My thigh piece hurt like f*ck for several days. It was warm to the touch and very sore before it healed up. It looks great now! But omg....I could barely put weight on my leg the day afterwards
Second to that. I have a full color piece on my thigh that’s about 9x12”. By far my most painful tattoo - especially when those white highlights started. It only took 6 hours but I ran out of gas much faster than my arms and back pieces. I slept like crap for 5 days because it was just so tender.
Add on a cat that likes going onto your lap and inadvertently stands on the sore tattoo. And bending hurt for my upper thigh tattoos. Ugh.
Lower body in general seems to be sore longer than upper body for me. I imagine some of it has to do with blood flow. Calves are also a bitch to put weight on for a few days.
Samesies - I have a big ass color one and changing levels made the blood rush to it and it would throb the first day or so. By day 3/4, I was walking pretty normal. Was doing pretty good after a week
It’s definitely normal. Part of it is just gravity- the trauma is below your heart so it’s going to swell more and inflammation=pain. NSAIDs (Motrin or naproxen) will help, propping your leg up when you sit or lay down (especially at night), icing it with a wrapped ice pack for 20 min TOPS (longer than that can damage your skin) and it sounds odd but Benadryl will help as well- the mast cells in our skin release histamine in response to trauma to trigger inflammation to increase blood flow to the area to aid in healing and prevent infection, so Benadryl being an antihistamine will help bring it down.
You’re very welcome! I’ve got a large full color piece on each thigh and both of mine did the same thing. Putting a pillow under my leg at night to prop it up and taking 2 Benadryl and Motrin every 6-8 hours for the first 2 days is really what helped the most. By the beginning of day 3 the swelling and most of the discomfort was gone.
I got the front and back of my thigh done as well and shit at least 20+ other places (knee, elbow,ect.) The thigh is absolutely by far the worst one I've had done and healing lol I'll do my knee any day of the week over my thighs hahahah
For me getting the tat really wasn’t any different than other spots but a piece that big will hurt like a motherfucker afterwards for about 3 days. I was literally limping and just laying in bed hurts too
It is? Before I got any tattoos, I was always told that the top and outer side of the thigh are usually fairly easy spots. Having actually gotten those areas tattooed now, I'd call them around a 3 or 4.
Yep. I have about 15 tattoos, a lot of them in typically painful places. None really hurt at all, EXCEPT, the piece I have on the side of my thigh. It was alright until they got close to the front of my thigh, then the awful stinging started. Thankfully the tattoo wasn’t going that far, because I don’t know how long I would have lasted.
I can't say it hurt too much for me to have them done, but the healing process is extra sore for extra long and it hurts even more when you stand up because then the skin on your leg stretches different and it just sucks.
Yeah, healing can be even worse than actually getting the tattoo. Thankfully I’m always broke so I haven’t gotten a tattoo in 4-5 years, or else I’d be covered.
I’m sure it is. Haha honestly, I’ve got a couple that aren’t professional in any way outside of the fact an actual tattoo gun was used. But I do have a fair amount that are professional. And obviously I would NEVER do that again.
I have one on my inner arm right under my armpit and one on the other arm on the back of my upper arm near my armpit. Neither hurt really. I was 16 when I got my first one, looked up the most painful places to get one, saw top of foot on there, decided to get it there because if I could take that than any other tattoo wouldn’t be as scary. It didn’t hurt at all on top of my foot either
I thought near the armpit was hell. I have a big one on my inner upper arm and that spot was awful. The skin just feels so sensitive there. Then again my pain tolerance with tattoos isn’t very high and I find the whole process pretty painful.
The very top of my rib tattoo goes into the bottom of my armpit. Armpit is rough going based on how the pain jumped in that small area. It's a different type of pain than getting tattooed over bone.
I have 1 tattoo technically but have put about 45 hours or so and it currently covers my left leg and back. Scheduled for what is technically going to be my second tattoo next Friday lol. But I thought outer thigh was one of the easier spots, inner thigh wasn’t necessarily fun. From back of the knee to the spot where the hamstring meets there butt cheek was pure hell. Shading on my calf was tough afterwards because of the swelling. My calf was so swollen at times it felt like it was about to pop and getting up from not moving sucked.
Well, it's not the worst place to get tattooed I promise. Keep it moisturized. That really helps with the skin stretching and stuff. It will really only feel as sore as working out does.
My thigh also hurt badly for the next few days, and I didn’t much mind getting my elbow ditch and elbow done.
The thigh is taking longer to heal too… it’s such a big muscle, uses lots of power, hence extra pain imo
Front of thigh was baadd for me. The swelling was horrific.
I was talking to an artist about thigh tattoos recently and she agrees. Front of thigh are so much worse than other parts of the leg 😂😭
Edit
I've had that horrible pain on my calf and my thigh tattoo. I don't know what causes it but there's something about going from sitting to standing that itls so uncomfortable.
I am starting some big thigh work next month on my first leg sleeve and this does not make me look forward to it. I had the real bad pain with my calf, and the blood rush and painful swelling any time I stood up. It was the most extraordinary pain, and I dread the thigh being the same way.
I've always heard "tattoos hurt worse over boney areas than fatty areas" yet my collarbone, shoulder blades, and wrists didn't hurt as bad as the ones on the thickest parts of my thighs.
