Some parts of the body are more sensitive than others, and there are some places where you don’t want to get a tattoo—which is understandable. But what’s the best place for a tattoo? It depends. In addition to your pain tolerance, the design you choose, your profession, and other factors also play a role.
Body parts – tattoos: the ideal is a harmonious balance. Your tattoo should complement the part of your body where it’s placed; the design and colors should be consistent with your skin tone and the shape of your body in that area. And, of course, it’s also important that it fits your lifestyle and circumstances. If your job involves a lot of customer contact, you might not want to get a tattoo in a highly visible area, such as your face or hands. Ask for advice once you’ve found the tattoo artist of your dreams. The artists themselves have a lot of experience and can help you decide on body parts and tattoos.
Table of Contents
Lower lip
It sounds unpleasant, and it is, but it’s less painful than other areas: The inside of the lower lip is easy to tattoo because the skin is soft and constantly moist. However, the mucous membranes are highly vascularized, so these tattoos fade quickly. Still, there’s no need to worry about aftercare, as it isn’t necessary here.
Cuello
The skin on the neck is thin and has many nerves running through it. That’s why a neck tattoo is quite painful. The position you have to maintain during the tattooing process is also quite uncomfortable. Since the neck is exposed to a lot of sunlight, your tattoo in this area will fade quickly. However, you can at least slow down the fading process a bit with intensive care.
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Nuca
The back of the neck is less sensitive to pain than the throat, but it’s still uncomfortable there. Note: The closer the tattoo is to the throat, the more painful it will be. The neck is moderately affected by tattoo fading. On the one hand, the thick, hairy skin is such that the lines are no longer clearly defined after healing. On the other hand, the skin loses very little elasticity over the years. Therefore, the tattoo does not fade as quickly. How much care your neck tattoo requires depends on the length of your hair and your clothing.
Back
You can handle a tattoo on your back, but it’s still very painful if it’s close to the spine. You don’t have to worry about the tattoo fading here—this part of the body isn’t exposed to much UV light, and the skin hardly loses any elasticity. However, since clothing tends to rub against this area, the skin still needs a lot of care.
Pecho
The closer the tattoo is to the sternum, nipples, or cleavage, the more painful it will be. Women need to be especially brave: their breasts are simply more sensitive than men’s. Tattoos on the breasts fade faster than tattoos on other parts of the body, especially in women. This is because the skin’s elasticity decreases in this area. Pregnancy and breastfeeding also alter the skin. Proper tattoo care is especially important for the breasts, particularly in the summer, when adequate sun protection must be taken into account.
Under the breasts and ribs
The skin over the sternum and under the breasts is extremely thin and has many nerves running through it. It is one of the most painful areas to get a tattoo. And, unfortunately, the lines often appear slightly blurred immediately after the tattoo has healed and change considerably in the years that follow. Pregnancy causes significant changes in women’s tattoos. Tattoos under the breasts and on the ribs need to be moisturized frequently, and this is where special care for the tattoo really makes sense. This is especially true in the summer.
With rib tattoos, how well they age depends on their exact location. On the back, the tattoo retains its beauty for longer, but closer to the stomach it quickly loses its appeal due to weight fluctuations and muscle changes.
Vientre
Basically, the same applies to belly tattoos as to rib tattoos and under-boob tattoos: they’re incredibly painful because there are so many nerves running through that area. Rule of thumb: the more ticklish your belly is, the more painful it will be. How a tattoo ages in this area depends on weight fluctuations and abdominal muscles, and for women, also on pregnancies. The area is simply challenging if you want the tattoo to look good for many years. Skin care alone can’t completely erase it, but you should never neglect caring for tattoos on your stomach under any circumstances.
Arm
The upper arm isn't very sensitive to pain, except on the inner side. Maybe that's why so many people get tattoos on their upper arms? However, it's also important to keep in mind that this part of the body is often exposed to a lot of sunlight, which causes the tattoo to fade quickly. The more the tattoo shows through your shirt, the more important it is to take good, daily care of it.
Forearm and wrist
Tattoos on the forearm aren't that painful, at least on the surface. They also fade much more slowly here than on other parts of the body. They're also easy to take care of.
The wrist is the inner part of the forearm, so to speak. Tattoos here are much more painful, but still bearable. Due to the thinness of the skin and the constant movement of the joint, tattoo fading is a real problem here. Frequent hand washing and UV radiation cause tattoos to fade quickly. Proper care is extremely important for wrist tattoos, and it can be quite intensive.
Hand and fingers
The skin on the back of the hand and on the fingers is very thin. There is no subcutaneous fat tissue in these areas. That is why they are among the most painful areas of the body for tattoos. In addition, the hands are constantly exposed to UV radiation, are subject to cold temperatures, are washed frequently, and are exposed to mechanical stress. These conditions cause tattoos to fade quickly. That is why intensive and regular care with special products is so important; these products should always have a higher sun protection factor.
Muslo
The thigh has a lot of subcutaneous fat, which is why getting a tattoo there doesn’t hurt as much—at least on the outside. The inner thigh is a different story, though; only those who enjoy pain should get a tattoo there. How quickly a thigh tattoo fades depends on the connective tissue. Frequent weight fluctuations, pregnancies, and weak connective tissue are detrimental to the tattoo. Intensive care is important, as clothing tends to rub against this area. And besides that, proper care is also good for your connective tissue and keeps your skin elastic.
Calf
The calf is an area particularly well-suited for tattoo beginners. This is because pain is minimal here, aside from a few pressure points. There’s also a very practical consideration: the area below the knee is less affected by the tattoo’s fading over time. The skin doesn’t lose its elasticity as quickly, and weight fluctuations don’t have an impact. Apart from sun protection, a calf tattoo requires very little care.
Pie
Feet are extremely sensitive to pain. And foot tattoos are also a challenge for tattoo artists. This is because there are reflex points that cause the foot to twist uncontrollably during the tattooing process. Fading is the only real issue with foot tattoos: the colors tend to bleed because the foot is under constant pressure all day. Socks and shoes rub against the skin, damaging the design. Always take good care of them.