Tattoo Pain Chart
Tap or click any part of the body to see how much it usually hurts, why, and whether it heals more slowly. No made up scores: we show what has been measured and what is artist experience.
Every area at a glance
Generally easiest
- Shoulder: The fleshy top of the shoulder is one of the gentler places to start.
- Outer upper arm: The classic first tattoo spot: thick skin over muscle.
- Outer thigh: Lots of padding and space: one of the easiest large areas.
- Calf: Muscle and padding make it one of the gentler places.
- Upper back: The fleshy areas either side of the spine are among the easier spots.
Generally moderate
- Chest: Moderate on the pecs, sharper close to the sternum and the collarbone.
- Inner upper arm: Softer, thinner skin makes it noticeably more sensitive than the outer arm.
- Back of the upper arm: Usually manageable, sharper towards the elbow and the armpit.
- Forearm: The outer forearm is quite comfortable; the inner side is more sensitive.
- Wrist: Short sessions, but the inner wrist is more sensitive than the outer side.
- Stomach: Usually moderate, but the skin is soft and stretchy, which some people find uncomfortable.
- Hip: Moderate, more intense right over the hip bone.
- Knee: The kneecap is bony and the area bends constantly, which slows healing.
- Shoulder blade: Moderate, sharper where the bone is closest to the surface.
- Lower back: Moderate for most people, harder over the spine and hip bones.
Generally hardest
- Head and face: Skin is thin over the skull and the face is packed with nerves. Many artists decline face work on first tattoos.
- Neck and throat: One of the most sensitive areas, especially the throat and the sides of the neck.
- Collarbone: Bone sits right under the skin, so you feel more vibration than sharpness.
- Sternum: Thin skin over the breastbone; many people describe it as one of the hardest spots.
- Armpit: Very sensitive and awkward to heal because of sweat and friction.
- Inner elbow (ditch): Thin skin with many nerves, and it bends all day, which slows healing.
- Elbow: Bone right under the skin and constant movement.
- Hands and fingers: Bony, nerve rich and constantly used, so they hurt more and fade faster.
- Ribs: Widely considered one of the hardest places, and you feel your breathing move the skin.
- Groin: Highly sensitive skin with many nerve endings.
- Inner thigh: Much softer and more sensitive than the outer thigh.
- Back of the knee: Thin, delicate skin and lots of movement.
- Shin: Bone sits just under the skin all the way down.
- Ankle: Bony and rubbed by socks and shoes while it heals.
- Top of the foot: Thin skin over many small bones, and shoes make healing tricky.
- Spine: The bony ridge of the spine transmits vibration; one of the hardest areas.
How to read this chart
Most tattoo pain charts give every body part a score out of 10, but no peer reviewed study has ranked body parts against each other. Those numbers are estimates copied from site to site. So this chart uses three tiers, based on what artists and heavily tattooed people broadly agree on and on clear physical reasons.
What has been measured: in a 2020 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 1,092 people rated their pain during tattooing at an average of 4.35 out of 10, dropping to 2.07 straight afterwards. The best predictors of a painful session were its length, how much the area bled, stress beforehand and painkiller use.
Why some places hurt more
- Nerve endings: the armpit, groin, inner wrist, backs of the knees and neck carry far more of them.
- Bone close to the skin: ribs, sternum, spine, ankles, shins and the tops of the feet transmit the needle's vibration.
- Thick skin over muscle: the outer arm, outer thigh and calf tolerate the needle far better.
How to make it hurt less
- Eat a proper meal beforehand and sleep well the night before.
- Skip alcohol: it thins the blood and increases bleeding.
- Ask your artist before taking painkillers or using numbing cream.
- Breathe slowly and ask for breaks when you need them.
- For a first tattoo, start somewhere gentle. More advice in our first tattoo guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the least painful place to get a tattoo?
Areas with thick skin over muscle: the outer upper arm, the outer thigh, the calf and the fleshy parts of the shoulders and upper back.
Where do tattoos hurt the most?
Where skin is thin over bone or packed with nerve endings: ribs, sternum, spine, armpit, groin, backs of the knees, shins, ankles, tops of the feet, hands, neck and face.
How painful is a tattoo on a scale of 1 to 10?
In the largest study, with 1,092 people, the average pain during tattooing was 4.35 out of 10, dropping to 2.07 straight afterwards. No study has scored individual body parts against each other.
Does a bigger tattoo hurt more?
Yes, because session length matters more than location: after a few hours the skin is inflamed and everything feels worse. Splitting big work into shorter sessions helps.
Pain figures: Kluger N. et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020 (1,092 participants). Body part tiers reflect artist and collector consensus, not controlled measurement.