Tattoos and other bodily modifications are usually synonymous with pain. Getting a tattoo involves quickly injecting ink into the dermal layer of one’s skin with an electrically-powered needle. Not surprisingly, tattoos are considered to be a form of skin damage (like a burn or sunburn). The healing process can take up to a month and involves pealing, soreness, and skin irritation/inflammation. However, this pain pales in comparison to the pain associated with actually getting the tattoo. For people who don’t deal well with pain, there are a few ways to alter the tattoo’s design in order to avoid some of the discomfort that comes along with the tattooing process.
Cut down on outlines:
Cutting down on the unnecessary outlines of your tattoo’s design will simultaneously allow for you to cut down on some of the pain. The outline, which is usually done in black, is the most painful part of the process (I can attest this from personal experience). Eliminating or consolidating some of the outlines should be done in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the tattoo’s design. If possible, more shading can be substituted for some of the outline to affect the same pattern.
Make the colors fade out:
The entire tattoo need not be saturated with color. Sometimes a design that utilizes color in a subtler way can be more aesthetically pleasing. When the artist partially inks an area that would have otherwise completely filled, this creates less pain for the person receiving the tattoo.
Adjust the size:
If you have a certain vision for your tattoo that requires it be executed in a larger size, you should perhaps consider slightly rethinking your vision. Even just shrinking the tattoo by a small factor will cut down on the pain you will experience when on the tattooist’s chair. If shrinking it would ruin the design, you could try shrinking a smaller portion of the tattoo to reap the same benefit. Making one’s tattoo slightly smaller will not only reduce the pain, but the tattoo’s price as well.
Utilize your skin color:
If your tattoo’s design contains any flesh-like colors (such as yellow, white, brown, reddish-brown, etc.) try leaving this portion blank and capitalize on your natural skin tone. This works especially well if your design incorporates people or portraits. Though your ability to do this depends on your particular skin tone, finding a way to leave some areas of your tattoo blank will definitely cut down on the pain of having to ink them with a similar color.
Leave room for your tattoo to evolve:
Some people have been known to get bored of their tattoos and end up covering them or even get them laser-removed. One way of keeping things fresh is to allow for future alterations in your tattoo’s design. For example, if someone got a tattoo of a lily, then they could initially keep the lily’s coloring simple by having small, red lines emanating out from the center of the petals. A few months or years later, one could saturate the flower with a different color, or add dots or shading to the individual petals. By keeping the first design simple, one is able to keep options open for the incorporation of future design elements. This cuts down on pain by using less ink for the initial design, and less ink still for subsequent additions and alterations.
Have fun with your tattoo:
Some people are doodlers and like to draw on their tattoos after they have fully healed. For example, I once knew someone who had tattooed the outline of a pine tree on her hand. Around Christmas time, she would always use marker to fill in her tree with greenery, lights, and trimmings. The options are endless for creative people, and by tattooing only a basic outline, one is able to experience minimal pain during the tattooing process.
These suggestions are only strategies for simplifying and paring down a tattoo’s design. They should never compromise one’s original vision seeing as a tattoo will be displaying upon a person’s body for life. However, even the incorporation of just one of these techniques will greatly alleviate some the pain that comes along with injecting ink into the skin. Have fun, and happy tattooing!