and multiple bony spots that vibrate. If you dont have access to a water fountain, try drinking a glass of water before you go to the tattoo parlor. Try to keep your leg elevated. Learn more. Some people say this treatment feels like a rubber band snapping on the skin. You can expect to feel low to low-moderate levels of pain here. While there is no scientific evidence that says which areas of the body will feel the most and least pain when getting inked, we gathered anecdotal information from sites run by people in the tattoo industry. Youll still feel a degree of pain and it may shift back into a sharper pain during the session, but its reasonably easy to distract yourself from the soreness by watching TV or talking to a friend. During the healing process, you may have to deal with pain as your body and clothing rub against your skin. The calf muscle is thick and surrounded by fat and thick skin, allowing it to act as a strong buffer against the needle. The outer bicep has a lot of muscle without a lot of nerve endings, making it a good place for a tattoo that wont cause a lot of pain. A lot of people who tattoo their spine will experience extreme pain, due to sharp nerve endings and how close the spine is to the skin. This pain may be due to an underlying condition that requires treatment. Often the full intensity of the pain is only experienced afterward. While guys may have muscle mass in this spot, a chest tattoo may cause severe pain for a biological male. Instead, take plenty of breaks and keep the tattoo clean and dry. What is the most painful place to get a tattoo? Browse numbing products for tattoos online. Although tattoos may last a lifetime, the pain experienced will eventually disappear. Apply ointment and drink plenty of water and anti-inflammatories for the pain. Placement can also be a factor since biological men will feel more severe pain in areas like the throat, groin, upper thigh and hips due to a naturally lower level of body fat. Insist on seeing their certification and checking out their equipment beforehand. With loose skin and many nerve endings, the lips are one of the most painful tattoo areas and should be avoided. These hormones actually work to numb the pain into feeling like a dull ache in the background. Web60 Coolest Leg Tattoos for Men. Sitting for long periods on hard surfaces is a common cause of ischial bursitis. The way you experience pain and the placement of your tattoo can greatly affect how it feels to get inked. Tattoos: Understand risks and precautions. 3. Try a numbing product on your skin before getting your tattoo to reduce the amount of pain you experience. The nipples and breasts are very sensitive spots and will make getting a tattoo severely painful. A physical therapist can provide a range of exercises to treat pain and improve mobility in the buttocks, lower back, and legs. Instead, apply a light layer of lotion to help with the healing process. How do I stop the pain of a new tattoo? Dermabrasion uses a rotating wheel or brush to sand the top layers of tattooed skin. For a sprawling head tattoo or a design that spans across the face, you may want to complete the work across multiple sessions to manage the pain. Here are a few tips to minimize tattoo pain: Tattoos may take minutes to hours to add to your body, but they last a lifetime. 8 tips to make tattoos hurt less. 2023 Healthline Media LLC. The healthcare professional can help the person avoid exercises that might worsen the problem or cause injuries. (2017). While popular, a hand and finger tattoo can cause excruciating pain. But theres good news for people who dying to get this tattoo: the thigh area is one of the best places to get (n.d.). Your weight can also impact how much pain you feel, and those at either end of the scale will feel more pain than those at normal body weight. Tattooing can be a painful process, but its important to remember that it is a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Learn more. (2017). People with less or no body fat might also experience extreme pain. In fact, most tattoo artists advise against people getting armpit tattoos. If you want to reduce pain, stay as far away from the groin area as possible and keep your design small. I have indicated why you experience pain after a tattoo in each leg part below. A common cause of ischial bursitis is sitting for long periods on a hard surface. According to a 2010 study, a whopping 38 percent of people 18 to 29 years old have been inked at least once in their lives. Although youll feel this pain with a single needle, it hurts more when multiple needles are used to boost your ink. During this time, your tattoo will be vulnerable to infection. Heavier people may have looser skin, which could also be more sensitive to tattoos. Ischial bursitis can cause problems with walking, running, or sitting. We've got the details on its benefits and how to use it. Johnson, D. B., & Varacallo, M. (2020). Some artists are heavy-handed while others are meticulous and gentle with their needles. You can go for walks, but not while the tattoo is still fresh, especially the back of the neck. This causes vibrating pain. (n.d.). Some tattoos require more or less work than others, so consider this number a baseline. This chemical response happens when your brain registers pain in the skin and takes place in the pituitary gland. Tattoos are trendy these days, making it even more necessary to think about all of the issues involved before having one. While endorphins may not relieve your pain much, the hormone can act as a natural painkiller, working alongside over-the-counter options and numbing cream. While a needle penetrating your skin repeatedly will never feel good, how painful the tattoo process is will depend on you. Chest tattoos are always painful since the spot is right by the sternum, collarbone and nipples, which are all highly sensitive areas and full of nerve endings. Sharp or stingy pain is one of the worst pains mentioned above. Usually, the pain will be the most An ankle and shin tattoo generally causes intense pain since there is very little fat surrounding these areas. Getting a thigh tattoo can be a painful experience. Web12 Roses