Tattoos... can you reduce the pain?

[intuition897]

I've got two tattoos and Mr. has one. I designed his and one of mine, and my other one was just a standard heart with his name in it. The one on my lower back hurt like hell (lots of nerve endings there), but the other one was smaller and on my ribcage and surprisingly much less painful. Most of the pain you'll feel when getting your tattoo comes right at the start. Your endorphins haven't kicked in fully yet but they do before long, and you'll notice that the area gets somewhat numb and swollen feeling. If you can make it through until then, it should be a breeze. I've never tried emla cream or lidocaine, but hey! it might be worth a shot.

My best suggestion would be to use imagery and breathing. Ever had kids? Remember labour? Yeah, well those lamaze classes come in handy all through life and tattoo-time is just such a time. As the artist is working, you'll get used to the rhythm (buzzz-buzzz-dip-dip-buzzz-buzzz...) and you can time your breathing with it. Make sure you do your best to relax, as tension causes your nerve endings to go 'on alert' and you'll REALLY feel it. Bring a walkman to drown out the sound of the buzzing (which is really abrasive and annoying), maybe a book, or bring a friend to talk to and joke with... or hold your hand. It's really not so bad, and once it's done, it's done. Part of what makes tattoos so cool is the fact that you have to suffer a little to get one. Hey! It's just pain!

I'll have to post some pics of our tattoos. I haven't regretted getting them at all!

[intuition897]

Ok, here they are!

I am deathly afraid of needles and yet have two tatoos one on my ankle and one on the calf. Tat parlors won't accomodate the drinking they will actually refuse to do a tat on an individual under the influence because of the way alcohol thins out blood. Also I wouldn't recommend taking a Vicodin to get through it.
I agree with intuition897 do the breathing and have someone there with you every step of the way, I had my older brother with me who has numerous tattoos and he held my hand I also watched while he had his whole back done one step at a time. Now that is pain... But they are all worth it... ten times over. Just another way to make your body even more beautiful...

[k8n8tion]

this may sound somewhat out there but it works for me. i have two quarter sleeves and more than two days solid under the needle. i have found that, in addition to the breathing, if i focus on the sound of the gun i actually get aroused somewhat which takes away the pain (the sound similarity between the gun and the hitachi magic wand are uncanny). but i also underwent biofeedback therapy as a child and this may have something to do with the ability to turn off the pain. i would suggest trying out some sort of meditation or yoga to help you tame your focus. after a while, the pain translates to nothing more than a match being held closely to the skin for me. good luck!

[diotima]

well, if feeling turned on helps distract from tattoo pain ... what about a magic bullet

[ALilOEverything]

Originally Posted by diotima

well, if feeling turned on helps distract from tattoo pain ... what about a magic bullet

I like that idea... but I don't know if I would be able to hold still when I'm THAT turned on. I could just imagine the tattoo artist saying "oops! hold still" while I was writhing with pleasure

[cara]

I had one done on the small of my back last sept. I have to admit that because it was on the spine, it was very painful. Have had three kids naturally and this was equilalant! I'm not telling you this to put you off...it was worth it - both. However, the guy doing it did say that taking a digatalistic (spelling) before hand can help.

I have a query though. Should a tatoo there have hurt so much????? The hubby is next in line and if the above is true maybe we should be looking for another artist??

go for it girl
xxxCara

[chastityrings]

Hi all, I have 4 in all, the one piece on my ankle took 4 sessions and got my full and undivided attention,especially around my arch and the top of my foot. Two yrs ago my husband gave me a trip to a salon where I had my eyeliner tattooed on, THAT however was a trip, totally worth it, but intense as he!!, anyway the girl who did my eyeliner used a numbing cream and said most tattoo artists don't use it because it's so expensive, can't remember what it was called but there IS something if you want to pay that helps. (the hardest part of the eyeliner was having someone so in your face) Also after that session I could have taken a nap through my ankle. And as most say after the first one, just like piercings they do get to be habit forming.

[Rondo]

I have full sleeves. I started getting tattoos long before it was mainstream. Part of the tattooing ritual (as a right of passage in my opinion) is experiencing the pain. If you can't accept the pain, how dedicated are you really to this design that you say means so much to you? Whatever you do, alcohol is a bad idea, it will, as another poster suggested, thin your blood. Also, be prepared to live with pain and itching and scabbing for a week or more. And, have you considered the potential for infection or of alergic reactions to the ink? Now with all that precautionary, scary stuff out of the way, I have no regrets about getting any of my tattoos. I never thought about any of these things when I started and feel very lucky that that my tats turned out as clean (in every sense of that word) as they did. So, if you are still up for this I would recomend going to a Hypno-therapist to deal with your short term pain issues and bite the bullet for the week or so that your tattoo will be healing.
Hope this helps.

[sammyhart]

You see to be a redhead. If that is natural, you should know that redheaded people require up to three times the amount of anaesthetic than all others. No one knows why, and even many professionals are unaware of this. I was also a redhead(before male pattern baldness), so I have researched the topic. You might also be interested in knowing that redheaded people sometimes wind up with permanent pain in responese to tatoos as well as to sunburn, so be very sure you want that tatoo before submiting your body to the needle.

[sammyhart]

You seem to be a redhead. If that is natural, you should know that redheaded people require up to three times the amount of anaesthetic than all others. No one knows why, and even many professionals are unaware of this. I was also a redhead(before male pattern baldness), so I have researched the topic. You might also be interested in knowing that redheaded people sometimes wind up with permanent pain in responese to tatoos as well as to sunburn, so be very sure you want that tatoo before submiting your body to the needle.