If this is your first tattoo then consider placing the tattoo where it hearts the least. Getting your first tattoo on a body part where it hurts the most may cause issues like stopping the procedure mid-way because you can’t bear the pain. Checking out the tattoo pain chart before deciding on the placement is a good idea. If you are thinking of placing the tattoo on your neck then you may wonder, does tattoo on the neck hurt?
Yes, getting a tattoo on the neck area can be very painful. The neck has very thin skin and the area has many nerve endings which makes it one of the most painful places to get a tattoo. Regardless of your pain tolerance level, you can expect the neck tattooing procedure to be quite painful. So, consider all the aspects before you choose your neck for the tatt, not to mention there are ways to reduce the pain to some degree.
How Much Tattoo On Neck Hurt?
Neck tattoos hurt quite a bit. On a pain scale, the pain level of a neck tattoo can get 7 out of 10. Because is one of the most painful placements for tattoos.
If you have a low pain threshold then I strongly suggest you reconsider getting a tattoo on your neck which has sensitive skin. Even if you use methods to reduce the pain, still it can be really difficult to sit through the painful procedure to get the body art done.
Apart from neck, and armpit tattoos, finger tattoos, and getting tattoos on the rib cage can also be extremely painful.
Pain Level Of Side Neck And Front Neck Tattoos
In this portion, I have elaborated on the pain level of side neck and front neck tattoos.
Side Neck Tattoos
The side neck is moderately less painful place compared to the other neck parts. Because you have slightly fewer nerve endings on the side neck and the skin is also thicker.
Front Neck Tattoos
Touch the front part of your neck, how does it feel? Quite sensitive I assume. Now, imagine getting poked by a tattoo needle in this place to get a body art. Getting tattoos in this sensitive area can be some of the most painful tattoos. You have more nerve endings on the front side of your neck, not to mention the skin is also a super thing in this area.
You got your Adam’s apple on the front neck which could feel really uncomfortable when the tattoo needle pokes the skin over it. Many avoid getting a front-neck tatt because of the pain they may feel during the tattoo session. This is why checking the tattoo pain chart before deciding on the placement is pivotal.
Pain Level Of Back Neck Tattoos
Compared to front and side neck tattoos, you could say back neck tattoos are more popular. One of the reasons is, that your tattoo artist can cleverly place the tattoo on the back neck so that it hurts less. The area on the lower neck or toward the shoulder are less painful area on the back neck to get a tattoo.
The back neck area hurts less than the front neck, but slightly more than the side neck tattoos. Experienced tattoo artists can use placement and tattooing techniques to make it even less painful.
Base Of The Neck Tattoo Pin
The base of the neck tattoo pain can be equal to the side or sometimes front neck tattoo. The base of the neck is very close to where the collarbones and shoulders are which will start to hurt a lot when you have tattooing done. This is especially the case when you have to shade these areas over and over again, intensifying the pain even more!
3 Reasons Why Tattoo On Neck Hurt So Much
There are several reasons why a neck tattoo will hurt really badly. It is because of the lack of muscle in the neck, lack of fat, and the thinness of the skin that is available there. So let’s look at each of the reasons in more detail!
1. Thin skin on the neck
The main concern for a neck tattoo is the thin skin that people have. It is to ensure that you are able to move your neck around as freely as possible but that is its downside when it comes to a tattoo on neck. The tattoo needle pierces the dermis or the middle layer of the skin so that the ink is deposited there. It is at the dermis where the ink stays, otherwise it would fade away. It is only about 2mm thick so you need to be really precise about the tattooing. Now imagine a skin that is already thin, how much more the tattoo will be able to pierce if you accidentally tattoo improperly! That is why the thinness of the skin makes neck tattoos painful.
2. Lack of muscle and fat
The reason areas like the bicep and the arm is the least painful tattoo to get is because of the cushion that the fat and muscles are able to provide. A tattoo machine will constantly poke and prod at your skin to make pathways for the tattoo ink to enter the dermis. The fat and muscle help to absorb most of the pain since they don’t have nerve endings in these areas. But the neck has very little muscle or fat, it is mostly skin! With nothing to decrease the pain in the area, a neck tattoo can start to hurt a lot!
3. Nerve ending on neck
Probably the main reason why a tattoo on neck hurt so much is because of how many nerve endings are available there! With a combination of thin skin and lack of muscle and fat, you have a recipe for the excruciating pain that you will be under when getting a tattoo. The nerve endings are right underneath the dermis layer so you can see why a neck tattoo (or any tattoo for that matter) will hurt so much.
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5 Things To Consider Before Getting A Tattoo On Neck
If you are willing to go through the agonizing pain of a neck tattoo, there are still a lot of considerations that you need to take into account for a neck tattoo because of how it will impact your life. So before getting a tattoo on your neck, ask yourself these questions first:
1. Stretchy skin
The skin of the neck is very stretchy so your neck tattoo will be quite different from how you may want it to look due to this. So make sure that you ask your tattooer all about the best design to get so that your tattoo matches your expectations as much as possible.
2. Fading possibilities
If the stretchy skin wasn’t enough, now combine that with the possibility of the neck tattoo fading over time! You will need to constantly move your neck around and over time it will make the tattoo look faded.
Not to mention that the tattoo lasts a long time, so as you age, your neck tattoos will look quite different in a few years. So make sure you understand all the fading possibilities of a neck tattoo.
