Getting a tattoo is always fun except for the pain it causes. There is no way to avoid pain when you get a tattoo. Yes, there are ways you can reduce the pain to some extent but the tattoo procedure cannot be completely painless. And the pain is felt relatively more when you get a tattoo on a sensitive area. So you may wonder if you get a tattoo behind your ear how painful it would be because behind the ear can be seen as a sensitive area.
I had many clients who came to get a skull tattoo, a tattoo on the spine, a tattoo on the shin, etc. But after I explained the amount of pain they may go through, most opt out of getting a tattoo on those body parts. But the decision becomes a bit difficult when it comes to getting a tattoo behind your ear. The amount of pain you may feel when getting a tattoo behind your ear can depend on multiple factors. I will elaborate on the matter below.
Key Takeaways
- Getting a tattoo behind the ear can be more painful compared to other body parts in general.
- The reasons behind feeling more pain during the behind-the-ear tattooing procedure are thin skin, close to the bone, and area sensitivity.
- You may face a rattling feeling, difficulty enduring longer tattoo sessions, sleepiness, headaches, etc. when getting a tattoo behind your ear.
- You can reduce the pain during the tattooing procedure by staying stress-free, sleeping 8 hours during the night before getting the tattoo, using a tattoo numbing agent, etc.
Pain Level of Behind the Ear Tattoos
You will have to bear some level of discomfort or pain when you get a tattoo. But some getting tattoos on some areas will hurt more and some areas will hurt less. So, which side behind the ear area falls into? Will getting a tattoo behind the ear hurt more or less?
Simply put, getting a tattoo behind the ears is relatively more painful. It is not the most painful area to get a tattoo but I would not put it on the less painful area to get a tattoo either. Use your fingers to give a gentle rub behind your ears, you will feel the skin is quite thin compared to other body parts and there is not much fat or muscle in the area. What does that tell you? If you got a tattoo before you know thin skin and less fat and muscles mean more pain. On top of that the ear and the area behind it fall into the skull area. You may have heard the pain of getting a tattoo on your skull. It is one of the most painful areas to get a tattoo. Many people show off their skull tattoos to let others know how strong they are and how much pain they can handle.
3 Reasons Why Tattoos Behind Ear Hurts More?
There are quite a few reasons why ear tattoos hurt more than other places on the body.
I have listed them below:
Thin skin
Skin thickness can play a crucial role in the pain level of a tattooing procedure. Thicker skin tends to have fewer nerve endings hence they are less painful to get a tattoo on. On the other hand, thin skin has more nerve endings and it can cause more pain when getting a tattoo. Your skull area or the behind-the-ear area has relatively thin skin compared to other body parts. So when you get a tattoo behind your ear, the nerve endings or pain receptors would send stronger signals to your brain that the area is in trouble and as a result, you will feel more pain.
Located close to the bone
Fat and muscle between your skin and bone work as a cushion or protective layer. This protective layer can reduce the pain caused by the tattoo needle poking into your skin a lot. Unfortunately, you don’t have much fat or muscle behind your ear. The skin is pretty close to your skull bone. Because of the lack of cushion or protective layer of fat and muscle, you will feel more pain when getting a tattoo behind your ear.
Sensitivity
The sensitivity of the area where you want to get a tattoo can affect the pain you feel during the tattooing procedure. Areas that are more sensitive you get a tingling feeling just by touching them right? Now imagine, how painful it would be if you get poked by a tattoo needle a few thousand times on a sensitive area. Obviously, you will feel quite a bit of pain. The area behind your ear falls into a sensitive area of your body. Even mild injury in the area can cause quite a bit of pain. And going through a tattooing procedure is like getting a wound on your skin, so yea when you get a tattoo behind your ear it would hurt more as it is a sensitive area.
✨ You May like: How To Fix Tattoo Lettering – Ultimate Pro Guide Reveled
Issues You May Face Getting a Tattoo Behind Your Ear
Behind the ear, tattoos are more painful in general but there are more issues that you may face while going through the procedure. Such as:
Rattling feeling
The mastoid bone that is located behind your ear has little to no fat or muscle over it. This is why when the tattoo gun runs over the skin it makes a rattling feeling. You may feel someone is using a drilling machine on your bone. This rattling feeling is not only annoying but also obnoxious. Because of this rattling feeling, you may feel more pain during the procedure.
Difficult to endure longer sessions
Behind-the-ear tattoo session usually does not last that long. But in case if you go for a bigger tattoo then you may face a longer tattoo session. Getting a tattoo behind the ear can be painful and may give you a rattling feeling. For some clients, it is very difficult to sit for a few hours while going through the pain and rattling feeling. Sometimes the tattoo artist may stop the procedure because the client is not able to continue staying conscious. To solve this issue tattoo artists may go for multiple sessions just to can the client can bear through the procedure.
Sound issue
Tattooing machines may make a buzzing sound while it runs. So hearing the buzzing sound continuously while the sound is coming from right behind your ear can be very annoying. You have naturally quite a bit of sensory nerves around the ear area. So the vibration and the sound from the tattoo gun can really test your patience.
