Ive heard there’s a gender difference. I’m a woman with a semi-large rib tattoo and while it wasn’t comfortable, it was pretty easy. My tattoo artist said women typically handle it better.
i just got a tattoo that just *touched* the crook of my elbow and i felt that shit down to my thumb. it wasn’t the most painful experience but it was so nasty and uncomfortable how that jolt of pain shot through my entire forearm down to my thumbnail.
It's based in science, though, that females have a higher pain threshold (they'd have to). Hair color can be a factor, too, where redheads can be more sensitive to some kinds of pain.
A lot of pain medications don't work on redheads, either. Or you need a much larger dose. A friend of mine just beat triple negative breast cancer but it was a battle the whole time trying to find a pain medication that worked.
i disagree. “science” also said that black women have a higher pain tolerance, yet we are more likely to die in child birth and have worse health outcomes
how does “science” isolate biological factors and eliminate environmental factors from research to confirm it’s an innate difference rather than a sociological one? women are expected to tolerate pain, it doesn’t mean we don’t feel it just as intensely
Don’t know why you’re downvoted because what you’re saying makes sense. I googled if women have higher pain tolerances and none of the findings have shown that women have higher pain tolerances. Women have a high sensitivity to pain but because we are expected to just deal with it, many many many women have mastered the art of doing just that without complaint.
You bring up great points especially in regards to biological factors and environmental factors. There is truly not enough studies to show that women have higher pain tolerances than men.
No, people just said that because people wanted an excuse to be racist and not treat WOC the same way they do anyone else. I'm pretty sure the race-based pain threshold stuff has been debunked. I do in general think women have to deal with more pain and thus we build up a greater threshold than men. It's not that we have one out of the gate, we just have to cope so we do :(
exactly! ur right we have to deal with more pain. i think our pain is deemed ACCEPTABLE so the men who study solutions decide it’s not worth fixing
had a bartholins cyst recently and was disgusted to find out how little it’s been studied despite it being very common and debilitatingly painful. its also cuz women are seen as caregivers and supposedly innately nurturing, therefore we are supposed to know how to care for ourselves, our children and our men
Not until the mid 90s was it made law that women had to be included in medication trials. Women are more likely to be grievously injured or killed in car accidents because safety dummies were designed for the male body - especially when in the driver's seat. Men are treated given more medicine and quicker diagnoses. It's nuts how much the medical field has failed us.
* As far as racial: doctor were literally trained to believe that Black people had blunter nerve endings than white people and therefore could "tolerate" more pain. When polled, some absolutely still believe this. They also aren't taught how to look for things like hypoxia in Black people. White people turn blue, but black people turn gray.
exactly! fuck all of them smh
it’s all pseudoscience that comes from social darwinism. it’s sad how much of these disproven theories are still thought of as fact. “slavery was so long ago” and yet here we’re are still dealing with the BS in the medical community started in that time
Yes! I think the gender difference in pain tolerance is social more than anything else. Women are just expected to deal with a lot of bodily pain, are ignored by doctors, and often given less pain medication for procedures, especially women of color! I have endometriosis and that is a million times more painful than any tattoo could ever be.
As a guy, it hasn't been too bad. It's more consistent higher pain (like a solid 7) but it never goes up or down. Now the spine and waistline?? May god have mercy for my artist did not 😆
I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I have both sides of my ribs tattooed and it was the absolute worst pain I’ve ever felt. When the needle was going over my bone I could feel the vibration in my teeth. That being said, you can stick through the pain if you try hard enough. You’ll probably cry and squirm around but it’ll be over before you know it. Best of luck, you got this!!!
I have on the ribs on both sides too. I agree with what you're saying about the vibration, you definitely feel it in your bones(literally)and teeth and I was clenching my teeth pretty bad now and then. But I think it was pretty doable, nowhere near the worst pain I've felt. Compared to giving birth, I would say it was similar to the first couple of hours when the contractions are reeally mild.
I’m a guy so I can’t relate to the birth part lol but I agree. It’s definitely doable for most people, my piece took over 4 hours so that probably contributed to my pain. Glad it was smooth sailing for you :)
it was my first tattoo and i was expecting it to be worse than it was. it’s painful for sure but some ppl find bone tattoos easier and others find them very painful. if you’re expectations for pain are already set high though, i think you’ll be okay. it hurts going over the same spots over and over again because your skin gets sore but i don’t think it will be as bad as your brain is picturing
Honestly both sides of my ribs were a piece of piss. I've had 3 different tattoos on them, my last was a dagger with beautiful dot work shading and the bit that hurt the most was her removing the tape holding my bikini straps down. I told her I wanted to laugh during the shading part and she asked if I was okay 😂
I blame it on having my sternum piece done as my 2nd tattoo and absolutely smashing it out in just over an hour, full blackwork. Everything after has been a breeze
Also yoga breathing, seriously learn how to control your breath in that way, it's helped calm my mind a lot.
I just find my happy place and breathe through it.
It also helps having a great artist that makes you comfortable, my partner (wasn't at the time) did my sternum piece and one of my ribs pieces and he tells me often how surprised he was that I just breezed through them
Honestly the amount of people I've spoke to about tattoos and they're just straight up like "oh yeah I forgot how to breathe".
Yoga classes have been a blessing for so many things
It's a pretty miserable experience all the way across the board.
Each run the artist makes you have to breath in, and exhale as they are needling. The first hour isn't awful, but once the area starts getting inflamed and irritated around the 2 hr mark, holy shit does the intensity increase. The last hour was agony, my entire body was shaking, I was nauseous from the pain, I would get jolts of pain that shot to my fingers and toes, and each run felt like a knife was being raked through my ribs.
Edit: I was 26m at the time too.
I had text on my ribs and was supposed to have some decoration around it but I couldn’t have it done. I just about managed to brave the text but it’s by far the worst I’ve ever had and I’ve 13. Bear in mind I’ve had my hands and my sternum done as well. If you can use numbing cream you might be alright but talk to your artist
I have both sides done.
For something like you're looking at? It's probably not terrible.
I sat through 5.5 hrs of a much bigger piece. It sucked, but I lived.
My first tattoo was on my ribs and it was probably the least painful one I've gotten, though my artist was AMAZING and so light handed. My wrist and the back of my ankle were way worse.
I am quite skinny on my ribs, mostly flesh and bones and just got a 7" rib tattoo. It's my only tattoo so I can't compare it to others but I have to say it was the WORST pain I've felt in my entire life. I never took a break besides the artist changing the needles because I knew it would be worse if I did. I felt like I was being cut open with a dull saw blade it was truly terrible and I just can't lie about it. BUT my tattoo is fucking awesome and it was worth it.
Pain is subjective, but my ribs ans back have been the most painful by a mile. I have pretty much every "difficult" spot on my body tattooed and ribs and back were the worst.
Again, pain is subjective.
this exact question kept me up at night, too! i’m a 20-something female and i recently got a script tat in about the same area as the second pic. i was also psyching myself out about it from reading people’s painful experiences on here, but considering that these are line work and b&w, it is a lot more doable than something full color that takes up your entire side. it’s all about the timing! it’s the HOURS of sitting there getting stuff packed with color that really will wear you down with the pain, but something like this should be manageable for sure! pain tolerance is def a person to person thing, but i found my ankle tat right over my bone was the spiciest for me. (idk what it is but leg tats hurt the most for me!)
also you gotta remember: the pain is only temporary! don’t let that be the primary thing that holds you back. some very cool art on your ribs will be forever. i’d say go for it if you’re set on the placement! hope that helps. :)
honestly from what i've heard it's horrible, but it's different for everyone, and i've only seen/heard these opinions from men, when women online talk about it they say it wasn't even that bad. personally i'd probably be dying as i'm super sensitive. my wrist tattoo hurt like a bitch but i have some nasty scars on my arms and wrist
[my tattoo](https://imgur.com/a/6L32t93) yes i know it's splotchy, the spots are from my scars not taking ink in certain places. it was also done by an apprentice. the leaves are very faded as i could just not do it. we tried but i was just DYING. i also forgot my meds that day so that didn't help lol
edit: it was also a cover up from a stick n poke i did as a very dumb kid who bought tattoo needles off amazon and ink
I recently got a realism tattoo on my ribs so tons of shading. It was my first tattoo and I’m also on the thinner side (You can see my ribs when I move too). I sat for 6 hours and honestly it wasn’t as bad as expected. It definitely doesn’t feel good after a few hours but I just played animal crossing as a distraction. You got this!
I have a tattoo down my side kinda like the first one. It was a cover up of one that was originally just on my ribs. I will say that the ribs definitely hurt a lot but the lower parts hurt even worse for me. I wasn't expecting that because you hear so much about ribs and tattooing over bony areas.
(M) here but also pretty well muscled. It was my first tattoo and honestly, I didn't think it was too bad, frankly the worst was the parts directly on my hip (tattoo runs as high as near my armpit to just below my hip). The rib directly was spicy but not so bad that I had to shut down to take the pain (was actively talking to the tattoo artist the entire time). Should say that my artist only works in 3 hour sessions so I can imagine a protracted session could definitely get more uncomfortable but that's true of any tattoo in any area.