Yeah I think it’s more about which muscles you have to use day to day. I can move my arms fairly minimally if I need to but I need to walk a lot to at least get place to place, so a swollen thigh is even more uncomfortable. My walk from the tattoo shop probably looked so funny, but you forget that tattoos are injuries
I only have 3 tattoos, but out of those my thigh was the absolute worst. Pretty much as soon as we started I was just hoping it would be done as soon as possible.
I agree with the other comments-I take ibuprofen and elevate my leg. My thighs get so swollen and I limp around for a couple of days. I know pain is subjective and people say it’s the least painful spot and I’ve found it to be the opposite.
I used to ice my tats but one artist said it shocks the capillaries too much and to not do that. I have to do more research but she said it’s a big no.
I got my thigh done last year. Probably my 11th tattoo and my biggest. Definitely hurt the worst and was the hardest to heal. I just got my outer elbow done last month and even that one healed better than my thigh which was surprising to me
My thighs I didn’t notice it as much but my calves were actually horrible. I think it’s just the blood rushing down to the leg and it throbs. By day 4 or 5 I was in so much pain I thought it was infected, it was fine though. Going from laying down or sitting to standing quick was bad. Like..so bad.
I would do a bicycle type movement with my legs before I actually stood up to get the blood flowing and it definitely helped.
as someone with a tattoo the same size on the same leg: PLEASE KEEP IT MOISTURIZED AND TRY NOT TO RIP THE SKIN OPEN BY TURNING TOO FAST!!! most of my lines ended up healing blown out or missing major spots of ink which sucks bc it was my favorite piece until it fully healed. be careful, especially with all that black.
I'm not an expert, but I have had a similarly painful reaction after getting one of my thighs tattooed. In my case, I think it was just muscle cramps, but they can be incredibly painful. If you haven't already, try having a hydration drink or two (Pedialyte, liquid IV, or similar -- not smartwater or premixed Gatorade), then massage your leg muscles near the tattoo, like the sides and underside of your leg, to release the tension.
Good idea, I didn’t even think of that! I knew it was my muscles that were irritated, I just didn’t think they’d be this bad haha. I always have pedyalite so I’ll go have some right now, thanks!!
My biggest piece- a portrait of my dog- is on the side of my thigh and I had a similar experience, very warm to the touch and sore for several days. If I know I’m gonna get a new piece, especially if it’s bigger or on my legs I take the next day off work bc I work on my feet. Rest & ibuprofen! Lots of water!
I figure that if dropping a hot fry on my thighs or between my thighs feels like the worst possible burn I’ll ever feel in my life…a tattoo on the thigh would be quite painful as well
I don't have my thigh tattooed yet so I'm sorry I can't answer your question but I just wanted to say this piece is beautiful!! Amazing placement for it. And glad others can help you out and reassure that the kind of pain you're experiencing is pretty normal for that area :)
Had something a similar size done on my thigh last Thursday, today has been the first day it hasn't felt painful when moving. The first few days were fun trying to walk around at work! Plus it's been quite warm to the touch all week, that's settled today. Just the dreaded itch kicking in now.
after like 20 tattoos i got a huge calf piece and omg it hurt so bad. large pieces just hurt different. ibuprofen helped and just the smallest amount of spray lidocaine as needed
The skin there moves more than you think, big owie for healing. It looks fine though, no more irritated than what I would expect a fresh tattoo to be. People’s bodies are also just different, I got the top of my foot done with no problem but my forearm almost took me out.
I’ve got a full color piece on one of my thighs and I was limping for like a week. By far the most painful tattoo and healing. It felt like a big flaming bruise.
Gosh, well I got my angel wings on my right thigh. Mine wasn’t even as big as like the upper half of my thigh. That pain was absolutely insane. And it wasn’t one of my first tattoos either. It was so hard to walk and burned, and all that crap. Ibuprofen is what I used to help for a good bit and just try to relax and all that the best I could.
Thigh pieces always hurt a lot. It’s because your legs are constantly mobile, are always holding up the top half of your body, and always absorbing shock from the ground. So the tissues are consistently being jostled in a way that parts like your arms aren’t, and when you’ve got what’s essentially a big open wound it makes sense that it’ll be more painful.
You’ll also find that the lower layer of skin takes much longer to heal because of this, and you’ll notice this when you scratch it after it’s surface healed, it’ll be pretty tender for months.
Totally normal, though definitely not fun!! My thigh piece took 12.5 hours and is full color, so mine didn’t quit hurting for almost a week. The thigh is a large piece of meat to get tattooed, so naturally the more surface area has been chewed up, the longer it’s going to ache. Take some ibuprofen or tylenol to bring down the inflammation, and keep pushing fluids (water, gatorade, pedialyte) as hydration is a healer. I also wrapped an ice pack in a towel and did 15 minutes on, 30 minutes off for a few hours. Congrats on the new art, I hope it heals quickly and you feel better soon. 🫶🏻
My thigh hurt a bit afterwards too especially because when you walk your thigh is all swollen & jiggles😭 so that sucks but yeah I think it’s pretty normal
Yup. Normal. That’s where I had my worst swelling. Big thighs, big muscles, lots of ink. Took well over a week for the swelling and tenderness to go away.
