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Guide

Where it hurts

Nobody enjoys the ribs. Here is the rest of it, without pretending.

Hardest

Ribs and sternumThin skin straight over bone, and it moves every time you breathe. The worst place for most people.
Inner arm and elbow ditchSoft, nerve rich, and unavoidable in a full sleeve.
Neck and throatShort sessions for a reason.
Hands, fingers, feetSharp, and they need touching up more than anywhere else.
Knees, shins, anklesBone with almost nothing over it.

Easiest

Outer upper armThe classic first big piece for a reason.
Outer thighMuscle, padding, and easy to reach. The best canvas for a long day.
CalfFine, apart from the shin side.
Back, either side of the spineBroad muscle. The spine itself is not.

Getting through a full day

Eat a real meal beforehand, not coffee. Bring something sugary for the third hour, which is when most people dip. Sleeping well the night before matters more than anything you can do the day of.

Do not drink the night before: alcohol thins your blood and a session that bleeds is a session where the grey does not sit properly. Say when you need a break rather than going quiet and rigid.

Questions

What is the most painful place to get tattooed?

For most people, the ribs and the sternum: thin skin directly over bone that moves with every breath.

What is the least painful?

The outer upper arm and the outer thigh. Both are muscle with padding, and both are good places for a long first session.

Does numbing cream work?

It works for a while and then wears off mid session, and some formulations change how the skin takes ink. Talk to him about it beforehand rather than showing up already covered in it.

Does it hurt more on the second session?

The area is often more sensitive if it has not fully settled, which is one of the reasons for leaving weeks between sessions.

Related

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Requests go straight to Federico, not to an agency inbox. He answers from his own address.