How much do tattoos hurt?

[mordisco_amoros]

Not as bad as the foot I really didn't think my shoulder hurt that much. I had a couple zings but other than that...

is the pain really less than cartilage piercings? i've had 6 of them done and was fine, and i'm really not a pain person at all...

 

[angle1984]

is the pain really less than cartilage piercings? i've had 6 of them done and was fine, and i'm really not a pain person at all...

For me it was. When I had my cartilage pierced that damn thing hurt for a YEAR! Everyone experiences pain differently though. Me and one of my friends both got our tongues pierced at the same time; I only felt the clamp, she felt the needle. It all depends on the individual. When I had my first tattoo done I wasn't sure if I could handle the pain, so the guy that did it was nice enough to use the needle on me without ink first to see if I could do it. It really isn't all that bad...

 

[FreelanceGamer]

its been said already but pain is subjective to the individual. I've always thought i had a high pain tolerance and i didnt really even feel most of my arm tattoo. but the inside of the arm where the skin is thinner was a bit uncomfortable at best. after about the 5th color pass there it got a little painful.

The part on my collarbone was more annoying than anything, the tattoo machine vibrated my entire skull everytime it hit the bone.

My other tattoo is around my ankle and wasn't all that bad the first session, but thin skin in that region couple with the ankle bones = some intense moments. if you have to do several sessions of tattooing in one area i would definitely recommend waiting several weeks between. tattoing over severly damaged skin before it heals will highten the felt pain. (trust me).

I am sorely addicted to tattooing and the only thing keeping me from getting more work done and finishing one i have started is cost. Keep in mind that if you pay less than $100/hr for a 'professional' tatooist, you may want to be looking somewhere else. Always ask to look at their portfolio or find other people who have been tattooed by the artist. EVERY professional/good tattoo artist will have a portfolio and references. I highly recommend that you shop around quite a bit before choosing an artist once you decide what you want.

 

[adabbaduli]

It depends on your pain tolerance and where the tat is located. To me my muscles got more sore than the pain tolerance aspect, but thats just me.