And Blackberries. Keep it clean and moisturized to prevent infection and speed healing. In fact, youll actually burn calories during a tattoo because your metabolism speeds up in response to tension. Overweight people may have loose skin that makes their ink hurt more and the same is true for underweight people with very little fat to buffer the needle. This scratching sensation is usually felt when your artist is shading, adding depth to your design or has been working in the same area for a while. While getting a tattoo is generally always painful, people will experience different levels of pain based on the body part, health and tolerance. Generally speaking, the most painful body parts to ink are bony areas, or areas with thin skin or that have a lot of nerve endings. We link primary sources including studies, scientific references, and statistics within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. WebHi there, I'm just looking for a bit of advice from anyone who has had a thigh tattoo. It is the most simple and beautiful of Your ankle bones and shinbones lie just beneath thin layers of skin, making it very painful to be tattooed in these areas. A tattoo artists experience, skills and style can influence how much pain you will feel. For a small and simple design, you may be able to tolerate the pain. The calf muscle pulls up the heel to allow forward movement during running, jumping, or walking. With so many painful areas, it can be a challenge knowing where tattoos will hurt the least. This is because youll have built up a decent pain tolerance and be used to the sensation of the needle hitting your skin and vibrating near bones. Its also more painful to get tattooed on certain parts of the body. Generally, tattoo pain is severe in the worst places and mildly uncomfortable in the best areas. Tattoos are a big commitment, so its important to prepare and plan. A doctor can make a diagnosis by evaluating the persons symptoms and conducting a physical examination. While there are many factors to consider, tattoo pain will vary based on your sex, age, weight, the artist and your adrenaline levels. The least painful spots like the back, shoulder, outer thigh and forearm have thicker skin, more fat and fewer nerve endings. You may feel some pain in the muscles around your hip, knee or calf. Ischial bursitis causes pain in the buttocks and upper legs. Younger people tend to handle tattoo pain better as their skin is more resilient. Our skin thins significantly as we get older and provides less cushioning against the needle. Men have been enjoying lower body tattoos and they have been popular from celebrities to athletes. Your tattoo artist will most likely suggest that you wait at least 48 hours before strenuous physical activity and heavy sweating after you have finished your tattoo. (n.d.). Keeping the tattoo bandaged for too long can also cause pain. A person should stop the exercise immediately if they experience pain in the buttocks, lower back, or legs. For something more bearable, a small behind the ear tattoo can be a good compromise. However, it is still important to avoid excessive sweating and sitting for long periods of time. Vibrating pain isnt usually intense, but it doesnt exactly tickle either. During tattooing, one or more needles insert ink into the dermis, the second layer of your skin. The skin here very thin, and it contains numerous nerve endings that can trigger pain when hit by a tattoo needle. Take the time to research your artist and design. Do thigh tattoos take a long time to heal? Again, this hasnt been proven scientifically, but certain types of pain are well-known in the tattoo community. For example, vigorous exercise can cause muscle strains that produce temporary pain in the area. Being familiar with these sensations before getting tattooed can give you an idea of what you can expect to feel and how to tell when your pain isnt normal. In the picture below, the various body parts are described with a pain indicator that describes how much pain you have to endure when getting tattooed in that spot. A spine tattoo will hurt for men and women because the part has many nerve endings and the skin is extremely thin. This time, you can apply a thin layer of unscented lotion to keep the. A thigh tattoo wont hurt much, making it the perfect place for a cool design. Ischial bursitis. Getting a thigh tattoo can be a painful experience. The groin is a very painful area to get tattooed because it is packed with nerve endings and is constantly subject to friction. Pain here can be severe. If you have a tattoo on your thigh, its best to get it removed as soon as possible. You will need to hold your lips open for the entire appointment, causing dryness and cracking. This burning will make your skin feel like it has a hot object pressed against it and is caused by the repeated stabbing motion of the needle. This will help your tattoo heal properly and keep the ink looking fresh. Can you walk after getting a tattoo on your leg? Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Your doctor may recommend cold packs, lotions, or medication to help you manage the pain. Sharp stinging pain is said to feel like bee stings beneath the skin and can feel unbearable at times. In this case, your artist may divide your session into two- or three-hour sittings. Seek medical attention if the pain persists. As you get older, your blood circulation tends to get worst. But there are factors affecting how much pain you as an individual experience while getting inked. Older skin also tends to get bruised more easily, which could be the reason for the pain after the tattoo. In some cases, the symptoms can be so severe that they may require hospitalization. I noticed that I would experience more pain at night; perhaps it was because I was placing more pressure on my legs during the day, considering that I would spend most of my days standing, and at night when I rested my legs, the muscles would contract and become tight. Scratching pain is a very common pain, and as the tattoo starts to dry out, you will find that the skin around the tattoo also tends to dry out, and you will have the overwhelming urge to want to scratch.