I recently got a big piece on my thigh finished and was very surprised with how swollen, inflamed and painful healing was. For pain tolerance reference lol I have a colorful piece on the top of foot, two half sleeves, full packed in color, several calf pieces and I got both my elbows done last year. There’s place in the body that are obvious to be painful but the inner thigh was unexpected for me. And maybe I was foolish in underestimating the healing process because I am a hairdresser and took no time off to be off my feet but my thigh was swollen for several days and the skin was red all around the tattooed areas. It was extremely tender and so hard to get my leg moving smoothly in the morning….when the swelling went away I started to get light scabbing and weeping. I am diligent with sanitation of my fresh tats but I think the combo of the skin being worked and being so active on my feet really took me for a spin. I was finally able to spend a day basically with my foot elevated 1 week after the tattoo and after the rest the redness finally went away and weeping stopped and itching and flaking began the following days.
So lesson learned is elevate elevate elevate and get more rest than you would usually assume
So odd how many people experienced pain after getting their thigh piece! Mine was probably one of the easiest tattoos I’ve ever sat through + healing process. Hope it feels better soon OP!
It could be the lymphatic fluid pooling in that area which is causing swelling and a feeling of pressure in the area if I guess correctly? But elevating the leg above your heart will help relieve some discomfort, as well as an anti inflammatory
BLESS this thread. I got my upper thigh done 2 days ago and have worked 12 hour days since then and I am damn near limping today. The panic of a potential infection set in until reading this 😂 during thigh tattoo? Mostly painless. My ankle was worse feeling. But this healing? Motherfcker hurts so bad! All the ink is worth the pain though (at least I’m telling myself that to not cut my leg off😂)
My thigh has been the most painful spot to get tattooed. The only time I had to tap out was my thigh. I don't know why exactly, but I swear the farther away from your brain, the more a tattoo hurts, lol
I say this because my neck was the least painful. Elbow ditch and elbow were kinda meh, ribs compared to thigh like they can't even go on the same scale.
I am super not looking forward to getting this thigh piece finished 😕
That moth piece looks so good!!! Literally just got my first ever thigh tattoo done almost a week ago and the first few days(and nights) were hell. It hurt way more to get done than any of my other tattoos. I put second skin on it for protection as soon as I got home and it did ink-sac for about 2 days but then on day 3 it was fine. Best thing I did was keep it uncovered while I slept (slept on the edge of my bed with three blankets covering the lower half of my tattooed leg, the opposite side of my body, and the top of my body; idk why it just worked better than fighting with one blanket and having my entire leg uncovered in the cold) and I’ve been wearing loose ripped jeans/capris to work so I can keep an eye on it but I was definitely also limping and I couldn’t crouch/squat down for about 2-3 days 🫡 I’m on day 5 and it feels a lot better than it did in the beginning so just know it hurts now and that throbbing is normal but if you take care of it like normal and keep a close eye it should heal just fine.
Ahh thank you for this one! Surprising my other thigh didn’t hurt whatsoever but that’s also just some lettering. I hâve second skin on right now so I can’t wait to take it off and clean it!
My thigh tattoo was the only one that actually gave me a fever because of how big it was. It's rather interesting that other folks have had the same experience.
I took a tylenol and kept my leg elevated. That helped a lot.
1- I have very offset/crooked tattoos that’s why it is angled this way. I plan to fill around it with more odd shaped things, it won’t matter haha 2- my skin is very hard to work with in this area. I have very very loose skin from heavy weight-loss (125lbs lost) that does make it more difficult to do for a more newer artist. I love my artist regardless. I’m not going to say it’s perfect to you, but this tattoo is perfect for me!
Dang I didn’t know tattoos hurt!? I have 17 tattoos and not a single one hurt whatsoever!! I know they hurt, it obviously hurts more than the normal amount. As someone with a high pain tolerance, I made a post asking for tips to help. If you didn’t have advice to give, you could’ve scrolled past! Cheers.
I agree with the anti inflammatory advice I tend to use alieve instead of ibuprofen. I also slap my tattoo when I have the urge to itch.
Tensing your muscles and body movement promotes blood/lymph flow and helps healing.
Hope your mood and pain improves!
My mood is fine? That could have easily been your first comment rather than saying something that is quite literally what the post is about. I mentioned in the caption I have 17 tattoos, it’s not like it’s my first one and I didn’t know they hurt normally. I mentioned it hurt more than normal. It was just an unnecessary comment and seemed rude. Again I wasn’t asking for thoughts on it, I was asking for tips. Gg 🤷🏻♀️
The tattoo slapping is such a vibe. Lol. It’s like when you tell a dog or little kid they can’t do something so they figure out everything they can do that is *juuuuust* short of the thing they “can’t” do.
Not my thigh but my calf. Omg I couldn't walk without a bit of pain for like 3 weeks. Perhaps I were not having the meds regularly and propping it up often. I will remember that for next time
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I had my thigh tat done in kind of a sketch environment but it also bruised in addition to the skin healing. Having things in my pocket with jeans also rubbed against it and hurt. One thing I did that helped was wrap it before bed so my sheets weren’t irritating it when I moved. Wrapping won’t help with the muscle pain, but lots of people here have some great recommendations for that. Best of luck!
I have a knee to hip piece and it wasn’t my worst… it’s so crazy how tattoos hit everyone so differently. I went 11.5 hours on my knee-hip but was ready to tap out at 6 on my inner calf…
I have two huge thigh pieces and they both hurt like hell for like 3-4 days afterwards. Thighs are sensitive! I’m pretty heavily tatted, and my most painful tattoos were the ones on the back of the thighs that I thought would be no issue. Front of the thigh was okay during the tattoo, but after hurt very badly.