3. Healing and aftercare issues
Probably the thing that I encountered great difficulty with my own neck tattoo was the healing. The neck is constantly moving around which makes healing and aftercare a potential nightmare of a thing to deal with. Healing process can get delayed if you move around your neck too much.
Bacteria transfer is very possible if you are constantly touching your neck and you might even end up scratching it in your sleep!
It is also in such an exposed area of the body that you cannot really cover it when you go outside unless you wear a scarf or a turtle neck. So you will need to make sure to wear sunscreen to keep the tattoo protected at all costs!
4. Neck tattoo cost
If the pain didn’t scare you, maybe the cost of the neck tattoo will! A neck tattoo can range anywhere from $200 to $2000 depending on the size, design, and detail! So you will have to make sure that a neck tattoo is within your budget before getting one, which is why it is a good idea to get a tattoo consultation with your tattooer to go over it in better detail.
5. Issues at work
A neck tattoo might look really good but it can land you in considerable hot water at work. Most employers and companies prefer that you have tattoos where it can be easily hidden but that becomes really difficult for neck tattoos! You can go so far with neck scarves and turtlenecks. So make sure to talk to your employers and representatives from HR to go over the tattoo and if it is possible to get one or not.
So taking into consideration pain plus possible issues at work, the high cost of detailed neck tattoos, healing issues, fast fading, and distorted-looking tattoos, there are many things that you need to ensure that you ask yourself before getting a tattoo!
Is A Neck Tattoo Worth It? – 3 Reasons To Get Neck Tattoos
In expert opinion, getting a neck tattoo is worth it. I am saying that after considering the pain and other possible issues that come with getting inked on the neck. And I can back it up by providing you with plenty of reasons to get a neck tattoo, such as:
A bold statement
The neck area stays exposed most of the time. And most tattoo enthusiast knows how much neck tattoos hurt. So, getting a tattoo on the neck can be a bold choice and statement.
Part of the fashion trend
You can become a part of the latest fashion trend by getting yourself a tattoo on the neck. Neck tattoos do not usually go to the tattoo regret list.
Conversation starter
Whenever you notice a neck tattoo, don’t you want to know the story behind it or why someone would go through so much pain to get inked on their neck? When you get a neck tattoo, people will have the same feelings towards you. They will ask about the tattoo and it will be an instant conversation starter. They can ask how much pain you felt and the story behind the tattoo design.
10 Ways to Make Neck Tattoos Hurt Less
While neck tattoos might be painful, there are ways to ensure that the pain you receive is at least somewhat bearable. Here are my tips for making a neck tattoo hurt just a little bit less:
1. Choose a simple design
A simple lining tattoo on your neck will hurt less. Simple designs can be amazing too. Ask your experienced tattoo artist and they will provide you with plenty of amazing simple designs to choose from.
2. Tattoo placement
choose the back and side of the neck that is away from the bone, this way the tattoo session it will hurt less. The side neck has thick skin which could help reduce pain. Front neck which has thinner skin will hurt more.
2. Taking breaks
No one will judge you if you take a 10-minute break during your session. So, take your time and get the tattoo done properly. Taking breaks will make the tattoo hurt less. The burning pain may decrease a bit because of the breaks.
Many tattoo artists recommend people with low pain tolerance take multiple breaks during the tattooing process.
3. Multiple sessions
If you feel the pain is too much, it might be a good idea to get the tattoo over multiple sessions. The neck is one of the most painful body parts, use any method you want to reduce the pain and no one can judge you for that.
4. Numbing creams
A tattoo artist might suggest using a numbing cream which could decrease the pain quite a bit. Trust me, numbing creams do work and they can reduce tattoo pain and make the tattooing process bearable. It will not completely numb the skin, but it will make the painful areas numb to certain degrees so that you can feel less pain.
5. Drinking water
Make sure you are properly hydrated for the tattoo session because you will be bleeding a lot. Not staying hydrated can increase the possible issue of getting a neck tattoo.
6. Bring a snack
You will need a lot of energy to get a neck tattoo so bring small snacks so you can eat them during breaks.
7. No alcohol or caffeine
The last thing you want is to make your blood vessels thinner so don’t drink coffee or alcohol at least 24 hours before the tattoo session.
8. Avoid blood thinners
Painkillers are notorious for tattoo artists because they will cause your blood vessels to thin so make sure you talk to your tattoo artists if you are on such medication.
9. Bring a distraction
The best way to deal with the pain is to distract yourself with something like a book, listening to music, or talking to a tattoo artist (if they want to talk). Managing pain is easy with distraction.
10. Stay relaxed
Stress hormones can make you feel more pain. So, make sure to stay relaxed during the tattooing procedure. Getting tattooed on extremely thin skin like the neck can be stressful, take deep breaths and avoid getting stressed.
Final Thoughts
Neck tattoos are a great place to get tattooed because of the extravagant designs you can get. But such a place on your body is very sensitive and it can really hurt to get a tattoo on your neck. This is especially the case in the front of the neck and near where bones are. So make sure you take the pain and all the other considerations before you get a neck tattoo! If you want to make your neck tattoo hurt a little less, then I suggest following the tips I have provided so you have a good experience when getting the tattoo. A neck tattoo is a big commitment so make sure that you understand everything about it before getting one!
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