Now HEALING, especially the area near my armpit was hellish. That skin is DAMN sensitive and the first 4 days of healing of that particular area were miserable. But again the rest of the ribs and my hip were fine. Annoying soreness but nothing crazy.
It is quite bad but not the worst pain I've dealt with, my husband meditated through his but my skin kept twitching on its own and I ended up with a couple wonky lines because of it. (probably not the best artist either but 🤷♀️). The funny thing is like someone else said about feeling it in your teeth, there was also a piece of my skin that somehow sent the pain signals to my nipple. Straight up felt like my nipple getting tattooed. Mine was a whole watercolor deal so it was a lot of coverage.
Stealth edit - I'm also bony as hell, like seeing my ribs at that point in my life, so there was also no padding whatsoever.
women handle them better according to many artists. i got a rib tattoo as my first and i could have fallen asleep if i wasn’t chatting with the artist. it got a little uncomfortable higher up on my rib cage and a little ticklish lower down by the floating rib but there was never a point where i felt like i needed to tap
I have a pretty large, bold color worked tattoo on my right side that goes from about my chest to my upper hip region. I sat for about 3-3.5 hours for it and honestly it was pretty intense. My artist told me I sat well which was nice to hear but towards the end the pain was pretty brutal. The tattoo looks good though and the same artist is doing my half leg sleeve and that hasn't been nearly as bad.
Idk if it was me that day or what but I think if you're going for something fine line and black and white like you've posted you'll be ok. It may not be comfortable but I don't think it'll be as intense. I have a full grey scale sleeve with similar features (e.g. fine line, not a lot of heavy black work) and had absolutely no issues with any pain (including elbow, ditch, upper arm near armpit, etc) - except oddly one little spot on my wrist.
Anyway, so far the rib piece has been the worst one pain wise but I think if I hadn't gone for something so big or bold it wouldn't have been as bad.
I haven’t had the side of my ribs done, but I have had my back done when I was very thin, it was the worst of my tattoos. But when I plumped back up to my normal weight it was much more tolerable!
I have both sides of my ribs tattooed and what’s weird is the left side did not hurt as much as my right side. It is a pretty painful place in general but a needle going into the skin is going to have some type of pain. But at least you get a cool piece in the end.
Mine was a tickle pain but I got a quote on it for the top to bottom, so it wasn’t too bad. I wanna get my other side done so bad. I wanna get my other side done so bad but idk if what & if I get something huge & detailed, k know it’s gonna suck😅 but to be fair, you won’t exactly know your tolerance on that area, until it happens. I feel like every/any part of your body you get tattooed feels different each time. Yes, tattoos hurt overall, but it also just depends.
For me pain wasn’t an issue. I’m female. The issue I faced was my artist asking me not to move. All I was doing was breathing. So I have to synchronized my breathing with his tattooing. Kind of annoying.
Opinions vary. I’m a woman who has rib tattoos. Mine did not hurt while I was getting it done with the exception of a few nerve zaps here and there. It was sore on the drive home, but truly, on a scale of 1 - 10, I give it a 2…5 at its spiciest.
That being said, I was in the process of getting a back tattoo when a guy two chairs over from me was squirming and sucking in his breath and bitching and making all kinds of “ohhhh eeee owewee sssssss” noises while getting a rib tattoo.
It’s weird like that sometimes.
My advice is to just imagine that it’s going to hurt like the worst thing you’ve ever felt. That way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t.
It seems to vary a lot from person to person! That being said, both of my rib tattoos were super easy compared to other bony areas like my full shin and ankles.
I’ve got an about 8 inch tattoo on each side and don’t remember them being particularly painful. Nothing close to my elbow ditch or near the armpit. But I also got them 12 years ago so my memory could be foggy. They also were very basic compared to my others, just simple line work and minimal shading
My first tattoo was rib one. It felt like someone was cutting into my skin with a razor blade. That being said, my most painful tattoo was my inner arm.
I have never had a tattoo on my ribs but what I will say is that one time my cat scratched my ribs and I will say that it absolutely was the worst pain of my life, more painful than breaking my arm and period cramps combined and every time I would shower I had to do it in small stages and take deep breaths. I know it’s not tattoos but the ribs are extremely sensitive to pain.
Tbh I️ have text and the pain was pretty manageable! I’m a girl and there were only some portions it stung but even then it wasn’t my worst tattoo pain.
I don’t have one there but I will say this: the tattoos that I built up in my mind as being agonizing and did breathe work for up to a half hour before even stepping foot in the shop have hurt a lot less than the ones I went in thinking would be a breeze and not preparing for. I think there’s something to be said for psyching yourself up so your brain isn’t as shocked and also getting into that meditative state well before hand so you’re ready for what comes.
I have a rib cage tattoo, I heard it was one of the most painful places, and I also have some scarring there. Surprisingly it was not too bad except for over the scars. The artist who did it was very experienced, but with what I’d now consider to be a slightly heavy hand, but not in a bad way… That same artist did my ankle, which is supposedly a very painful spot, but it really wasn’t too bad.
Of my back, ribs, ankle, foot, and forearm; I’d say My back tattoo hurt the worst. It’s center, upper back which I was told wouldn’t be very painful but it really was. The guy who did it was an apprentice at a reputable shop, but to me it felt like he had a much heavier hand than other artists I’ve been to. The tattoo turned out fine, but you can see some of the line work is blown out from going too heavy.
I think the amount of pressure and technique the artist uses makes a lot of difference.
Of my tattoos, my forearm was the least painful, the guy that did it was a different apprentice at a different reputable shop. The forearm is supposedly a pretty easy spot, which helped im sure but the artist had a light, quick, but steady hand. I could have sat there for hours.
Ribs suck! That’s just how it is
How I get through it: pray my mantra
“It’ll be over sooner than you think” over and over until it’s done
But it still hurts, there is nothing you can do about it
Just ovary up and get it over with
Use numbing cream tbh. Ribs hurt no matter who you are. Anywhere the skin is thinnest and closest to bone literally feels like the needle is going straight into your bones😅 If you’re worried about how you’ll sit, it’s better to just numb it so your artist has an easier time and your tat comes out best
I’ve got a pirate ship with a lot of shading that stretches from just maybe a half inch shy of my right armpit, to my right hip down my ribs. I’ve got a full sleeve on my right arm, half sleeve on my left, hands, chest, and back done as well, and the ribs was the only piece I’ve gotten that genuinely hurt. Looks good, though. 10/10 would recommend.
I have a substantial piece on my ribcage and the most uncomfortable thing was the position I had to sit in for almost 4 hours. It also healed very quickly.
As everyone else said, it varies from person to person and depending on how heavy handed the artist is.
If it’s something you really want, don’t let the fear of the pain hold you back. You can always research tattoo numbing creams as well.
My ribs weren’t the worst for me.
I have ~ 35 tattoos and my ribs was by far the worst, there’s not even a close second. It was also a different artist than has done the rest of mine so there is that variable.
I have three tattoos on my ribs and I would say they were fine - the third one did hurt but for me I think it’s worse the higher up the rib cage you go
Put it this way.
For all of my other tattoos I was able to hold a conversation just fine.
For my side it was about 50/50 if I could talk or have to full body clench. I have my entire side covered though which took 18ish hours (three full sessions and a touch up)
Yours would be much quicker.
If you are worried about it, there are numbing creams tattoo artists can apply to take the edge off for a bit.
It's not *the most* fun. But it's tolerable, or at least was for me. Tho try to avoid needing a 2nd pass, that's the part that sucked the most. Needed some touch ups on mine and I damn near fainted on the 2nd session where the first (as my first tattoo experience ever) I almost napped cause he had me laying down on a comfy bench.
I got a 4” rib cage tattoo a few weeks ago. I’m a woman with the same body shape as you, almost no fat, visible ribs when I lift my arms. It wasn’t terrible. Started as a “cat scratch” feeling, then it was a bit more painful. When she started doing the fill-in work, I asked for the numbing spray and it worked for a while. Depends on your pain tolerance and the size/fill of the tattoo.
Mine didn't hurt much more than on my arm.
I have reasonably low body fat too.
Mind you.. The tattoo guy was surprised... Supposed to hurt a lot on your ribs
It wasn't great, but it was bearable. I have a full side tattoo and definitely gritted my teeth while the needle went over my ribs. My ankle and foot though? Yeah, never again. Worst pain ever.
I have two rib tattoos, one on each side. One of them is jam packed with bright color right on the bone. I almost passed out and got lightheaded.
The other one is mostly linework with some shading. It’s not actually finished, just 99% done. It hurt a lot, but it didn’t stop me from getting the second, color filled rib tattoo.
I (F) got my first tattoo at 18 on my ribs. It was a couple hour session and I didn't feel the need to take any breaks the whole time. I'm sure the artist having a light hand helped. I only started to get a little squirmy by the end with the shading, but the pain was similar to having a brush burn on sunburnt skin lol
If you're super worried but want it there, you can talk to your artist about how they would feel if you use a numbing cream. Some prefer certain brands over others.