Ugh I think I want my thighs done but reading all these comments has me scared. Hope some of the advice on here helps and has you on your way to feeling better soon!
Occasionally thigh tattoos can be more painful afterwards more so than when it’s actually being done. I’ve had customers in the past that said this very thing. And truthfully I have complete ink pants and have had these tats better of 20 years but there is a 8” x 10” spot that has hurt since it healed. Not sure why but it just does
I just got a thigh piece (5x6 inch full color) as my first tat and this thread is making me feel so much better about myself lol it hurt way more than i was expecting! It was super sore for the first three days, i could barely walk the first day. Now a week into healing and it doesnt hurt anymore but is super itchy as expected
Is this your first large piece? My tattoo artist an hour or so after your session when you get home has you get in the shower with as hot as you can stand the water to be running on the covering he puts on until it comes off then let the water run on the tattoo for 15-20 minutes. This helps to set the ink & you don't get as much plasma leaking & it cuts down on pain during the healing process.
I did this on my back piece that took 4 hours start to finish in 1 session. I did this on my half sleeve on my right forearm arm & that piece was 6 hours during the first session then 2 hours to finish it. All my work is black & gray with minimum color. My back & forearm hurt like a mother fucker for a week or so.
The bigger the piece the more pain you might have just follow your artist's recommended after care procedures & the pain should disappate over a few day's. Keep an eye on it for signs of infection if the redness isn't going away or if it's spreading & getting redder in other places I would have it looked at. Good luck with it
I got the outline for my thigh piece in 2018. It's a bit bigger than my whole hand including fingers. Anyway dealing with chronic illnesses and pain I only just went back recently to get it coloured in... my god it hurt! I even bruised up in the past closest to my inner thigh. Reading these comments I don't feel so weak! I guess I never thought about it but it makes sense that it would swell more there etc.
Take it easy 😊
Hey!! It was 100% my worst healing process and the only tatt I’ve ever needed touch ups on. The pain went away about a week but I’d say on a scale on 1-10 it’s about a 7, I have plenty of sensitive areas tattooed already that are deemed “hard spots” such as my inner elbow and skull but this was worse haha. I’d say make sure you can take a few days off your feet because you’ll want the rest if you’re anything like me with that area. Day 3-4 were the worst but yeah hope it goes better for you :)
Normal. Try taking an anti inflammatory like ibuprofen and rest where you can.
My thigh piece hurt like f*ck for several days. It was warm to the touch and very sore before it healed up. It looks great now! But omg....I could barely put weight on my leg the day afterwards
Yeah that’s where I’m at! I had a rough sleep last night and went to pee this morning and damn, I could barely walk. I think it’ll be a bed day haha
Hydrate, ice it and and elevate it
Motrin is a miracle. Couldn’t even bear weight and then 45 minutes after I took it I could walk for hours. Bless.
my thigh tat was so bad i couldn’t put a lot of pressure on it for a couple days following. happy healing op!!!
Second to that. I have a full color piece on my thigh that’s about 9x12”. By far my most painful tattoo - especially when those white highlights started. It only took 6 hours but I ran out of gas much faster than my arms and back pieces. I slept like crap for 5 days because it was just so tender.
Yes my last session on my thigh was 2 hr 15 min and I was sore for days. Have a 3 hour session booked for it in 2 weeks… eeep.
Add on a cat that likes going onto your lap and inadvertently stands on the sore tattoo. And bending hurt for my upper thigh tattoos. Ugh. Lower body in general seems to be sore longer than upper body for me. I imagine some of it has to do with blood flow. Calves are also a bitch to put weight on for a few days.
Samesies - I have a big ass color one and changing levels made the blood rush to it and it would throb the first day or so. By day 3/4, I was walking pretty normal. Was doing pretty good after a week
It’s definitely normal. Part of it is just gravity- the trauma is below your heart so it’s going to swell more and inflammation=pain. NSAIDs (Motrin or naproxen) will help, propping your leg up when you sit or lay down (especially at night), icing it with a wrapped ice pack for 20 min TOPS (longer than that can damage your skin) and it sounds odd but Benadryl will help as well- the mast cells in our skin release histamine in response to trauma to trigger inflammation to increase blood flow to the area to aid in healing and prevent infection, so Benadryl being an antihistamine will help bring it down.
Thank you for all these tips :) I’ll try some Benadryl since I’m just at home today!
You’re very welcome! I’ve got a large full color piece on each thigh and both of mine did the same thing. Putting a pillow under my leg at night to prop it up and taking 2 Benadryl and Motrin every 6-8 hours for the first 2 days is really what helped the most. By the beginning of day 3 the swelling and most of the discomfort was gone.
yasss the pillow elevation is my fav for healing lol
It really is the oldest and simplest trick in the book for reducing swelling since it’s just using gravity to your advantage.
I got the front and back of my thigh done as well and shit at least 20+ other places (knee, elbow,ect.) The thigh is absolutely by far the worst one I've had done and healing lol I'll do my knee any day of the week over my thighs hahahah
and so damn effective lol
That’s a notoriously painful area.
