If you think you may want to get a tattoo (or another tattoo) but are hesitant because of the potential pain factor, there’s a tool that can help. This pain chart highlights the parts of the body that can hurt the most when the needle comes down.
Getting a tattoo will hurt; there’s no way around that. However, some parts of the body are extremely sensitive to pain, and only the bravest of brave should even consider tattoos in those zones. Below is a pain chart from Tattoos-Hurt.com that explains it all using color, with yellow being the least painful to purple being excruciatingly painful. It’s not surprising that the most painful areas are also considered the most vulnerable areas of the body.
As a general rule, if you’re extremely ticklish in an area, it will probably hurt really badly to have it tattooed. An important thing to consider, however, is the fact that everyone has different thresholds for pain. This chart won’t be spot on for everyone, but it is still effective at giving you a general idea for choosing a location. Just make sure you pick something you really love, or you might end up wanting to cover it up.
This story was originally published on 3/4/15 and was updated on 6/4/19.