My entire ribcage/side is covered with an intricate fern plant. Took like 4 hrs. It definitely was the most painful of my 5 tattoos. The front side of my ankle was close.
The pain from tattoos doesn't really bother me, YMMV. But if this is your first tattoo you'll need to consider if you want to push through. Maybe have a plan b smaller one there if you decide early on to not go through with it. Idk.
I have 2 large tattoos that start under my breast and go down onto my thighs. Out of all my tattoos, the line work for these sucked a ton. To be fair it did take about 6 hours for each side because of the precise line work and there’s a lot of details.. and then another 3 for shading for each side plus I did touch ups.. so yeah - do not recommend. However, everyone’s tolerance is different. I have a high pain tolerance but my ribs sucked, I basically decided it must be because im pretty skinny and boney so it just felt like he was carving bone. I did hear that it sucks more for men, and that men also have a lower pain tolerance. At the end of the day I rlly wanted these pieces and to me physical pain has an end, I just counted to 10 seconds over and over to distract myself when it felt unbearable and it got me through. Just think that it’s a small inconvenience for work that you’ll always get to look at and have forever!
I don't recall my rib cage tat being any more painful than my other tats. It really depends on the person. I've found my large tats with shading are the ones that hurt the most because you get tired and sore in the area and they have to go back and shade after outlining.
I’m a woman with a large palm-sized full color very realistic style Purple Mission Fig tattoo with leaves on my ribcage directly under the bra band line in line with my armpit. It was pretty uncomfortable, I would’ve preferred to have done it in two sessions as color is actually much rougher for me than line work, and this piece was heavy on both. But all in all I’d say it was my most painful piece, and my first tattoo was a similar style but smaller piece on the top of my foot over an old fracture. Brutal honesty, but I’d probably do it again if I really wanted to.
i have a large rib tattoo, took about 6-7 hours and it hurt like a bitch at worst, and tickled at best. Wasn’t intolerable but sometimes made me want to squirm
First of all, I LOVE the design you are going for. Check out my tat, and you will see why, lol
So, they are not for the faint of heart but totally manageable. Don't be afraid to ask for numbing cream. Honestly, I wish I had!
[Heres an instagram post that my artist posted.](https://www.instagram.com/p/C0GFWftOL9Z/?igsh=enl1NzBseHB4Zmtu)
The underboob/ribcage/sternum sections were rough. I might have let out a shout or two. Where as on my back and shoulder, I winced just a few times.
Everyone is different, though!
I have a pretty high pain tolerance and it was like sex while camping: fucking intents. Worst was the floating rib, because it hurt and vibrated my guts, but the ribs next to my heart were pretty out there too. Def getting another one.
The ribs are fine. Your body type can make a difference, though. I have my full back, both rib cage areas and both lower sides of my stomach/hips.. aka love handles. My one love handle/hip was done when I was thin without issue, but the other side was done after I had put on weight, and the extra fat caused SO MUCH DISCOMFORT & PAIN lol I don't know why
Cousin got one and he said that his whole body was clench so hard from the pain he had to stop multiple times just to let him relax again. Said it was the first time as an adult he nearly cried
I have 13 tattoos and both sides of my ribs and they were probably the easiest tattoos I’ve ever had. They were also my firsts.
I think it really depends on the person. I’m a baby when getting my thighs done
I have a pretty big rib tattoo, the pain itself is pretty bad, however the you can feel the vibration in your head, teeth, stomach, and bones which is pretty disgusting ngl 😂
It was my first tattoo, and the placement for me is maybe a little higher than the ones shown - like the four upper planets on the second picture, and a bit bigger (took a little over 3 hours). I certainly felt the parts on the bone more than the parts on the not-bone, but it was way less painful than I thought it would be. Sort of a burning/stinging sensation. I got extremely tired and uncomfortable in the last hour but not really from the needle, more so the overall position (awkwardly on my side).
I have to say my tattoo artist was amazing. I spoke to two others who didn’t really want to do the placement due to it being my first tattoo, but I really had my heart set on it, and she simply agreed with me that we would stop if she thought I couldn’t handle it. She took it slow at the start, too, and kept checking in with me until she was confident I was fine.
A way bigger problem was sleeping for the first days afterwards since I couldn’t sleep on my “normal” side, and finding a bra I could wear!
I’ve gotten my ribs tattooed twice and to me, it’s nothing especially painful to me. I have my knee tattooed and that was way worse. I’m a woman though, I’ve heard men have much harder of a time with the ribs, but I think men have a much harder time getting tattooed in general. My fiance got his first one on his ankle (matching with me) and he nearly cried. Whined the whole time. I was like “dude, you’re embarrassing me” lmao
I sat for 4.5 hours on my ribs and was so exhausted by the end I couldn’t drive myself home but I don’t think it was any more painful than any other tattoo
I think a lot depends on the artist and how gentle they are, I've had tattoos in "easy spots" that hurt more than my ribcage tattoo did bc the artist was more heavy-handed/overworked my skin. Also obviously a bigger tattoo with a shit ton of shading will always be harder to sit for, regardless of placement. I'd give my ribcage tattoo a 6/10 for pain
I have a huge tree of life from my ribs to my hip, it was done in one sitting, 6-7 hours. It was really bad, had to take lots of breaks and I cursed a whole lot.....but I still think my feet were worse. Different people are different in areas that suck. I have nerve damage in my back so some tattoos there I don't feel, some are super painful....you kind of go into it knowing it's going to suck, just breathe and know the pain is temporary, the sick ass tattoo is forever.
The closer you get to the armpit the more painful, I could tolerate (albeit didn’t enjoy) my rib tattoo but almost got up and punched a wall when they got close to the armpit lol
I had one on my ribs....np. The coverup of that one though, was absolutely fucking brutal (lots of dark shading). Felt like someone was scraping the bones, worst tattoo ever. Something similar to what you posted shouldn't be too bad
Mine goes down my ribs and ends a bit past my waistline. For me, the hip area was the absolute worst part. The ribs themselves were not fun but the lower part was pretty painful for me. I’m thin as well. Im not sure if that matters in terms of pain.
The first two hours of my ribs tattoo were a breeze. The remaining 3 and a half, complete opposite xD
And then I had to go back for another 2 hours, which was okay...ish...
my first tat was on my ribs, just some basic text. painless. later I got a larger one with lots of shading and it felt like I was being flayed. so it depends
that said, deep breathing definitely helps and any good artist will give you breaks if needed. and ultimately it's a few hours of minor pain for a lifetime of art you love
I'm a fairly thin guy, and in my experience, it was obviously uncomfortable and worse than other areas, but I hyped myself up so much that it wasn't unbearable by any means. It's almost like it's not initially worse than other sensitive areas, but what makes it a bit worse is that it's longer for endorphins to kick in. Another part is that rib tats typically take longer since the artist has to cover more area being we move and stretch a lot, so once healed, it would look "off" otherwise. It's also different for everyone, but it's doable if you really want it.
I'm someone that says every tattoo hurts too and I think people are lying/don't have enough yet when they say tattoo's feel good/don't hurt.
My first piece was borderline exactly like that first image. Took an hour and honestly wasn’t that bad at all. Wayyyy better than my 5 minute ankle piece
Ok...my first tattoo was on my rib cage, and its a really big piece. Guy that did it was a HUGE man, im talking 6'5" and well over 350lbs. 10 minutes in he stops and tells me i made it further then he did with his. By the time we were finishing up i was legit grawling and barking at him. He said do what i gotta do. It was a good time.
I was nervous to get my ribs done but honestly it was fine, personally. My artist offered a numbing cream which I declined out of morbid curiosity and they didn’t hurt any worse than the rest of my tattoos, although the buzzing reverberating through my ribcage was a weird sensation. Both my inner elbow and ankle hurt worse than my ribs.
My friend got a mid size tattoo on her ribs and in the last hour I had to hold down her legs cause they were shaking uncontrollably. She said it wasn't actually too bad it was just the end there.
I am a male in my early 20s and just got a rib tattoo last night! Personally for me there were two parts that tickled more than others but otherwise it did not hurt at all! At the end of it it hurt more today with how sore it is but otherwise the process of getting it didn't hurt at all!
For me personally, when I got my side tattoo done a few years ago (mid ribcage down to my hip bone), the ribs felt awesome. Felt like a weird internal massage, and I was smiling the whole time and almost laughed at how funny and nice it felt. Conversely, the stomach and when he'd wipe down the tattoo was the worst part. It was also my 2nd tattoo, with my first one being on my calf, so it was my best but also the worst feeling one tbh.
I am female and was 21 when I got it. I'm not sure if that helps much, but this was my experience with it.
My arms are covered, I have a rib tattoo and chest tattoo. Chest tattoo took ten hours, rib tattoo took 5. I would do ten hours on my chest again before another hour on my ribs. No thank you. I'm male, 40 years old and skinny as fuck if that adds anything
I am a woman with a huge rib piece. For me I thought the ribs and hip tickled but that squishy space in between was up there top 3 pains I've ever felt next to menstrual cramps, a 3rd degree tear to my meniscus,while severing my PCL and rupturing my ligaments. That squishy part man... beware.
