Are Tattoos On Neck Painful: (12 Facts)

Tattooing anywhere on the body can be painful and is a concern to many people. The neck area is a sensitive spot and this should be considered this area for tattooing.

Here Is Why Tattoos On The Neck Are More Painful Than Other Areas:

To put it simply if you are looking for a tattoo on the neck, it is located in a space that is nearest to your spine and because of this, it will be more painful than other areas on your body e.g your stomach.

The neck is in the high factor for pain tolerance!

That’s the short answer!

Let’s look at this question in more detail, and also answer all of your questions regarding tattoos on the neck.

Is Tattoo On The Neck Painful?

Getting a tattoo on your neck isn’t an unbearable affair.

Nonetheless, you will experience a high amount of pain during and after the tattooing procedure. Surprisingly, you can expect to feel more pain when you tattoo other body regions such as the chest or rib cage areas.

Two primary factors can determine the amount of pain you’ll feel when getting a neck tattoo, and they include:

Your tattoo artist’s skill and proficiency

The tattoo artist you’ll hire to design a tattoo on your neck can determine whether the procedure will be painful or not.

A skilled and proficient tattoo artist can work on your neck for 2-3 hours before you begin feeling the pain.

However, a careless or heavy-handed tattoo artist can “butcher” your neck leading to unnecessary pain.

Ideally, it would be best to identify a skilled tattooist with technologically advanced machines. This way, you can be sure the tattooing pain will be at a bare minimum.

Your pain Tolerance

Your pain tolerance and past tattooing experiences can also determine the amount of pain you will experience when acquiring a tattoo on the neck.

If you naturally have high pain tolerance, you can undergo the neck tattooing procedure without feeling it’s unbearable.

Is A Neck Tattoo A Bad Idea?

Acquiring a neck tattoo can be a bad or good idea, depending on your mindset. Here are reasons why a neck tattoo is a bad idea.

Neck skin is sensitive.

Since your neck doesn’t have thick skin, it is sensitive and more prone to pain. Tattooing this skin results in a lot of pain, unlike when you get a forearm tattoo.

Your neck is also a body part with many nerve endings, and it is highly susceptible to pain and irritation.

The skin on your neck is highly elastic, but it quickly loses this elasticity as you age.

Neck or throat tattoos tend to stretch along with your skin and begin to lose their original beauty and vibrancy with time.

Also, since the skin on your neck is thin, the tattoo artist needs to use light hand strokes to avoid a tattoo blowout.

If the tattooist is too cautious during the procedure, your tattoo may also end up fading quickly.

A Tattoo on the neck is more prone to healing issues

Your neck is a highly mobile body part as you need it to look around.

This constant movement can be detrimental to your neck tattoo’s healing process. Additionally, you may be more prone to touching or scratching your tattoo because it will be near your face.

A neck tattoo can affect your professional life

Acquiring a neck tattoo can cause professional issues, primarily if you work in a strict intolerant workplace.

Sadly, your society may associate your tattoo with gangs, crime, and other bad behavior. Therefore having a somewhat visible one on your neck may affect what workmates and employers think of you.

However, a neck tattoo can help you express your personality, particularly if you want to make a bold or strong statement.

Such a tattoo can also appeal to your aesthetics, making you more beautiful or handsome. You can also hide your tattoo by placing it on the sides or back of the neck and covering it with long hair.

For these reasons, getting a neck tattoo may not be a bad idea. Still, it would help if you considered your career path and other personal motives before deciding whether to get one.

How Much Does A Neck Tattoo Hurt?

If you plan to get a neck tattoo, you must be wondering, how painful can it be?

According to Healthline, neck and spine tattoos can cause you to experience severe pain as these regions contain sensitive skin and tissues.

Getting a neck tattoo can be as painful as getting one on your head, lips, hips, bending the knees, and inner bicep. Tattooing these body regions can result in the most painful experiences.

However, tattooing your neck isn’t as painful as engraving your armpit, ribcage, groin, or shins. These areas above are sensitive and can cause you severe pain.

