Do tattoos hurt?
Yes. Every tattoo involves some discomfort · that is the nature of the work. How much varies from person to person and depends heavily on the part of the body being tattooed.
What it is actually like
Our artists are trained to work in a way that keeps you as comfortable as the work allows, and most people find it far more manageable than they expected. It is closer to a persistent scratch than to a sharp pain, and it settles once you are a few minutes in.
Tolerance differs from person to person, and the same person will feel two pieces differently depending on placement. Nobody can tell you in advance exactly what your session will feel like · what we can tell you is what makes it worse and what makes it easier.
What changes the pain level
Four things make most of the difference:
Where on the body. Areas over bone or with thinner skin are felt more than fleshier areas.
How long you sit. On a large piece worked over several hours the skin gets tired, and the last hour is usually felt more than the first.
How you have prepared. Being rested, hydrated and properly fed, both before and during, makes a genuine difference to how well you handle it.
Alcohol. Drinking beforehand thins the blood, makes you bleed more and makes the whole thing hurt more.
Why we will not tattoo you if you have been drinking
We do not tattoo anyone who has drunk alcohol before their appointment. This is not a judgement · thinned blood means more bleeding, more bleeding means ink does not settle as it should, and the result is a tattoo that heals worse than it needed to. It also hurts more, which is the opposite of what people expect when they have a drink for their nerves.
If you turn up having had a drink, we will move your session rather than work on you. Tell us honestly and we will find another date.
If you are nervous
Say so when you arrive. It is the most ordinary thing in the world and every artist here has heard it a thousand times. We can talk through what is about to happen, work in shorter stretches and stop whenever you need to.
You can ask for a break at any point in any session. You are never stuck in the chair.
Related frequently asked questions
How should I prepare for a tattoo?
Turn up rested, fed and hydrated, and do not drink alcohol beforehand. Good preparation genuinely reduces how much it hurts, cuts down bleeding and helps the skin take the ink cleanly.
Read the full answer › Do hand and finger tattoos last?
Not as well as the rest of the body, and no artist can change that. The skin on hands turns over faster than almost anywhere else, and fingers crease thousands of times a day, so lines soften and spread sooner. Anyone promising otherwise is selling you something.
Read the full answer › How long does a sleeve tattoo take?
Several full-day sittings spread over months, not one long appointment. A half sleeve is commonly two to four days of work, a full sleeve four to eight, with three to four weeks between sittings so each section heals before the next begins.
Read the full answer › Can you tattoo over scars?
Usually, once the scar is fully mature, which normally means at least a year and sometimes two. Scar tissue takes ink differently from the skin around it, so the design has to be planned for that rather than dropped on top of it.
Read the full answer › Does numbing cream work for tattoos?
It can help, usually for the first hour or two rather than a whole day. Speak to your artist before you buy any · numbing products change how skin takes ink and how it bleeds, so it affects their work as well as your comfort.
Read the full answer › What should I wear to a tattoo appointment?
Loose, dark clothing that gives easy access to the area, and layers. You will be sitting still for hours, ink gets on things, and a room that felt warm when you arrived will not by hour four.
Still want to ask somebody? That is what the first conversation is for.
- Written and checked by
THRONE , a tattoo studio in Northampton.
Last checked 11 August 2026 .