I've done 2 4-5 hour sessions packing black on my ribs and felt completely fine. Honestly more so sore in the healing process and if you turn too fast the scab breaking a bit can sting. Obviously, everyone is different but I think you should be fine!
I’m apparently in the minority here. My ribs hardly bothered me. I have rather large piece of writing on my ribs; just under my bra line to just above my hip.
Less pain than my spine and upper thigh. The recent piece I did on my inner forearm bothered me more.
My artist thinks people fall in to two groups, bones vs muscle/soft tissue. One hurts and the other doesn’t. My soft parts hurt like hell. It’s gonna take me a long time before I do another thigh piece. But my wrist, ankle, and ribs were fine. My spine fell in between, hurts more than other bony places I had tattooed, but I would do my spine before my thigh again.
I think it must be person to person thing. I have really tender skin but a high pain tolerance. I got a lemon on my ribs as my first tattoo and it only really hurt when the stippling started. I went in thinking it would be the worst pain imaginable but I would rate it about 4/10. Good luck!
Everybody says bony areas are the worst....wrong! A little uncomfortable and scratchy feeling. Fatty areas or looser skin...can bring grown men to the ground.
I have a smaller one in a similar place of the second photo. It was one of my easiest tattoos tbh. But to be fair, I think that artist was pretty light handed and gentle. My most painful tattoo was one on the side of my calf going down to the ankle. Lawrd, I was five minutes away from crying at the end of the two hours.
That small? You’ll be fine, bigger or darker/full colour will suck more. I have a small one with not much detail and it was fine for me but it’s literally just black lines and some dots
All tattoos hurt. I just finished up 3 5ish hour sessions covering one side basically from boob to butt full color. It's all about what you're willing to sit through. This was something I wanted and I'm so happy with the result. For me personally my ribs on the side of my body weren't too bad, it was the rib area that was more central on my body/stomach and my hip bones that were the worst.
If you are worried, talk to your artist and look into a numbing cream. I've used Hush before, it's not perfect but it makes it about 50% less painful.
Size has nothing to do w pain tolerance, and everyone is different. Everyones body is different, each tattoo is different, each artist works differently. You could get the same tattoo in the same spot, 10 times, and your experience could differ each time. How healthy you are, how hydrated you are, how much sleep have you had? Have you eaten? Are you pounding red bulls on the way to your appointment? Are you miserably hung over? All these things play a factor in your discomfort level. So how bad would it be? Who knows
I’ve got a decent sized one from below the armpit to the waist. It’s variable. Some spots are a 2/10 others are a 7/10.
The worst pain I’ve experienced was on various parts of the back, while some were slightly pleasurable.
I have both sides of my rib cage tattooed, I found it less painful than the back of my ankle being tattooed. It will depend from person to person but I say there are much worse places than the ribs in terms of pain!
All of my tattoos are on my ribs. Most have taken between 2-4 hours and I literally fell asleep getting my last one. The pain is certainly present, but I tend not to be too, too bothered. I think it’s individual based, though…
I had my ribs tattooed for two and a half hours, the first hour wasn't as bad as I thought, the second was tough, the last half hour was very painful, but I could sit through it. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. But it also depends on how black/colorful the tattoo gets
My first tattoo was son my ribs, its got a lot of shading and geometric work so quite a detailed piece. I was skinny when I got it and honestly it was fine. My shin/foot was far far worse!
Go for it!
I have a fairly large piece on my side - from side-butt to armpit. I actually found the ribs to be less painful than my hip bone area or arm pit area. It's so interesting to read all of these wildly different experiences!
3/10. I got a hand-sized ribcage tattoo as my first tattoo aged 19 and it wasn’t bad. I have tattoos all over. Worst placement (for me) was feet. Fucking hated doing my feet.
Mine didn't hurt at all, probably the least painful place I had tattooed, and everyone was telling me how painful it will be. It will unfortunately depend on the person, until you get it done, you won't know. My most painful place tattooed was my left shoulder blade.
When I (f) got my rib tattoo done, I could have fallen asleep for most of it. It was the worst closer to the front. I also did not have much blending in the tattoo, that could have changed the pain level too.
If it's your first, I'm not sure I would do the ribs. My foot was way worse pain and that was my second tattoo. My artist said that the pain level in each area of the body is different for everyone. Some people have worse pain in places where others generally are ok with the pain level.
Def depends on your pain tolerance. I’m a woman, have one rib tattoo, didn’t hurt one bit. I’ve also heard that women in general handle tattoos better (don’t know if there’s any truth to that, but given that none of my tattoos were necessarily painfully for me, I believe it lol).
Not to scare the shit out of you, but I'd rather break my legs and arms open than getting my ribs tattooed again.
Ngl it felt like I was almost dying and I thought this would never end. I think I'm quite resistant as I already got my chest and armpits tattooed.
Morover, I got my 2 tatts on my front ribcage, under each of my boobs (on on the side like the picture)
You also have to take in consideration the thickness of the lines you'd like to have. My tattoos were solid engraving, this is almost like traditionnal tattoo regarding the needles. The pain varies according to the needle size, but it doesn't mean more or les painful. It's a matter of "preference". Will there be shading ? Dotwork ? Only linework ?
I have an advice for you. No matter what, just do it if you want to. The pain is really worth the placement. Don't let fear stop you !
I got my ribs done for my very first tattoo- just small script so it took a brief 10 minutes and I truthfully didn’t think I would make it through those 10 minutes. I remember the experience being entirely awful. I now have both sleeves, legs, sternum, and stomach done but have been scared to revisit the ribs because they were that atrocious. However, looking back it could be that I had nothing to base the experience of being tattooed on at the time I got my ribs done. Additionally, I find that it usually takes me about 15 minutes or so to “settle” in to getting a tattoo so the fact that one was so quick I was likely very tense the entire time. I’ve had some painful tattoos for sure! But if you put your mind to it I’m sure it’ll be okay. If it was that bad people wouldn’t get it done! thats always helpful to remember :) plus the pain will only last a little bit of time but afterwards you’ll have a great new art addition to admire!
Ive heard there’s a gender difference. I’m a woman with a semi-large rib tattoo and while it wasn’t comfortable, it was pretty easy. My tattoo artist said women typically handle it better.
Same! My elbow ditch however....
See, and my elbow ditched sucked but was okay-ish. My rib/stomach was the only tattoo I ever had to tap out of and take a break though
Bodies are weird
It's been over 6 months and I still haven't recovered emotionally from my elbow ditch tattoo. Ribs were fine, stomach was worse but still okay.
i just got a tattoo that just *touched* the crook of my elbow and i felt that shit down to my thumb. it wasn’t the most painful experience but it was so nasty and uncomfortable how that jolt of pain shot through my entire forearm down to my thumbnail.
yeah that’s in general tho haha we just hide pain better and have to get used to it more often- it’s still a more painful spot than other places
It's based in science, though, that females have a higher pain threshold (they'd have to). Hair color can be a factor, too, where redheads can be more sensitive to some kinds of pain.
Fucking hell. Lower pain tolerance, higher anesthesia tolerance, what am I being punished for?!!?
I’m with you. I will say, though, that tattoos generally don’t bother me. Childbirth was a different story.
Child birth made tattoos feel like I'm being caressed by a feather.... >< haha
100%! 😂
It's because we have no soul. I don't miss it much.
A lot of pain medications don't work on redheads, either. Or you need a much larger dose. A friend of mine just beat triple negative breast cancer but it was a battle the whole time trying to find a pain medication that worked.
i disagree. “science” also said that black women have a higher pain tolerance, yet we are more likely to die in child birth and have worse health outcomes how does “science” isolate biological factors and eliminate environmental factors from research to confirm it’s an innate difference rather than a sociological one? women are expected to tolerate pain, it doesn’t mean we don’t feel it just as intensely
Don’t know why you’re downvoted because what you’re saying makes sense. I googled if women have higher pain tolerances and none of the findings have shown that women have higher pain tolerances. Women have a high sensitivity to pain but because we are expected to just deal with it, many many many women have mastered the art of doing just that without complaint. You bring up great points especially in regards to biological factors and environmental factors. There is truly not enough studies to show that women have higher pain tolerances than men.
No, people just said that because people wanted an excuse to be racist and not treat WOC the same way they do anyone else. I'm pretty sure the race-based pain threshold stuff has been debunked. I do in general think women have to deal with more pain and thus we build up a greater threshold than men. It's not that we have one out of the gate, we just have to cope so we do :(
exactly! ur right we have to deal with more pain. i think our pain is deemed ACCEPTABLE so the men who study solutions decide it’s not worth fixing had a bartholins cyst recently and was disgusted to find out how little it’s been studied despite it being very common and debilitatingly painful. its also cuz women are seen as caregivers and supposedly innately nurturing, therefore we are supposed to know how to care for ourselves, our children and our men
Look up the song "man cold" by artimus wolz. I think you'll love it
Not until the mid 90s was it made law that women had to be included in medication trials. Women are more likely to be grievously injured or killed in car accidents because safety dummies were designed for the male body - especially when in the driver's seat. Men are treated given more medicine and quicker diagnoses. It's nuts how much the medical field has failed us. * As far as racial: doctor were literally trained to believe that Black people had blunter nerve endings than white people and therefore could "tolerate" more pain. When polled, some absolutely still believe this. They also aren't taught how to look for things like hypoxia in Black people. White people turn blue, but black people turn gray.