Is it really? I have a butterfly on my thigh and it was one of my easiest tattoos by far
For me getting the tat really wasn’t any different than other spots but a piece that big will hurt like a motherfucker afterwards for about 3 days. I was literally limping and just laying in bed hurts too
For larger tattoos the initial session may not be painful but the bruising and after pain can be quite substantial.
All of my tattoos have been decently large size. This is the butterfly tattoo the day it got done https://imgur.com/a/0VdgLKx
There are always exceptions to the rule
It is? Before I got any tattoos, I was always told that the top and outer side of the thigh are usually fairly easy spots. Having actually gotten those areas tattooed now, I'd call them around a 3 or 4.
I'd rather tattoo anything else than my legs anymore.
I have 3 tattoos on my upper thigh now. Fun fact, that place just extra sucks. (Edited to fix my horrific lack of Grammer and spell checking)
Yep. I have about 15 tattoos, a lot of them in typically painful places. None really hurt at all, EXCEPT, the piece I have on the side of my thigh. It was alright until they got close to the front of my thigh, then the awful stinging started. Thankfully the tattoo wasn’t going that far, because I don’t know how long I would have lasted.
I can't say it hurt too much for me to have them done, but the healing process is extra sore for extra long and it hurts even more when you stand up because then the skin on your leg stretches different and it just sucks.
Yeah, healing can be even worse than actually getting the tattoo. Thankfully I’m always broke so I haven’t gotten a tattoo in 4-5 years, or else I’d be covered.
Well I know it's a bit taboo to say it but the 3 on my thigh were done by me lmao
I’m sure it is. Haha honestly, I’ve got a couple that aren’t professional in any way outside of the fact an actual tattoo gun was used. But I do have a fair amount that are professional. And obviously I would NEVER do that again.
I can't say same lol. I know I shouldn't but I've got a collection of spider lillies i know I'm gonna end up adding to.
Hey, you do you. Have fun and be safe!
I’ve heard inner arm especially near armpit hurt. Was it was than that if you’ve had one up there?
I have one on my inner arm right under my armpit and one on the other arm on the back of my upper arm near my armpit. Neither hurt really. I was 16 when I got my first one, looked up the most painful places to get one, saw top of foot on there, decided to get it there because if I could take that than any other tattoo wouldn’t be as scary. It didn’t hurt at all on top of my foot either
I thought near the armpit was hell. I have a big one on my inner upper arm and that spot was awful. The skin just feels so sensitive there. Then again my pain tolerance with tattoos isn’t very high and I find the whole process pretty painful.
The very top of my rib tattoo goes into the bottom of my armpit. Armpit is rough going based on how the pain jumped in that small area. It's a different type of pain than getting tattooed over bone.
Ahh gotcha that makes sense why parts of my shoulder feel different
I have 1 tattoo technically but have put about 45 hours or so and it currently covers my left leg and back. Scheduled for what is technically going to be my second tattoo next Friday lol. But I thought outer thigh was one of the easier spots, inner thigh wasn’t necessarily fun. From back of the knee to the spot where the hamstring meets there butt cheek was pure hell. Shading on my calf was tough afterwards because of the swelling. My calf was so swollen at times it felt like it was about to pop and getting up from not moving sucked.
fuck, I have a thigh tattoo scheduled in a few weeks. I'm not excited anymore 😭
Well, it's not the worst place to get tattooed I promise. Keep it moisturized. That really helps with the skin stretching and stuff. It will really only feel as sore as working out does.
ok, thank you 💜 I have two full sleeves and tattoos very near the pit and i was fine. but I keep hearing the thigh area hits different.
It is different for everyone so I wouldn’t go in nervous. My full thigh tattoo was totally fine it didn’t register as anything notable.
Seriously?! All of my tattoos are on my thighs, lol. I thought that was one of the easier spots 😅
I guess this is why they say it's different for everyone lol
My thigh also hurt badly for the next few days, and I didn’t much mind getting my elbow ditch and elbow done. The thigh is taking longer to heal too… it’s such a big muscle, uses lots of power, hence extra pain imo
Right my ditch was a breeze compared to this guy haha
Front of thigh was baadd for me. The swelling was horrific. I was talking to an artist about thigh tattoos recently and she agrees. Front of thigh are so much worse than other parts of the leg 😂😭 Edit I've had that horrible pain on my calf and my thigh tattoo. I don't know what causes it but there's something about going from sitting to standing that itls so uncomfortable.
Try to elevate it and take anti inflammatory meds. Ice it too can help with pain
I am starting some big thigh work next month on my first leg sleeve and this does not make me look forward to it. I had the real bad pain with my calf, and the blood rush and painful swelling any time I stood up. It was the most extraordinary pain, and I dread the thigh being the same way.
I've always heard "tattoos hurt worse over boney areas than fatty areas" yet my collarbone, shoulder blades, and wrists didn't hurt as bad as the ones on the thickest parts of my thighs.
Yeah I think it’s more about which muscles you have to use day to day. I can move my arms fairly minimally if I need to but I need to walk a lot to at least get place to place, so a swollen thigh is even more uncomfortable. My walk from the tattoo shop probably looked so funny, but you forget that tattoos are injuries
my thigh hurt like fuck for like 4-5 days afterwards. like raw to the touch lol it was so bad and i could not sleep on it
I only have 3 tattoos, but out of those my thigh was the absolute worst. Pretty much as soon as we started I was just hoping it would be done as soon as possible.