Cause headache
Continuous sound near the ear and a vibrating feeling on the skull bone can cause headaches. The tattooing procedure is not so sweet to begin with and when it comes to getting a tattoo behind your ear it can be quite irritating. If you get a headache then it will be vexing for your o sit through the whole tattooing session.
Sleepiness
The pain and sound of the tattooing gun near your ear can cause fatigue which may lead to sleepiness. Falling asleep during a tattooing procedure is not recommended as it can hinder the artist’s tattooing technique. To avoid this sleepiness make sure to eat healthy snacks before getting on with the tattooing procedure.
How to Reduce Pain While Getting a Tattoo Behind Ear?
There is no way to make an ear tattoo painless. But there are surely meaningful things you can do to reduce the pain quite a bit. Such as:
Lower the sound
People who have sensitive hearing or are sensitive to noise can feel more pain when getting a tattoo behind their ears. Because too much noise can lower their pain threshold and make them feel more pain. So make sure to ask your artist to tune their tattoo machine and you may choose to go with a rotary tattoo machine as they make less noise compared to a coil tattoo machine.
Use tattoo numbing agent
I know that many tattoo artists hate the mention of numbing agents or numbing spray when they start tattooing. But sometimes, they are unavoidable because of the level of pain that you have to deal with! That is why you can ask your tattoo artist to use a tattoo-numbing agent on you. Tattoo numbing cream, spray, or gel works equally well. They won’t be able to make the procedure painless but surely will reduce the pain and make it more bearable for you. Some might refuse while others will agree so be sure to consult with the tattoo artists. Some clients I had showed up to the session with numbing cream on their desired tattoo area which most tattoo artists will reject on the spot and reschedule the tattoo session! That is why talk to your tattoo artist during the tattoo consultation so you can figure out the use of numbing cream or other numbing agents.
Stay stress-free
Any sort of negative emotion like stress, sadness, etc. can increase the feeling of pain. So if you’re stressed you will feel more pain during your behind-the-ear tattooing procedure. Try your best to stay stress-free and relaxed during the procedure to reduce the amount of pain you feel. Take deep breaths and breathing exercises as they can distract you from the pain and also reduce it.
Take small breaks
Lengthy tattooing sessions can make it difficult to bear the pain and longer sessions will make you feel you are going through a lot. So you can take small breaks and eat small snacks. It will keep your mind away from the pain and the small snacks will provide you with the necessary energy needed to power through the tattoo session.
Proper rest before the procedure
Proper rest or a good 8-hour long sleep during the night before tattooing can increase your pain tolerance. Because of the increased pain tolerance, you won’t be feeling much pain during the behind-the-ear tattooing.
Choose a professional tattoo artist
Choose a professional tattoo artist to get your behind-the-ear tattoo. An amateur tattoo artist who lacks experience may cause you more pain as they:
- May have a faulty tattooing technique
- Wrong tattooing equipment
- Wrong tattoo machine setting
- May not know how to make the clients more comfortable during the procedure
That is why it is crucial to choose a professional tattoo artist because they have enough experience to know what to do and what not to do to make clients more comfortable during the procedure. They can use special techniques to do the tattoo, a special design of tattoos that would cause less pain.
Choose smaller sized tattoo
The bigger the tattoo the more work it requires and the more pain it will cause you. So you can go with a smaller sized behind the ear tattoo. There are plenty of amazing styles and designs of small-sized tattoos, make sure to discuss with your tattoo artist to explore your tattoo size and design options.
FAQs
How much do behind-the-ear tattoos cost?
Behind-the-ear tattoos generally can cost around 150$. The cost can vary depending on if you choose a professional artist to do the tattooing or an amateur artist.
How long does a behind-the-ear tattoo take to heal?
A behind-the-ear tattoo can take around 2 to 4 weeks to heal initially. But to heal completely, which is the healing of the dermis or second layer of the skin, it could take from 3 to 6 months to completely heal the tattoo.
How long does it take to get a behind-the-ear tattoo?
It usually takes one session to get a behind-the-ear tattoo, so it can take 4 hours in general to get a behind-the-ear tattoo.
Final Thoughts
Getting a tattoo can be terrifying sometimes because of the pain one has to go through during the tattooing process. You can feel a bit more pain when you get a tattoo on a sensitive area such as behind the ear. But I would not put it on the top when it comes to body parts that cause extensive pain when getting a tattoo. The area behind the ear does not have much muscle to protect the pain receptors and your bone when your skin gets poked by tattoo needles. So when the needles poke into your skin more pain receptors reacts and send a signal to your brain. As a result, you feel more pain during the behind-the-ear tattooing. Not to mention you may get a rattling feeling because the skin behind the ear is quite thin. So running the needle may cause a weird rattling feeling which can be difficult to bear for some people.
Not to worry, as you can do quite a few things to reduce the pain during the behind-the-ear tattooing by a lot. You can choose a professional tattoo artist, stay stress-free, get plenty of sleep the night before getting the tattoo, etc. to reduce the pain.
✨ Next Attraction: Can Sweat Ruin A Tattoo – The Real Truth Explain