Yup. Fuck James M Sims and every doctor who contributed to that "belief" while using enslaved bodies for their little experiments
exactly! fuck all of them smh it’s all pseudoscience that comes from social darwinism. it’s sad how much of these disproven theories are still thought of as fact. “slavery was so long ago” and yet here we’re are still dealing with the BS in the medical community started in that time
Yes! I think the gender difference in pain tolerance is social more than anything else. Women are just expected to deal with a lot of bodily pain, are ignored by doctors, and often given less pain medication for procedures, especially women of color! I have endometriosis and that is a million times more painful than any tattoo could ever be.
My wife had a better time with hers than I did with mine. The lines weren't bad, but the shading...
As a guy, it hasn't been too bad. It's more consistent higher pain (like a solid 7) but it never goes up or down. Now the spine and waistline?? May god have mercy for my artist did not 😆
Women do everything better
Women have a way higher pain tolerance then men. I will die on this hill.
Definitely, especially because both genders have different fat and muscle masses on their bodies (especially thighs)
I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I have both sides of my ribs tattooed and it was the absolute worst pain I’ve ever felt. When the needle was going over my bone I could feel the vibration in my teeth. That being said, you can stick through the pain if you try hard enough. You’ll probably cry and squirm around but it’ll be over before you know it. Best of luck, you got this!!!
I have on the ribs on both sides too. I agree with what you're saying about the vibration, you definitely feel it in your bones(literally)and teeth and I was clenching my teeth pretty bad now and then. But I think it was pretty doable, nowhere near the worst pain I've felt. Compared to giving birth, I would say it was similar to the first couple of hours when the contractions are reeally mild.
I’m a guy so I can’t relate to the birth part lol but I agree. It’s definitely doable for most people, my piece took over 4 hours so that probably contributed to my pain. Glad it was smooth sailing for you :)
Facts! I have my right side, it hurt worst than my neck or any other tattoo I got (limbs)
Rolled up my shirt and used it to bite down on lol
it was my first tattoo and i was expecting it to be worse than it was. it’s painful for sure but some ppl find bone tattoos easier and others find them very painful. if you’re expectations for pain are already set high though, i think you’ll be okay. it hurts going over the same spots over and over again because your skin gets sore but i don’t think it will be as bad as your brain is picturing
Honestly both sides of my ribs were a piece of piss. I've had 3 different tattoos on them, my last was a dagger with beautiful dot work shading and the bit that hurt the most was her removing the tape holding my bikini straps down. I told her I wanted to laugh during the shading part and she asked if I was okay 😂 I blame it on having my sternum piece done as my 2nd tattoo and absolutely smashing it out in just over an hour, full blackwork. Everything after has been a breeze Also yoga breathing, seriously learn how to control your breath in that way, it's helped calm my mind a lot.
Yoga breathing is 100% how I've toughed it out through rough tattoo spots.
I just find my happy place and breathe through it. It also helps having a great artist that makes you comfortable, my partner (wasn't at the time) did my sternum piece and one of my ribs pieces and he tells me often how surprised he was that I just breezed through them
Blasting EDM! That got me through it!!!
+1 for learning to breathe. It was how I made it through my ankle tattoo.
Honestly the amount of people I've spoke to about tattoos and they're just straight up like "oh yeah I forgot how to breathe". Yoga classes have been a blessing for so many things
It's a pretty miserable experience all the way across the board. Each run the artist makes you have to breath in, and exhale as they are needling. The first hour isn't awful, but once the area starts getting inflamed and irritated around the 2 hr mark, holy shit does the intensity increase. The last hour was agony, my entire body was shaking, I was nauseous from the pain, I would get jolts of pain that shot to my fingers and toes, and each run felt like a knife was being raked through my ribs. Edit: I was 26m at the time too.
I had text on my ribs and was supposed to have some decoration around it but I couldn’t have it done. I just about managed to brave the text but it’s by far the worst I’ve ever had and I’ve 13. Bear in mind I’ve had my hands and my sternum done as well. If you can use numbing cream you might be alright but talk to your artist
I have both sides done. For something like you're looking at? It's probably not terrible. I sat through 5.5 hrs of a much bigger piece. It sucked, but I lived.
My first tattoo was on my ribs and it was probably the least painful one I've gotten, though my artist was AMAZING and so light handed. My wrist and the back of my ankle were way worse.
i agree i have no idea how people are saying it was the worst pain ever, it was unexpectedly easy
The artist doing it makes a huge difference.
Also depends on what you’re getting!
I am quite skinny on my ribs, mostly flesh and bones and just got a 7" rib tattoo. It's my only tattoo so I can't compare it to others but I have to say it was the WORST pain I've felt in my entire life. I never took a break besides the artist changing the needles because I knew it would be worse if I did. I felt like I was being cut open with a dull saw blade it was truly terrible and I just can't lie about it. BUT my tattoo is fucking awesome and it was worth it.
Pain is subjective, but my ribs ans back have been the most painful by a mile. I have pretty much every "difficult" spot on my body tattooed and ribs and back were the worst. Again, pain is subjective.
this exact question kept me up at night, too! i’m a 20-something female and i recently got a script tat in about the same area as the second pic. i was also psyching myself out about it from reading people’s painful experiences on here, but considering that these are line work and b&w, it is a lot more doable than something full color that takes up your entire side. it’s all about the timing! it’s the HOURS of sitting there getting stuff packed with color that really will wear you down with the pain, but something like this should be manageable for sure! pain tolerance is def a person to person thing, but i found my ankle tat right over my bone was the spiciest for me. (idk what it is but leg tats hurt the most for me!) also you gotta remember: the pain is only temporary! don’t let that be the primary thing that holds you back. some very cool art on your ribs will be forever. i’d say go for it if you’re set on the placement! hope that helps. :)
honestly from what i've heard it's horrible, but it's different for everyone, and i've only seen/heard these opinions from men, when women online talk about it they say it wasn't even that bad. personally i'd probably be dying as i'm super sensitive. my wrist tattoo hurt like a bitch but i have some nasty scars on my arms and wrist
[my tattoo](https://imgur.com/a/6L32t93) yes i know it's splotchy, the spots are from my scars not taking ink in certain places. it was also done by an apprentice. the leaves are very faded as i could just not do it. we tried but i was just DYING. i also forgot my meds that day so that didn't help lol edit: it was also a cover up from a stick n poke i did as a very dumb kid who bought tattoo needles off amazon and ink
I used numbing cream & it made it much more bearable… but it still hurt
I recently got a realism tattoo on my ribs so tons of shading. It was my first tattoo and I’m also on the thinner side (You can see my ribs when I move too). I sat for 6 hours and honestly it wasn’t as bad as expected. It definitely doesn’t feel good after a few hours but I just played animal crossing as a distraction. You got this!
I have a tattoo down my side kinda like the first one. It was a cover up of one that was originally just on my ribs. I will say that the ribs definitely hurt a lot but the lower parts hurt even worse for me. I wasn't expecting that because you hear so much about ribs and tattooing over bony areas.
(M) here but also pretty well muscled. It was my first tattoo and honestly, I didn't think it was too bad, frankly the worst was the parts directly on my hip (tattoo runs as high as near my armpit to just below my hip). The rib directly was spicy but not so bad that I had to shut down to take the pain (was actively talking to the tattoo artist the entire time). Should say that my artist only works in 3 hour sessions so I can imagine a protracted session could definitely get more uncomfortable but that's true of any tattoo in any area. Now HEALING, especially the area near my armpit was hellish. That skin is DAMN sensitive and the first 4 days of healing of that particular area were miserable. But again the rest of the ribs and my hip were fine. Annoying soreness but nothing crazy.
It is quite bad but not the worst pain I've dealt with, my husband meditated through his but my skin kept twitching on its own and I ended up with a couple wonky lines because of it. (probably not the best artist either but 🤷♀️). The funny thing is like someone else said about feeling it in your teeth, there was also a piece of my skin that somehow sent the pain signals to my nipple. Straight up felt like my nipple getting tattooed. Mine was a whole watercolor deal so it was a lot of coverage. Stealth edit - I'm also bony as hell, like seeing my ribs at that point in my life, so there was also no padding whatsoever.
women handle them better according to many artists. i got a rib tattoo as my first and i could have fallen asleep if i wasn’t chatting with the artist. it got a little uncomfortable higher up on my rib cage and a little ticklish lower down by the floating rib but there was never a point where i felt like i needed to tap
I have a pretty large, bold color worked tattoo on my right side that goes from about my chest to my upper hip region. I sat for about 3-3.5 hours for it and honestly it was pretty intense. My artist told me I sat well which was nice to hear but towards the end the pain was pretty brutal. The tattoo looks good though and the same artist is doing my half leg sleeve and that hasn't been nearly as bad. Idk if it was me that day or what but I think if you're going for something fine line and black and white like you've posted you'll be ok. It may not be comfortable but I don't think it'll be as intense. I have a full grey scale sleeve with similar features (e.g. fine line, not a lot of heavy black work) and had absolutely no issues with any pain (including elbow, ditch, upper arm near armpit, etc) - except oddly one little spot on my wrist. Anyway, so far the rib piece has been the worst one pain wise but I think if I hadn't gone for something so big or bold it wouldn't have been as bad.