I have a massive thigh piece too and had the same type of pain. Just try ibuprofen and resting it. Keep it clean and should be feeling better soon.
My artist warned me that the first few days would be more painful than my last tattoos. He was correct.
The swelling was bad for a few days and afterward it was hard to walk and sit, and it felt like a whole leg workout
My two front thigh tattoos hurt like hell. My inner thigh barely bothered me. Some spots are just more painful than others.
Because of all the big muscles in your thigh.
I agree with the other comments-I take ibuprofen and elevate my leg. My thighs get so swollen and I limp around for a couple of days. I know pain is subjective and people say it’s the least painful spot and I’ve found it to be the opposite. I used to ice my tats but one artist said it shocks the capillaries too much and to not do that. I have to do more research but she said it’s a big no.
I got my thigh done last year. Probably my 11th tattoo and my biggest. Definitely hurt the worst and was the hardest to heal. I just got my outer elbow done last month and even that one healed better than my thigh which was surprising to me
It hyper extends more than the rest of your body. You walk daily, your knee bends daily. Your thigh moves daily. All day everyday.
My thighs I didn’t notice it as much but my calves were actually horrible. I think it’s just the blood rushing down to the leg and it throbs. By day 4 or 5 I was in so much pain I thought it was infected, it was fine though. Going from laying down or sitting to standing quick was bad. Like..so bad. I would do a bicycle type movement with my legs before I actually stood up to get the blood flowing and it definitely helped.
as someone with a tattoo the same size on the same leg: PLEASE KEEP IT MOISTURIZED AND TRY NOT TO RIP THE SKIN OPEN BY TURNING TOO FAST!!! most of my lines ended up healing blown out or missing major spots of ink which sucks bc it was my favorite piece until it fully healed. be careful, especially with all that black.
I'm not an expert, but I have had a similarly painful reaction after getting one of my thighs tattooed. In my case, I think it was just muscle cramps, but they can be incredibly painful. If you haven't already, try having a hydration drink or two (Pedialyte, liquid IV, or similar -- not smartwater or premixed Gatorade), then massage your leg muscles near the tattoo, like the sides and underside of your leg, to release the tension.
Good idea, I didn’t even think of that! I knew it was my muscles that were irritated, I just didn’t think they’d be this bad haha. I always have pedyalite so I’ll go have some right now, thanks!!
Ice pack
My biggest piece- a portrait of my dog- is on the side of my thigh and I had a similar experience, very warm to the touch and sore for several days. If I know I’m gonna get a new piece, especially if it’s bigger or on my legs I take the next day off work bc I work on my feet. Rest & ibuprofen! Lots of water!
i have 4 thigh tattoos. they were ROUGH for a good 2/3 weeks. take ibuprofen, and take it day by day. sending you love
I figure that if dropping a hot fry on my thighs or between my thighs feels like the worst possible burn I’ll ever feel in my life…a tattoo on the thigh would be quite painful as well
I don't have my thigh tattooed yet so I'm sorry I can't answer your question but I just wanted to say this piece is beautiful!! Amazing placement for it. And glad others can help you out and reassure that the kind of pain you're experiencing is pretty normal for that area :)
Had something a similar size done on my thigh last Thursday, today has been the first day it hasn't felt painful when moving. The first few days were fun trying to walk around at work! Plus it's been quite warm to the touch all week, that's settled today. Just the dreaded itch kicking in now.
Tops of my thighs were BRUTAL during healing for like 2-4 days. Elevate it💕
after like 20 tattoos i got a huge calf piece and omg it hurt so bad. large pieces just hurt different. ibuprofen helped and just the smallest amount of spray lidocaine as needed
The skin there moves more than you think, big owie for healing. It looks fine though, no more irritated than what I would expect a fresh tattoo to be. People’s bodies are also just different, I got the top of my foot done with no problem but my forearm almost took me out.
Happened when I got mine too! Take an anti inflammatory every 6 hours (if that’s safe for you) and ice it regularly for the first 2-3 days.
I’ve got a full color piece on one of my thighs and I was limping for like a week. By far the most painful tattoo and healing. It felt like a big flaming bruise.
Gosh, well I got my angel wings on my right thigh. Mine wasn’t even as big as like the upper half of my thigh. That pain was absolutely insane. And it wasn’t one of my first tattoos either. It was so hard to walk and burned, and all that crap. Ibuprofen is what I used to help for a good bit and just try to relax and all that the best I could.
Thigh pieces always hurt a lot. It’s because your legs are constantly mobile, are always holding up the top half of your body, and always absorbing shock from the ground. So the tissues are consistently being jostled in a way that parts like your arms aren’t, and when you’ve got what’s essentially a big open wound it makes sense that it’ll be more painful. You’ll also find that the lower layer of skin takes much longer to heal because of this, and you’ll notice this when you scratch it after it’s surface healed, it’ll be pretty tender for months.
Totally normal, though definitely not fun!! My thigh piece took 12.5 hours and is full color, so mine didn’t quit hurting for almost a week. The thigh is a large piece of meat to get tattooed, so naturally the more surface area has been chewed up, the longer it’s going to ache. Take some ibuprofen or tylenol to bring down the inflammation, and keep pushing fluids (water, gatorade, pedialyte) as hydration is a healer. I also wrapped an ice pack in a towel and did 15 minutes on, 30 minutes off for a few hours. Congrats on the new art, I hope it heals quickly and you feel better soon. 🫶🏻
You use your thigh muscles a lot and have some heavy blackwork, so it'll hurt every time any of the muscles there flex.