Your skin’s thickness and fat deposits may affect how much pain you’ll experience.

Thick skin slightly protects nerve endings found in your inner skin from the tattoo gun. This attribute can help reduce the pain you’ll feel during the tattooing procedure.

Neck fat can affect your pain sensitivity and may cause you to experience slightly less pain than usual when you get a tattoo.

Is The Side Of The Neck More Painful Than The Back Or Front?

Nowadays, you can get a tattoo on the back, front, or side of the neck and experience varying magnitudes of pain depending on the neck region where you’ll get the tattoo.

The sides of your neck provide one of the least painful areas to engrave a neck tattoo.

This area doesn’t contain many nerves. Therefore, you will experience less pain than when you get a tattoo on the back or front of the neck.

Getting a tattoo on your neck’s front/throat area is one of the most painful experiences you’ll ever have with tattoos.

This area has relatively thin skin, and it contains numerous nerve endings and muscles.

Also, some front-of-the-neck tattoos tend to extend to your clavicle, a sensitive area, making them a painful endeavour. It would be best if you think twice before opting for a throat tattoo.

Back-of-the-neck tattoos can make you experience slightly less pain than front-of-the-neck tattoos. However, this pain will be somewhat more than if you got a tattoo on the sides of your neck.

What Is The Neck Tattoo Pain On A Scale Of 1-10?

The pain you’ll experience when tattooing your neck can vary between 5 and 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Also, your pain tolerance may reduce or increase this scale of pain. Here is a look at how tattooing various parts of the neck rank on this scale of 1-10.

Back of the neck

Tattooing the back of your neck can have a pain score of 5-7. The lower part of the neck near the shoulders offers a pain score of 5, whereas the spinal and upper neck area tattoos provide a score of 7.

Front of the neck

Engraving a tattoo on the front of the neck typically has a pain score of 9, and it can even reach ten, depending on your experience.

Sides of the neck

Tattooing the sides of your neck isn’t an excruciating affair, and it scores a five on this scale of 1-10.

How Hard Is It To Tattoo On The Neck?

The short answer is: It is a reasonably complex process.

The skin on the neck is typically thin, and a tattoo artist has to be very delicate and careful to avoid a blowout. A tattoo blowout can result in a blurry or messy-looking result.

If you plan to get a neck tattoo, it would be best to consider looking for an expert tattooist.

This way, you will get a beautiful and appealing tattoo while also reducing the probability of feeling severe pain.

Does Back Of Neck Tattoos Hurt?

The back of your neck can suffer mild or intense pain depending on the specific part that gets tattoos.

The lower part of the neck’s back region (near the shoulders) typically has more fat, and you won’t feel excruciating pain when acquiring a tattoo.

The upper part of the neck’s back has a light skin layer and a low muscle and fat mass. These features make you more susceptible to experiencing intense pain when acquiring a tattoo.

What Are The Back Of Neck Tattoos Pros And Cons?

Pros:

  1. You can conceal such tattoos by having long hair.
  2. These tattoos can give you an appealing and eye-catching look.
  3. You can choose various designs and styles. You can go for a bold or a minimalist design and engrave images or symbols.

Cons:

  1. Back of the neck tattoos may negatively affect your professional life.
  2. These tattoos are relatively complex to design and engrave, making them a costly tattoo option for you.
  3. You will have to endure more pain when getting such tattoos than if you got a forearm or outer shoulder tattoo.
  4. You will always have to keep your hair long or plaited backward if you wish to conceal this tattoo type.

Conclusion:

If you wish to get a neck tattoo but you’re looking to lessen the pain, kindly consider the following tattooing tips.

First of all, consider using a numbing tattoo cream as it can help make the process less painful. Secondly, stay adequately hydrated before and after the tattoo appointment.

Proper hydration helps your skin heal after tattooing. Finally, consult your tattoo artist on where you’d want a neck tattoo and select an appropriate design that doesn’t need a lot of ink filling.

Scroll to Top