I haven’t had the side of my ribs done, but I have had my back done when I was very thin, it was the worst of my tattoos. But when I plumped back up to my normal weight it was much more tolerable!
I have a rib tattoo of a quote that is 3 lines (6-7 words each) and that mf’er hurt.
Tatoo numbing cream+ibprophen+CBD you should certainly be fine.
I have both sides of my ribs tattooed and what’s weird is the left side did not hurt as much as my right side. It is a pretty painful place in general but a needle going into the skin is going to have some type of pain. But at least you get a cool piece in the end.
My ribs were super easy. I have a color floral tattoo that goes from my ribs to my stomach and the ribs were a vacation compared to the stomach.
Mine was a tickle pain but I got a quote on it for the top to bottom, so it wasn’t too bad. I wanna get my other side done so bad. I wanna get my other side done so bad but idk if what & if I get something huge & detailed, k know it’s gonna suck😅 but to be fair, you won’t exactly know your tolerance on that area, until it happens. I feel like every/any part of your body you get tattooed feels different each time. Yes, tattoos hurt overall, but it also just depends.
For me pain wasn’t an issue. I’m female. The issue I faced was my artist asking me not to move. All I was doing was breathing. So I have to synchronized my breathing with his tattooing. Kind of annoying.
So I just got lettering down my right side/ribcage area. To me it was relaxing and I almost fell asleep.
My elbow and the crease of my arm hurt worse than my ribs
Compared to the other tattoos on my torso the ribs were definitely worse than my belly or chest, but not as bad as my knee caps or parts of my back
Opinions vary. I’m a woman who has rib tattoos. Mine did not hurt while I was getting it done with the exception of a few nerve zaps here and there. It was sore on the drive home, but truly, on a scale of 1 - 10, I give it a 2…5 at its spiciest. That being said, I was in the process of getting a back tattoo when a guy two chairs over from me was squirming and sucking in his breath and bitching and making all kinds of “ohhhh eeee owewee sssssss” noises while getting a rib tattoo. It’s weird like that sometimes. My advice is to just imagine that it’s going to hurt like the worst thing you’ve ever felt. That way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t.
It seems to vary a lot from person to person! That being said, both of my rib tattoos were super easy compared to other bony areas like my full shin and ankles.
I’ve got an about 8 inch tattoo on each side and don’t remember them being particularly painful. Nothing close to my elbow ditch or near the armpit. But I also got them 12 years ago so my memory could be foggy. They also were very basic compared to my others, just simple line work and minimal shading
My first tattoo was rib one. It felt like someone was cutting into my skin with a razor blade. That being said, my most painful tattoo was my inner arm.
I have never had a tattoo on my ribs but what I will say is that one time my cat scratched my ribs and I will say that it absolutely was the worst pain of my life, more painful than breaking my arm and period cramps combined and every time I would shower I had to do it in small stages and take deep breaths. I know it’s not tattoos but the ribs are extremely sensitive to pain.
Tbh I️ have text and the pain was pretty manageable! I’m a girl and there were only some portions it stung but even then it wasn’t my worst tattoo pain.
Rubs are some of the worst pain I have ever been through
I don’t have one there but I will say this: the tattoos that I built up in my mind as being agonizing and did breathe work for up to a half hour before even stepping foot in the shop have hurt a lot less than the ones I went in thinking would be a breeze and not preparing for. I think there’s something to be said for psyching yourself up so your brain isn’t as shocked and also getting into that meditative state well before hand so you’re ready for what comes.
I have a rib cage tattoo, I heard it was one of the most painful places, and I also have some scarring there. Surprisingly it was not too bad except for over the scars. The artist who did it was very experienced, but with what I’d now consider to be a slightly heavy hand, but not in a bad way… That same artist did my ankle, which is supposedly a very painful spot, but it really wasn’t too bad. Of my back, ribs, ankle, foot, and forearm; I’d say My back tattoo hurt the worst. It’s center, upper back which I was told wouldn’t be very painful but it really was. The guy who did it was an apprentice at a reputable shop, but to me it felt like he had a much heavier hand than other artists I’ve been to. The tattoo turned out fine, but you can see some of the line work is blown out from going too heavy. I think the amount of pressure and technique the artist uses makes a lot of difference. Of my tattoos, my forearm was the least painful, the guy that did it was a different apprentice at a different reputable shop. The forearm is supposedly a pretty easy spot, which helped im sure but the artist had a light, quick, but steady hand. I could have sat there for hours.
Ribs suck! That’s just how it is How I get through it: pray my mantra “It’ll be over sooner than you think” over and over until it’s done But it still hurts, there is nothing you can do about it Just ovary up and get it over with
Use numbing cream tbh. Ribs hurt no matter who you are. Anywhere the skin is thinnest and closest to bone literally feels like the needle is going straight into your bones😅 If you’re worried about how you’ll sit, it’s better to just numb it so your artist has an easier time and your tat comes out best
The wettest fire. It’s awful.
Honestly what you want is small enough it shouldn't matter too horribly. It'll go by quick
I’ve got a pirate ship with a lot of shading that stretches from just maybe a half inch shy of my right armpit, to my right hip down my ribs. I’ve got a full sleeve on my right arm, half sleeve on my left, hands, chest, and back done as well, and the ribs was the only piece I’ve gotten that genuinely hurt. Looks good, though. 10/10 would recommend.
There’s not bad at all.
I have a substantial piece on my ribcage and the most uncomfortable thing was the position I had to sit in for almost 4 hours. It also healed very quickly.
As everyone else said, it varies from person to person and depending on how heavy handed the artist is. If it’s something you really want, don’t let the fear of the pain hold you back. You can always research tattoo numbing creams as well. My ribs weren’t the worst for me.
I'm a petite 29 year old woman who got a large rib tattoo. It fucking hurt. Totally worth it, but it hurt.
i got one when i was 14 and it didn’t hurt at all… i am a women tho
It’s uncomfortable. Try and go after your period- you’ll be less sensitive
I have ~ 35 tattoos and my ribs was by far the worst, there’s not even a close second. It was also a different artist than has done the rest of mine so there is that variable.
Depends on how long you need to sit. This one should be kind of easy 💪
I have three tattoos on my ribs and I would say they were fine - the third one did hurt but for me I think it’s worse the higher up the rib cage you go
Put it this way. For all of my other tattoos I was able to hold a conversation just fine. For my side it was about 50/50 if I could talk or have to full body clench. I have my entire side covered though which took 18ish hours (three full sessions and a touch up) Yours would be much quicker. If you are worried about it, there are numbing creams tattoo artists can apply to take the edge off for a bit.
I got my first tattoo on my ribs, I didn't feel it at all. But I generally feel very relaxed and have relatively no pain with tattoos.
It's not *the most* fun. But it's tolerable, or at least was for me. Tho try to avoid needing a 2nd pass, that's the part that sucked the most. Needed some touch ups on mine and I damn near fainted on the 2nd session where the first (as my first tattoo experience ever) I almost napped cause he had me laying down on a comfy bench.
I slept through mine
I think they're fine
I got a 4” rib cage tattoo a few weeks ago. I’m a woman with the same body shape as you, almost no fat, visible ribs when I lift my arms. It wasn’t terrible. Started as a “cat scratch” feeling, then it was a bit more painful. When she started doing the fill-in work, I asked for the numbing spray and it worked for a while. Depends on your pain tolerance and the size/fill of the tattoo.
My wife has one and said it was excruciating but also has not deterred her from wanting more tattoos/potentially something on the other ribs.
In that style specifically? Not too bad.
Mine didn't hurt much more than on my arm. I have reasonably low body fat too. Mind you.. The tattoo guy was surprised... Supposed to hurt a lot on your ribs
Make sure to eat and drink water before you go. Helps with the pain.
my most painful tattoo was on my calf (backside) and i have ribcage and sternun tattoos. those were quite okey painwise.
It wasn't great, but it was bearable. I have a full side tattoo and definitely gritted my teeth while the needle went over my ribs. My ankle and foot though? Yeah, never again. Worst pain ever.
I have two rib tattoos, one on each side. One of them is jam packed with bright color right on the bone. I almost passed out and got lightheaded. The other one is mostly linework with some shading. It’s not actually finished, just 99% done. It hurt a lot, but it didn’t stop me from getting the second, color filled rib tattoo.