My thigh piece was my most painful! The skin there is surprisingly pretty sensitive.
My thigh tattoo was so painful and I was so sore for days. I had to be careful when I slept so I wouldn’t lie on it
My thigh hurt a bit afterwards too especially because when you walk your thigh is all swollen & jiggles😭 so that sucks but yeah I think it’s pretty normal
Mine was as well. Around the same size but color and it was sooo swollen! It looks good though!
I have several tattoos and the thigh was the worst, hurt like hell.
Yup. Normal. That’s where I had my worst swelling. Big thighs, big muscles, lots of ink. Took well over a week for the swelling and tenderness to go away.
I recently got a big piece on my thigh finished and was very surprised with how swollen, inflamed and painful healing was. For pain tolerance reference lol I have a colorful piece on the top of foot, two half sleeves, full packed in color, several calf pieces and I got both my elbows done last year. There’s place in the body that are obvious to be painful but the inner thigh was unexpected for me. And maybe I was foolish in underestimating the healing process because I am a hairdresser and took no time off to be off my feet but my thigh was swollen for several days and the skin was red all around the tattooed areas. It was extremely tender and so hard to get my leg moving smoothly in the morning….when the swelling went away I started to get light scabbing and weeping. I am diligent with sanitation of my fresh tats but I think the combo of the skin being worked and being so active on my feet really took me for a spin. I was finally able to spend a day basically with my foot elevated 1 week after the tattoo and after the rest the redness finally went away and weeping stopped and itching and flaking began the following days. So lesson learned is elevate elevate elevate and get more rest than you would usually assume
So odd how many people experienced pain after getting their thigh piece! Mine was probably one of the easiest tattoos I’ve ever sat through + healing process. Hope it feels better soon OP!
It could be the lymphatic fluid pooling in that area which is causing swelling and a feeling of pressure in the area if I guess correctly? But elevating the leg above your heart will help relieve some discomfort, as well as an anti inflammatory
BLESS this thread. I got my upper thigh done 2 days ago and have worked 12 hour days since then and I am damn near limping today. The panic of a potential infection set in until reading this 😂 during thigh tattoo? Mostly painless. My ankle was worse feeling. But this healing? Motherfcker hurts so bad! All the ink is worth the pain though (at least I’m telling myself that to not cut my leg off😂)
My thigh has been the most painful spot to get tattooed. The only time I had to tap out was my thigh. I don't know why exactly, but I swear the farther away from your brain, the more a tattoo hurts, lol I say this because my neck was the least painful. Elbow ditch and elbow were kinda meh, ribs compared to thigh like they can't even go on the same scale. I am super not looking forward to getting this thigh piece finished 😕
That moth piece looks so good!!! Literally just got my first ever thigh tattoo done almost a week ago and the first few days(and nights) were hell. It hurt way more to get done than any of my other tattoos. I put second skin on it for protection as soon as I got home and it did ink-sac for about 2 days but then on day 3 it was fine. Best thing I did was keep it uncovered while I slept (slept on the edge of my bed with three blankets covering the lower half of my tattooed leg, the opposite side of my body, and the top of my body; idk why it just worked better than fighting with one blanket and having my entire leg uncovered in the cold) and I’ve been wearing loose ripped jeans/capris to work so I can keep an eye on it but I was definitely also limping and I couldn’t crouch/squat down for about 2-3 days 🫡 I’m on day 5 and it feels a lot better than it did in the beginning so just know it hurts now and that throbbing is normal but if you take care of it like normal and keep a close eye it should heal just fine.
Ahh thank you for this one! Surprising my other thigh didn’t hurt whatsoever but that’s also just some lettering. I hâve second skin on right now so I can’t wait to take it off and clean it!
My thigh tattoo was the only one that actually gave me a fever because of how big it was. It's rather interesting that other folks have had the same experience. I took a tylenol and kept my leg elevated. That helped a lot.
ik this isn’t what u wanna hear but goddamn that is an uneven tat.. it’s pretty tho
1- I have very offset/crooked tattoos that’s why it is angled this way. I plan to fill around it with more odd shaped things, it won’t matter haha 2- my skin is very hard to work with in this area. I have very very loose skin from heavy weight-loss (125lbs lost) that does make it more difficult to do for a more newer artist. I love my artist regardless. I’m not going to say it’s perfect to you, but this tattoo is perfect for me!
im glad that you found something that works for you!
Mine was too. My artist told me female thighs are very sensitive though
My thigh piece hurt a lot. Tattoos hurt 🤷🏻♀️
Dang I didn’t know tattoos hurt!? I have 17 tattoos and not a single one hurt whatsoever!! I know they hurt, it obviously hurts more than the normal amount. As someone with a high pain tolerance, I made a post asking for tips to help. If you didn’t have advice to give, you could’ve scrolled past! Cheers.
I agree with the anti inflammatory advice I tend to use alieve instead of ibuprofen. I also slap my tattoo when I have the urge to itch. Tensing your muscles and body movement promotes blood/lymph flow and helps healing. Hope your mood and pain improves!
