Tattoos and piercings are two different kinds of things, and the most common fact about them is pain. The piercing is done on more delicate skin, and the tattoo will be done on the traditional exterior of the skin. Both of these are supposed to hurt. But how much a tattoo or a piercing hurts will depend on the place you are getting your tattoo in and, again, how much of it you are getting done. So, the facts are that pain is relative in the case of tattoos and piercing. Do tattoos hurt more than piercing?
Yes, tattoos will hurt more than piercings in general. Here the tattoo needle will be working on the upper part of the skin, and they are done on the larger scar. The tattoos tend to cover a lot of the area. But with piercing, the skin will be poked through, and they go deeper. So, tattoos will generally hurt more because a needle is used more than in a piercing. Again, depending on where you’re getting a tattoo or piercing done will decide how the pain follows.
Tattoos and How Do They Feel?
Tattoos have been a part of the body part from the very ancient times. Before using a tattoo gun, they were first drawn way manually. The skin was poked with a needle, and then the ink was put there manually. The manual way of getting tattoos is over, and the tattoo guns are way safer, but one thing is still consistent with the tattoos. And that would be the pain associated with the tattoos. Tattoos can take several hours to days to finish, and it will all go for the design and the body part.
What it feels like?
The feeling is like a cat scratch when you get a tattoo. The cat scratches will be sharp in an instant, but with tattoos, you are getting it done for hours. Another way to describe the pain would be with a pin pick. A pin constantly poking the skin would be a wise way to describe the tattoo’s feel. The design and size of the tattoo will add to the pain.
How long does the pain last?
The hurt factor for the tattoos is the pain at that moment. So the more the needles poke the body, the more they’ll hurt. After getting done with the tattoo, the artist would most likely wrap the area. The skin seems uncomfortable for the first few hours and even the night. But once the tattoo is healed in a few days, there will be no more pain. There will be some dry skin and peeling, but with tattoos, you will not feel any evident pain after getting it done. The infections and the irritation may result from disregarding the aftercare, but there will be no pain.
Why do tattoos hurt?
When you are getting poked constantly with a needle, the ink penetrates the skin and it will hurt. But the tattoos will hurt depending on the body area and how you get the tattoo done. So for the pain, here are some facts that will vary:
- The size of the tattoo will determine the pain.
- The body parts
- Whether the skin is raw or if the place is already tattooed
- The depth to which the needle penetrates
- Types of needles used
The pain from the tattoo will definitely vary on the designs as well as the artist. Some would even suggest that you use a numbing cream at first. But when you are used to the pain, the overall pain seems like a small thing. And do ask your artist how the pain is going to be.
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The Most Painful Body Areas to Get A Tattoo On
Now that we have established that getting a tattoo will hurt let us also include the places where the tattoos will hurt the most.
- Skull: getting tattoos on the head has to be one of the most painful things. Apart from the fact that they are very sensitive, there can be an added feeling of itchiness and burning.
- Lips: the lips are one of the most delicate places in the body, and the surface of the lips is very thin, and they are soft. So the tattoo gun is definitely going to make the lips red and bleed more.
- Chest: Depending on the fat percentage of the area, the rib cage or chest has to be one of the most delicate parts. They hurt the most; you might want to think again before getting another session.
- Behind the ears: this part will lack all the fats, and thus they are very delicate. There are different nerve endings at the site, and the pain might be overwhelming as well.
- Genitals have to be one of the most painful areas to get a piercing done. There are tons of nerve endings and lymph nodes. So they will hurt a lot.
Piercing and How Do They Feel?
Piercings are much more delicate than tattoos. Here, you are literally puncturing the skin and making a hole as it dries down. The pain of piercing can be very short and intense. The piercing takes a short time, but as time goes by, they will hurt later and will take even more time to dry down. So, in general, the piercing will hurt.
What it feels like?
The piercing will feel like a bee sting. The skin would become red, and there would be blood oozing out. The piercing pain is very intense, and it will cause the skin to stay a bit painful throughout. Again, if you don’t know how the bee sting feels, we ask you to take a needle and poke it on the fingers with intense pressure. And that will somewhat describe the pain of getting a piercing. But the pain will definitely vary depending on where you are getting it done.
How long does it last?
The pain from the piercing will last a couple of days. Firstly, you’ll feel intense pain when you’re getting your piercing. And after that, you’ll be feeling mild pain for a few days. Itching and burning sensations will also follow through. A piercing will take around 6–8 weeks to heal completely. So the pain is not ending in a jig. Again, the piercing has to have more delicate aftercare.
Why does piercing hurt?
The pain from the piercing is somewhat interrelated with the tattoos. But when you are getting a tattoo, you wouldn’t be going through the skin. The skin needs to be healed, and there has to be a place for the ornament to sit. The piercing can be done on different parts of the skin, and depending on the area, the pain will vary. Here are some facts that will determine the overall pain from the piercing:
- The amount of nerve ending in that place
- Amount of flesh
- Number of muscles in the area
- The thickness of the skin
When you get a piercing, you might want to avoid these places, so there won’t be so much pain.
The Most Painful Areas to Get a Piercing On
I think we already established that the piercing would hurt. But how much will they hurt, and where will they hurt the most? Some body parts are more delicate, and here we are, including some of the body parts where the piercing will hurt the most.
- Lips: this has to be the most delicate feature on the face, and thus they are supposed to hurt and bleed the most. The initial pain from the piercing will be the most intense.
- Nipples: This part of the body is very delicate, and there would be a lot of uncomfortableness in that part. There are tons of nerve endings in that area, so they will hurt.
- Septum: Nostril piercing is widespread, but with the septum piercing, it’s going to hurt like hell. Even so, the area will take more time to heal.
- Genitals: If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo on your genitals, then you better understand the pain factors. You’ll surely be trembling with pain over this.
Do Tattoos Hurt More Than Piercing?
Well, in most cases, the tattoos will definitely hurt more than the piercing. Unlike the Naruto Pain Arc, the pain system is not the same for these sorts of patterns. With both piercings and tattoos, you’ll focus more on the needle, poking right through the skin. With the piercing, the needle will penetrate the skin. And with a tattoo gun, you are just drawing on the surface. Again, when you get your sensitive areas pierced and get a back tattoo, the former will cause more pain. Getting an ear-piercing will hurt less than getting a tattoo on the chest. So it is all relative to the area that is getting tattooed or pierced Still, we can say that the tattoos will hurt more, and the needles are used long and multiple times.
FAQs
What is the pain equivalent of getting a tattoo?
Scratches from a cat can be equivalent to the pain of a tattoo, but here, how long the cat will scratch you will depend on the design.
Does piercing feel like a tattoo?
No, the pain from getting a piercing is more intense than getting a tattoo, but the aftermath of the pain is just swollen skin, and the piercing has more bleeding.
Final Thoughts
When you are experiencing pain with a tattoo or even a piercing, the feelings or sensations will vary. Some people have high pain tolerance, so for them, the pain would be minimal. This goes right for both tattoos and piercings. And when you are getting a piercing or tattoo for the first time, the pain will surely be more present. After a while, the pain will not matter. Again, the complexity of the tattoo or piercing will also be a deciding factor for the pain. The area of the work is again a deciding factor. So the overall result of the pain is pretty diverse, as the terms are all pretty relative to one another.
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