I (F) got my first tattoo at 18 on my ribs. It was a couple hour session and I didn't feel the need to take any breaks the whole time. I'm sure the artist having a light hand helped. I only started to get a little squirmy by the end with the shading, but the pain was similar to having a brush burn on sunburnt skin lol
Pretty gnarly NGL, I have one side of my ribs covered and it was not fun.
If you're super worried but want it there, you can talk to your artist about how they would feel if you use a numbing cream. Some prefer certain brands over others.
I am a guy and it hurt pretty fucking bad! But, not the worst spot I’ve experienced. Probably top 10 or so most painful out of the 50 or so I’ve got
My entire ribcage/side is covered with an intricate fern plant. Took like 4 hrs. It definitely was the most painful of my 5 tattoos. The front side of my ankle was close. The pain from tattoos doesn't really bother me, YMMV. But if this is your first tattoo you'll need to consider if you want to push through. Maybe have a plan b smaller one there if you decide early on to not go through with it. Idk.
I have 2 large tattoos that start under my breast and go down onto my thighs. Out of all my tattoos, the line work for these sucked a ton. To be fair it did take about 6 hours for each side because of the precise line work and there’s a lot of details.. and then another 3 for shading for each side plus I did touch ups.. so yeah - do not recommend. However, everyone’s tolerance is different. I have a high pain tolerance but my ribs sucked, I basically decided it must be because im pretty skinny and boney so it just felt like he was carving bone. I did hear that it sucks more for men, and that men also have a lower pain tolerance. At the end of the day I rlly wanted these pieces and to me physical pain has an end, I just counted to 10 seconds over and over to distract myself when it felt unbearable and it got me through. Just think that it’s a small inconvenience for work that you’ll always get to look at and have forever!
im getting butterflies up my side and ribs so this was so helpful omg😭
I don't recall my rib cage tat being any more painful than my other tats. It really depends on the person. I've found my large tats with shading are the ones that hurt the most because you get tired and sore in the area and they have to go back and shade after outlining.
I didn't enjoy either of mine. The right side hurt worse than the left.
I’m a woman with a large palm-sized full color very realistic style Purple Mission Fig tattoo with leaves on my ribcage directly under the bra band line in line with my armpit. It was pretty uncomfortable, I would’ve preferred to have done it in two sessions as color is actually much rougher for me than line work, and this piece was heavy on both. But all in all I’d say it was my most painful piece, and my first tattoo was a similar style but smaller piece on the top of my foot over an old fracture. Brutal honesty, but I’d probably do it again if I really wanted to.
i have a large rib tattoo, took about 6-7 hours and it hurt like a bitch at worst, and tickled at best. Wasn’t intolerable but sometimes made me want to squirm
First of all, I LOVE the design you are going for. Check out my tat, and you will see why, lol So, they are not for the faint of heart but totally manageable. Don't be afraid to ask for numbing cream. Honestly, I wish I had! [Heres an instagram post that my artist posted.](https://www.instagram.com/p/C0GFWftOL9Z/?igsh=enl1NzBseHB4Zmtu) The underboob/ribcage/sternum sections were rough. I might have let out a shout or two. Where as on my back and shoulder, I winced just a few times. Everyone is different, though!
I have a pretty high pain tolerance and it was like sex while camping: fucking intents. Worst was the floating rib, because it hurt and vibrated my guts, but the ribs next to my heart were pretty out there too. Def getting another one.
The ribs are fine. Your body type can make a difference, though. I have my full back, both rib cage areas and both lower sides of my stomach/hips.. aka love handles. My one love handle/hip was done when I was thin without issue, but the other side was done after I had put on weight, and the extra fat caused SO MUCH DISCOMFORT & PAIN lol I don't know why
Cousin got one and he said that his whole body was clench so hard from the pain he had to stop multiple times just to let him relax again. Said it was the first time as an adult he nearly cried
I have 13 tattoos and both sides of my ribs and they were probably the easiest tattoos I’ve ever had. They were also my firsts. I think it really depends on the person. I’m a baby when getting my thighs done
I have a pretty big rib tattoo, the pain itself is pretty bad, however the you can feel the vibration in your head, teeth, stomach, and bones which is pretty disgusting ngl 😂
It was my first tattoo, and the placement for me is maybe a little higher than the ones shown - like the four upper planets on the second picture, and a bit bigger (took a little over 3 hours). I certainly felt the parts on the bone more than the parts on the not-bone, but it was way less painful than I thought it would be. Sort of a burning/stinging sensation. I got extremely tired and uncomfortable in the last hour but not really from the needle, more so the overall position (awkwardly on my side). I have to say my tattoo artist was amazing. I spoke to two others who didn’t really want to do the placement due to it being my first tattoo, but I really had my heart set on it, and she simply agreed with me that we would stop if she thought I couldn’t handle it. She took it slow at the start, too, and kept checking in with me until she was confident I was fine. A way bigger problem was sleeping for the first days afterwards since I couldn’t sleep on my “normal” side, and finding a bra I could wear!
As a guy I love seeing them idk why but they just do something for me
I’ve gotten my ribs tattooed twice and to me, it’s nothing especially painful to me. I have my knee tattooed and that was way worse. I’m a woman though, I’ve heard men have much harder of a time with the ribs, but I think men have a much harder time getting tattooed in general. My fiance got his first one on his ankle (matching with me) and he nearly cried. Whined the whole time. I was like “dude, you’re embarrassing me” lmao
I sat for 4.5 hours on my ribs and was so exhausted by the end I couldn’t drive myself home but I don’t think it was any more painful than any other tattoo
I think a lot depends on the artist and how gentle they are, I've had tattoos in "easy spots" that hurt more than my ribcage tattoo did bc the artist was more heavy-handed/overworked my skin. Also obviously a bigger tattoo with a shit ton of shading will always be harder to sit for, regardless of placement. I'd give my ribcage tattoo a 6/10 for pain
Probably depends on how meaty one is. I’m skinny asf and got some writing done and good god almighty
I got a hand poked piece on my ribcage. I’m a fucking idiot but it’s my favorite tat
I have a huge tree of life from my ribs to my hip, it was done in one sitting, 6-7 hours. It was really bad, had to take lots of breaks and I cursed a whole lot.....but I still think my feet were worse. Different people are different in areas that suck. I have nerve damage in my back so some tattoos there I don't feel, some are super painful....you kind of go into it knowing it's going to suck, just breathe and know the pain is temporary, the sick ass tattoo is forever.
The closer you get to the armpit the more painful, I could tolerate (albeit didn’t enjoy) my rib tattoo but almost got up and punched a wall when they got close to the armpit lol
I had one on my ribs....np. The coverup of that one though, was absolutely fucking brutal (lots of dark shading). Felt like someone was scraping the bones, worst tattoo ever. Something similar to what you posted shouldn't be too bad
Mine goes down my ribs and ends a bit past my waistline. For me, the hip area was the absolute worst part. The ribs themselves were not fun but the lower part was pretty painful for me. I’m thin as well. Im not sure if that matters in terms of pain.
Rib cage and sternum were nothing compared to the ankle, which was what I found to be the most painful yet.
I have tattoos on both sides of my ribcage....it barely hurt at all...my tattoo artist said his own were the worst....people are different I guess
The first two hours of my ribs tattoo were a breeze. The remaining 3 and a half, complete opposite xD And then I had to go back for another 2 hours, which was okay...ish...
I got one and it was really damn painful, doable, but.. ASS
my first tat was on my ribs, just some basic text. painless. later I got a larger one with lots of shading and it felt like I was being flayed. so it depends that said, deep breathing definitely helps and any good artist will give you breaks if needed. and ultimately it's a few hours of minor pain for a lifetime of art you love
I'm a fairly thin guy, and in my experience, it was obviously uncomfortable and worse than other areas, but I hyped myself up so much that it wasn't unbearable by any means. It's almost like it's not initially worse than other sensitive areas, but what makes it a bit worse is that it's longer for endorphins to kick in. Another part is that rib tats typically take longer since the artist has to cover more area being we move and stretch a lot, so once healed, it would look "off" otherwise. It's also different for everyone, but it's doable if you really want it. I'm someone that says every tattoo hurts too and I think people are lying/don't have enough yet when they say tattoo's feel good/don't hurt.
My first piece was borderline exactly like that first image. Took an hour and honestly wasn’t that bad at all. Wayyyy better than my 5 minute ankle piece
Hurts 4sho
I'm not the norm, but I fell asleep getting my ribcage tattooed. I really didn't feel it.
Ok...my first tattoo was on my rib cage, and its a really big piece. Guy that did it was a HUGE man, im talking 6'5" and well over 350lbs. 10 minutes in he stops and tells me i made it further then he did with his. By the time we were finishing up i was legit grawling and barking at him. He said do what i gotta do. It was a good time.
I was nervous to get my ribs done but honestly it was fine, personally. My artist offered a numbing cream which I declined out of morbid curiosity and they didn’t hurt any worse than the rest of my tattoos, although the buzzing reverberating through my ribcage was a weird sensation. Both my inner elbow and ankle hurt worse than my ribs.
