Thinking of getting a tattoo, will it hurt?

Heard it will. But nothing you can’t handle because you’re a woman.

Yes, it will hurt. Then there will be an endorphin rush that eases the pain for a little while, after which the pain will come back for a period of time. But it’s not nearly as bad as most people imagine it to be. My wife has a few tattoos, and the pain has never been more than a minor annoyance to her.

I have six. Yes, it hurts a bit, but what you’re talking about doesn’t sound too bad. It hurts more if it’s on skin where the bone is very close to the surface, or a very thin skinned area. A single outline can hurt more than a shaded area. The artist, as well, can contribute to pain. My last one was done by a guy with a very light hand, the two before were done by a “digger”. Get recommendations, and don’t go cheap.
Have fun with it, it doesn’t hurt so much that you shouldn’t do it if you want to!

Yes, it will hurt. It’s literally being stabbed thousands of times by needles.

It does hurt and it takes a while so the pain is on going.

I don’t badly regret getting my tattoo (on my shoulder blade) but neither do I like it very much. I think it was a fad I followed and I am over that now. However I am left with the consequences forever. So my advice would be not to do it. Especially as you are not that sure

My daughter works in a tattoo/body piercing shop in San Francisco.
Yes, it will hurt, but the back of the neck is not one of the sensitive areas.

It doesn’t hurt, it stings. Feels like a sunburn.

The pain could last forever.

It is not that bad, really!
I have 2 purple morning glories with a half vine twining around my right ankle. It was no big deal, and it was done on a boney part of the body. Everyone has a different pain thresh hold but I found having to stay perfectly still much worse that the time it took to get the tattoo.
I would say it is irritating but not actually painful.

It hurts at first and then you are stuck with a “tramp stamp” for the rest of your life.

@SmartAZ A “tramp stamp” is slang for the giant tattoos that spread out across a womans lower back/hips. Something that became popular with the younger crowd some years back now. I got my little tattoo at age 43 and I am now almost 57.
A tiny, tastefully done tattoo is not a tramp stamp.

Mine looks like an ankle bracelet and is quite nice, it is very attractive wearing long skirts and pretty sandals.

My understanding is that the more “meat” there is between the tattoo and bone, the better, as far as the amount of pain.

I think tattoos are passé about now.
People follow the trends of famous people forgetting that tattoo removal is an expensive procedure where the results are dependent upon the quality of the dermatologist.

I’ve been inked three times and didn’t find it painful but I apparently have a high pain threshold (according to the studio manager). At worst, I had a couple of seconds of what felt like a wasp sting – but the discomfort didn’t last the way a wasp sting does.

My first one was on the top of my foot, which is supposed to be one of the most painful. No biggie for me, but the man who followed me also had a foot tattoo and he threw up several times. You definitely have to know your own limits.

If you’re not 100% sure that it’s something you want, don’t do it.

If you’re sure, do it.

I didn’t get my first ink til I was 40 as people kept saying I’d regret it once I got older. By 40, I was pretty damn sure it was something I really wanted/needed. I’d waited over 20 years since I first wanted a tattoo. Enough already. I’m nearly 60 now and planning for at least one more.

Oh, another thing. Don’t bother with a very tiny tattoo. As my artist pointed out, they tend to look like blood blisters and aren’t attractive at all. If it’s going to be visible, make sure it will be big enough to be recognizable as something other than marred skin (unless you’re into scarification).

I have many. I’ve sat for probably several days if all the time was added up. Ankles and armpits are usually the most painful.
What I usually suggest to a ‘blank’ person is to run your shower as hot as you can stand it. Get in. The places where you can tolerate it are less sensitive. The places it burns are more sensitive. It’s usually right at the tip of a persons pain threshold, depending on where on your body, and the artist.
I would speak to several artists, and make sure they have experience with both the image you want tattooed, and your skin type. If you’re getting something small ,ensure that the size you have chosen is realistic for the amount of detail you want. Lines need to be a certain distance apart or they will heal together,or weird. If you are interested in a detailed image, you may have to increase the size of the tattoo considerably more than you thought, or reduce the details or focus. For instance, if you want a lion , you would need a large area to get the entire animal. If it’s a small area you are covering, the artist may recommend just the lions head, so detail can be appreciated.
Once you get your image chosen and the artist deems it doable, ask for an extra traced stencil. You can then apply the stencil in the location you intend and walk around with it for a day. Get used to seeing it in the mirror or making sure it won’t be a problem with your work. If the artist doesn’t use stencils he/she traced from the original image, that artist could be a risky choice. Some can free hand , but it takes lots of experience.
Consider things like color too. Brighter colors like yellow , or red can fade quickly in lots of sun. If you intend to let the sun beat on it, it might be better to put it somewhere concealable by clothing. Otherwise, get used to taking a small amount of high SPF on sunny days just for the tat. When I go fishing, I put at least a 50 SPF on my color stuff. In contrast to 30 SPF for my regular skin.
Also keep in mind that you won’t be able to swim for like a week after you get it. So don’t get the ink a day before a cruise ship, or you’ll regret it. Also, it will be very sore for a week or so (much like a bad sun burn.) So if your work shirt would bother it, don’t do it unless you’re off for a few days. It will need to be uncovered as it heals. And kept dry and clean, like a injury.But once it heals, it’s there forever.

Hope you go through with it. It’s a cool ability our bodies have, to be scared and then heal over it.
Keep in mind tattoos are somewhat addictive. Most will get a second, third etc.
Count on spending around 120 -150 an hour for the ink. Most shops have a shop minimum also. So even if it’s less than an hour because it’s so small, you’ll still have to pay at least 60.
Color usually is more expensive, and takes longer.
I also wouldn’t recommend an image that could be considered offensive. Such as nudity, fowl language, or certain icons.

Either way, good luck.
Peace n love.

There is still, unfortunately, quite a stigma surrounding tattoos. My recommendation is to not listen to those who have no ink begging you not to. Especially strangers on the Internet. Decide for yourself, whatever you do (or don’t) in a case like this is your business alone. Remember, it is literally only skin deep. I got my first in my early 20s, I still don’t regret it (I’m in my 60s now), and my most recent one last summer.
If you want to do it, it won’t hurt so much as to deter you, and it heals in less than a week. If you’ve ever skinned your knee, the knee hurts more, takes longer to heal, and you don’t pause your life because of it.
Enjoy yourself!

Thank you for all your replies. I don’t know what I will do. I just wanted something small on the back of my neck, but maybe that will be pointless.

There is also a trend in minimalist tattoos, some of these a very elegant and pretty.

@canidmajor Thank you for that.

The minimalist tattoos are very cool, @canidmajor!
Another thing that makes me think of tattoos more as art is if they aren’t outlined. This is beautiful IMO. Here’s one even a mother could love!

I still don’t advocate you getting a tattoo, but if you do decide to (I agree with @canidmajor pointing out that it’s your choice alone), think a lot about what you want, first.

Lastly, if I were going to get a tattoo I would get one that tickled me shitless (my two examples qualify, but for the lace being too girly on a guy/me), and I would want it where I could see it.

Okay, if you want lace on your foot, I’m in! I talked myself into it.
:-)

Those are beautiful, @ibstubro! I want to get a flower, a tulip, on my ankle in honor of my Dutch ancestry.

I had an aunt who went to Stergis when she was 70, and she got a tattoo! My aunt was legendary. And Dutch. Like my Mom. Well, they’re sisters. That’s why she’s my aunt. And it was her daughter who won 90 MILLION DOLLARS ON A POWERBALL TICKET!!

The tattoo artist that did the feather is really, really talented! @Dutchess_III.