Ever heard the expression, beauty is pain? For thousands of years, men and women have done some pretty outlandish things in the name of beauty and tattooing is no different. Many people shy away from tattoos because of the pain, but I believe that tattoos hurt for a very important reason. Tattoo pain comes from the needle penetrating the dermis layer of the skin at about 50-150 times per second and this is also the reason that our tattoos last despite our skin regenerating over time. We sit through the pain because that is the price we pay to wear this artwork on our bodies for the rest of our lives and instead of viewing tattooing like a torture session, think of it instead like a therapeutic experience.
Ok, before you call me masochistic, hear me out. For many of us, our tattoos hold significant meanings and while going through the process of a tattoo may be an extremely painful process, it validates the reason that you are getting this tattoo in the first place. When you are physically sitting or laying down in the chair and about to receive a tattoo, take a deep breath and close your eyes for a moment. Now even if this is your first time getting a tattoo or your hundredth, you’ve probably already psyched yourself up for the pain and you know going in that it is going to hurt regardless of the tattoo you are getting. But there are ways to mentally meditate through the pain in order to make the process a little more tolerable.
First, concentrate on your breathing. As you are getting tattooed, take in deep, full breaths and let them out slowly. Focusing on your breathing is a huge part of getting out of the immediate, “shit this hurt”, and help you to concentrate on other things. Some tattoos may require you to be still, even while breathing, like tattoos on the ribs or sternum. Don’t worry, you don’t need to hold your breath for the whole time (that will make things worse), just focused on small synchronized breath patterns. While you are focusing on taking slow and even breaths, take the time to acknowledge your other senses. Look around you. Most tattoo studios have art work and interesting things to look at all over the walls that will help for you to focus on something else. Music is also a great way to push through the pain. Think of getting your tattoo like a intense workout session, music always seems to motivate you to finish and it makes feeling like you’re dying fun right? A playlist of your favorite tunes can make the minutes (or hours) fly by and after a while you’ll get used to the feeling of the tattoo machine. Lastly, strike up a conversation with a friend or the tattoo artist. Tattoo artists are some of the coolest people in the world and don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation while they’re doing your tattoo. Getting your mind off of what is happening is the key.
People think it’s crazy, but I actually really enjoy the process of getting a tattoo. The feeling of getting a tattoo may not feel like being liked by rainbow unicorns but it is an important reminder of what I am putting this piece of art on my body for the rest of my life. The pain of a tattoo helps me to relive the significance of the piece, which is something that can’t be properly explained unless you have gotten a tattoo yourself. Sure, some people getting tattoos just for the hell of it but most of the time it is because it means something to us even if that something is simple. When we feel the pain of a tattoo, we are feeling the energy of what inspired us to get this piece in the first place racing through every cell in our bodies. We are reminded of our values, our passions, the people that have made a difference in our lives, and the obstacles that we have overcome. It solidifies that a semester spent abroad, a pet that has passed on to another realm, and all of the millions of reasons that we choose to adorn our bodies in ink. We don’t do it to be hip, we don’t do it for the likes on Instagram, and we certainly don’t do it for the pain. We do it because we want something immortalized on our bodies for the rest of our lives and know that a small amount of physical pain will make getting the tattoo that much more worth it in the long run.