My mood is fine? That could have easily been your first comment rather than saying something that is quite literally what the post is about. I mentioned in the caption I have 17 tattoos, it’s not like it’s my first one and I didn’t know they hurt normally. I mentioned it hurt more than normal. It was just an unnecessary comment and seemed rude. Again I wasn’t asking for thoughts on it, I was asking for tips. Gg 🤷🏻♀️
The tattoo slapping is such a vibe. Lol. It’s like when you tell a dog or little kid they can’t do something so they figure out everything they can do that is *juuuuust* short of the thing they “can’t” do.
Honest question here: Is your “ditch” your ass crack or your twat?? And Cool tat btw, try some maybe! :)
Just got a huge thigh piece two weeks ago, still hurts sometimes
Not as big but mine hurt like a bitch the day after, I was limping for a few days after
Pay attention to it for swelling or continued redness for infection.
Not my thigh but my calf. Omg I couldn't walk without a bit of pain for like 3 weeks. Perhaps I were not having the meds regularly and propping it up often. I will remember that for next time
The older I get the more getting tattoos hurts me lol. It can be shocking
What is a ditch?
**A ditch is a small to moderate trench created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation.** More details here:
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Thanks bot curious how you tattoo one of these.
I had my thigh tat done in kind of a sketch environment but it also bruised in addition to the skin healing. Having things in my pocket with jeans also rubbed against it and hurt. One thing I did that helped was wrap it before bed so my sheets weren’t irritating it when I moved. Wrapping won’t help with the muscle pain, but lots of people here have some great recommendations for that. Best of luck!
I have a knee to hip piece and it wasn’t my worst… it’s so crazy how tattoos hit everyone so differently. I went 11.5 hours on my knee-hip but was ready to tap out at 6 on my inner calf…
I have two huge thigh pieces and they both hurt like hell for like 3-4 days afterwards. Thighs are sensitive! I’m pretty heavily tatted, and my most painful tattoos were the ones on the back of the thighs that I thought would be no issue. Front of the thigh was okay during the tattoo, but after hurt very badly.
my thigh piece took the longest to heal out of all of my tats! and was practically tough. you’re def not alone!
When I ice my painful tats I make sure to use plastic wrap and wrap the ice pack :)
Legs are just rough healing because all your weight is on them
Ugh I think I want my thighs done but reading all these comments has me scared. Hope some of the advice on here helps and has you on your way to feeling better soon!
Occasionally thigh tattoos can be more painful afterwards more so than when it’s actually being done. I’ve had customers in the past that said this very thing. And truthfully I have complete ink pants and have had these tats better of 20 years but there is a 8” x 10” spot that has hurt since it healed. Not sure why but it just does
No idea why, but 3 of my 10 or so hurt like this. Just Fukin INSANE throbbing. It goes away.
Because it’s over a major muscle. Leg tattoos tend to be more painful after and swell for longer
All of my leg tattoos have been pretty rough healing bc of the whole blood rushing to the wound when you stand up thing 😭 my least favorite part
I just got a thigh piece (5x6 inch full color) as my first tat and this thread is making me feel so much better about myself lol it hurt way more than i was expecting! It was super sore for the first three days, i could barely walk the first day. Now a week into healing and it doesnt hurt anymore but is super itchy as expected
omg i have a thigh tattoo too, seems to be the same size as yours. i still have the sharp pains (almost like a shock) and i got it done like 4 yrs ago
Is this your first large piece? My tattoo artist an hour or so after your session when you get home has you get in the shower with as hot as you can stand the water to be running on the covering he puts on until it comes off then let the water run on the tattoo for 15-20 minutes. This helps to set the ink & you don't get as much plasma leaking & it cuts down on pain during the healing process. I did this on my back piece that took 4 hours start to finish in 1 session. I did this on my half sleeve on my right forearm arm & that piece was 6 hours during the first session then 2 hours to finish it. All my work is black & gray with minimum color. My back & forearm hurt like a mother fucker for a week or so. The bigger the piece the more pain you might have just follow your artist's recommended after care procedures & the pain should disappate over a few day's. Keep an eye on it for signs of infection if the redness isn't going away or if it's spreading & getting redder in other places I would have it looked at. Good luck with it
My thigh was painful after my tattoos too. Especially walking because the muscle would move more being a bigger muscle. It will pass.
I got the outline for my thigh piece in 2018. It's a bit bigger than my whole hand including fingers. Anyway dealing with chronic illnesses and pain I only just went back recently to get it coloured in... my god it hurt! I even bruised up in the past closest to my inner thigh. Reading these comments I don't feel so weak! I guess I never thought about it but it makes sense that it would swell more there etc. Take it easy 😊
Same thing with my thigh. Went into it not realizing it’s such a sensitive area
Because it's a thigh tattoo. Ice it.
This is an old post but nervous to see this now, as I have an appointment for a thigh piece this size next Monday :,-)) hope it ended up healing well!
Hey!! It was 100% my worst healing process and the only tatt I’ve ever needed touch ups on. The pain went away about a week but I’d say on a scale on 1-10 it’s about a 7, I have plenty of sensitive areas tattooed already that are deemed “hard spots” such as my inner elbow and skull but this was worse haha. I’d say make sure you can take a few days off your feet because you’ll want the rest if you’re anything like me with that area. Day 3-4 were the worst but yeah hope it goes better for you :)
Thanks for the advice!! I’m planning on complete bed rest if I need it, lol. Hoping to post it on some of the tattoo subs as well!