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Jun 19, 2023

Wondering how much that next tattoo will hurt? Check out this website first

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Tattoo lifestyle website TattooChief.com is hoping to aid people in judging the amount of physical pain that they could be in for when deciding on the placement of their next tattoo.

Following the Astros' first-ever World Series Championship win, fans commemorated the win with honorary tattoos.

Tim Craft got this tattoo on his forearm as a symbol "for what they've meant to me, my family, and this city."

Mallory Hubbard honored the team with a version of their logo.

An image of the championship trophy was Jonathon Lee's first-ever tattoo.

Maria Soledad dedicated her tattoo to her grandfather, Abel Ramos, who was a huge fan to his dying day.

Following the Astros' first-ever World Series Championship win, fans commemorated the win with honorary tattoos.

Following the Astros' first-ever World Series Championship win, fans commemorated the win with honorary tattoos.

Following the Astros' first-ever World Series Championship win, fans commemorated the win with honorary tattoos.

There is a saying in the tattoo community that if you want a tattoo bad enough, it won't hurt that much. Those with tattoos, though, can attest to feeling quite a bit of pain no matter the desire or meaning behind the artwork.

A tattoo enthusiast website, Tattoo Chief, has developed a pain-o-meter and pain chart to help the soon-to-be-tattooed gauge how much physical pain they could be in for.

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As expected, tattoos on the head, neck, hands and face won't feel very good.

Tattoo Chief's Tattoo Pain-O-Meter asks site users a series of 10 questions about tattoo style (tribal, traditional, geometric, etc.), pain tolerance in relation to comparable injuries (paper cuts, wasp stings, needle sticks), body placement and the actual size of the tattoo.

The style of tattoo usually determines the needle used, with thicker needles employed for traditional "old-school" lines. More intricate work calls for smaller, pinpoint needles which are murder on areas of the body with thin skin.

The length of the session also comes into play, although much larger pieces might be separated into multiple visits to the tattoo parlor.

The Pain-O-Meter even asks what kind of machine the artist will use, rotary or coil. The artist's skill level also counts. Highly skilled artists won't take as long as those with less experience.

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A new fad in tattooing is the "stick and poke" method which is simple in its application and rather DIY. A tattoo machine is not used and most artists only use simple black ink and a needle. Some are better than others and it seems to be a retreat from the more intricate designs that have grown so popular over the past decade.

Your mental attitude coming into the session matters as well, according to the site. Calm people might be OK, while stressed-out shop patrons might only make matters worse for themselves.

According to Tattoo Chief's ready-made chart, the least painful spots for tattoos on the body include the forearm, wrist, calf, ankle and upper arm. Elbows and knees are known to cause some pain, but it's the healing process that is really stressful.

The most painful spots include the head, neck, lower back, buttocks, inner thigh, genitals, feet, hands and fingers.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com.