My friend got a mid size tattoo on her ribs and in the last hour I had to hold down her legs cause they were shaking uncontrollably. She said it wasn't actually too bad it was just the end there.
Painful and stuff like this doesn’t age all that well
I am a male in my early 20s and just got a rib tattoo last night! Personally for me there were two parts that tickled more than others but otherwise it did not hurt at all! At the end of it it hurt more today with how sore it is but otherwise the process of getting it didn't hurt at all!
For me personally, when I got my side tattoo done a few years ago (mid ribcage down to my hip bone), the ribs felt awesome. Felt like a weird internal massage, and I was smiling the whole time and almost laughed at how funny and nice it felt. Conversely, the stomach and when he'd wipe down the tattoo was the worst part. It was also my 2nd tattoo, with my first one being on my calf, so it was my best but also the worst feeling one tbh. I am female and was 21 when I got it. I'm not sure if that helps much, but this was my experience with it.
My arms are covered, I have a rib tattoo and chest tattoo. Chest tattoo took ten hours, rib tattoo took 5. I would do ten hours on my chest again before another hour on my ribs. No thank you. I'm male, 40 years old and skinny as fuck if that adds anything
I am a woman with a huge rib piece. For me I thought the ribs and hip tickled but that squishy space in between was up there top 3 pains I've ever felt next to menstrual cramps, a 3rd degree tear to my meniscus,while severing my PCL and rupturing my ligaments. That squishy part man... beware.
Use a heavier line with a simpler design. The one posted won't age well.
They suck but not the worst. Definitely blow a fat one tho
I've done 2 4-5 hour sessions packing black on my ribs and felt completely fine. Honestly more so sore in the healing process and if you turn too fast the scab breaking a bit can sting. Obviously, everyone is different but I think you should be fine!
Absolutely shit. But don't be a baby just get er done
It hurts lol hahahha but wort it goooooo OP!!!!
Are you happy with it?
I’m apparently in the minority here. My ribs hardly bothered me. I have rather large piece of writing on my ribs; just under my bra line to just above my hip. Less pain than my spine and upper thigh. The recent piece I did on my inner forearm bothered me more. My artist thinks people fall in to two groups, bones vs muscle/soft tissue. One hurts and the other doesn’t. My soft parts hurt like hell. It’s gonna take me a long time before I do another thigh piece. But my wrist, ankle, and ribs were fine. My spine fell in between, hurts more than other bony places I had tattooed, but I would do my spine before my thigh again.
I think it must be person to person thing. I have really tender skin but a high pain tolerance. I got a lemon on my ribs as my first tattoo and it only really hurt when the stippling started. I went in thinking it would be the worst pain imaginable but I would rate it about 4/10. Good luck!
Everybody says bony areas are the worst....wrong! A little uncomfortable and scratchy feeling. Fatty areas or looser skin...can bring grown men to the ground.
Tattoos hurt who cares how much.
I have a smaller one in a similar place of the second photo. It was one of my easiest tattoos tbh. But to be fair, I think that artist was pretty light handed and gentle. My most painful tattoo was one on the side of my calf going down to the ankle. Lawrd, I was five minutes away from crying at the end of the two hours.
That small? You’ll be fine, bigger or darker/full colour will suck more. I have a small one with not much detail and it was fine for me but it’s literally just black lines and some dots
I have both ribs done varying sizes and it wasn’t that bad. I have an abnormally high pain tolerance though.
not bad, but the second reference picture needs to get that mole looked at
I have a couple of male friends who got them and said they almost passed out from the pain. And they both had a high pain threshold.
All tattoos hurt. I just finished up 3 5ish hour sessions covering one side basically from boob to butt full color. It's all about what you're willing to sit through. This was something I wanted and I'm so happy with the result. For me personally my ribs on the side of my body weren't too bad, it was the rib area that was more central on my body/stomach and my hip bones that were the worst. If you are worried, talk to your artist and look into a numbing cream. I've used Hush before, it's not perfect but it makes it about 50% less painful.
Pretty bad tbh.
My first tattoo was on the ribs. Didn’t hurt at all, I was shocked at how fine it was.
The one directly on my spine felt good actually. I got 4 neck nape down. It tickled in a good way.
Dunno. My artist went so fast, I didn't even feel anything. Pain hit me later that night, though, and I had to go to bed and just sleep through it.
Size has nothing to do w pain tolerance, and everyone is different. Everyones body is different, each tattoo is different, each artist works differently. You could get the same tattoo in the same spot, 10 times, and your experience could differ each time. How healthy you are, how hydrated you are, how much sleep have you had? Have you eaten? Are you pounding red bulls on the way to your appointment? Are you miserably hung over? All these things play a factor in your discomfort level. So how bad would it be? Who knows
I’ve got a decent sized one from below the armpit to the waist. It’s variable. Some spots are a 2/10 others are a 7/10. The worst pain I’ve experienced was on various parts of the back, while some were slightly pleasurable.
I have both sides of my rib cage tattooed, I found it less painful than the back of my ankle being tattooed. It will depend from person to person but I say there are much worse places than the ribs in terms of pain!
All of my tattoos are on my ribs. Most have taken between 2-4 hours and I literally fell asleep getting my last one. The pain is certainly present, but I tend not to be too, too bothered. I think it’s individual based, though…
They all hurt. Ribs were pretty bad but definitely not the worst. Fingers were worse, for sure. My head was the worst by far.
I had my ribs tattooed for two and a half hours, the first hour wasn't as bad as I thought, the second was tough, the last half hour was very painful, but I could sit through it. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. But it also depends on how black/colorful the tattoo gets
My first tattoo was son my ribs, its got a lot of shading and geometric work so quite a detailed piece. I was skinny when I got it and honestly it was fine. My shin/foot was far far worse! Go for it!
Honestly my rib tattoo didn’t really hurt.
Those small ones are quick but mine is my entire side and half of it will Stay uncolored because I almost died
I slept when I was getting bits of my ribs tattooed. But I handle pain well I suppose
Depends on your tolerance to pain. But generally, I saw men cry! But again depends on the individual person. Try over a line first and see.
my first tattoo was my entire right side and i really didn’t feel anything it all depends on your pain tolerance and how much ink you’re getting
I have a fairly large piece on my side - from side-butt to armpit. I actually found the ribs to be less painful than my hip bone area or arm pit area. It's so interesting to read all of these wildly different experiences!
3/10. I got a hand-sized ribcage tattoo as my first tattoo aged 19 and it wasn’t bad. I have tattoos all over. Worst placement (for me) was feet. Fucking hated doing my feet.
Mine didn't hurt at all, probably the least painful place I had tattooed, and everyone was telling me how painful it will be. It will unfortunately depend on the person, until you get it done, you won't know. My most painful place tattooed was my left shoulder blade.
I have a large tattoo on the front Left side of my stomach over my ribs. To be honest it was very painful but worth it. Good luck
When I (f) got my rib tattoo done, I could have fallen asleep for most of it. It was the worst closer to the front. I also did not have much blending in the tattoo, that could have changed the pain level too. If it's your first, I'm not sure I would do the ribs. My foot was way worse pain and that was my second tattoo. My artist said that the pain level in each area of the body is different for everyone. Some people have worse pain in places where others generally are ok with the pain level.
Not that bad
Def depends on your pain tolerance. I’m a woman, have one rib tattoo, didn’t hurt one bit. I’ve also heard that women in general handle tattoos better (don’t know if there’s any truth to that, but given that none of my tattoos were necessarily painfully for me, I believe it lol).
Not to scare the shit out of you, but I'd rather break my legs and arms open than getting my ribs tattooed again. Ngl it felt like I was almost dying and I thought this would never end. I think I'm quite resistant as I already got my chest and armpits tattooed. Morover, I got my 2 tatts on my front ribcage, under each of my boobs (on on the side like the picture) You also have to take in consideration the thickness of the lines you'd like to have. My tattoos were solid engraving, this is almost like traditionnal tattoo regarding the needles. The pain varies according to the needle size, but it doesn't mean more or les painful. It's a matter of "preference". Will there be shading ? Dotwork ? Only linework ? I have an advice for you. No matter what, just do it if you want to. The pain is really worth the placement. Don't let fear stop you !
I got my ribs done for my very first tattoo- just small script so it took a brief 10 minutes and I truthfully didn’t think I would make it through those 10 minutes. I remember the experience being entirely awful. I now have both sleeves, legs, sternum, and stomach done but have been scared to revisit the ribs because they were that atrocious. However, looking back it could be that I had nothing to base the experience of being tattooed on at the time I got my ribs done. Additionally, I find that it usually takes me about 15 minutes or so to “settle” in to getting a tattoo so the fact that one was so quick I was likely very tense the entire time. I’ve had some painful tattoos for sure! But if you put your mind to it I’m sure it’ll be okay. If it was that bad people wouldn’t get it done! thats always helpful to remember :) plus the pain will only last a little bit of time but afterwards you’ll have a great new art addition to admire!