It's hard to say exactly how much pain you may experience when getting a tattoo, if before getting to the tattoo shop, you are feeling extremely fearful about the level of pain you might feel, it may be a very painful process, if on the other hand you are relaxed and quite laid back about it, the pain may not be that bad. If you are the sort of person that has an ability to handle pain well, a tolerance, you may feel very little discomfort during the tattoo process, getting a tattoo involves having the skin pierced which ensures some amount of pain will be felt.

The most painful part of getting a tattoo is getting the outline done, the tattoo needle penetrates the skin with different levels of speed and at different depths. The outline of the tattoo is a black line created to make the tattoo stand out and because it's the thickest part of the tattoo it hurts the most, the needle at this point of the tattoo goes in the deepest, to make sure the tattoo is done right. Getting areas of the tattoo shaded usually isn't to unpleasant, although it depends what look you're going for,what level of penetration will be used.

If you are getting a tattoo in a place on your body where there is a minimal amount of tissue and bone, such as the chest or wrist, its going to hurt more. Areas that have more bone and tissue, such as the legs and arms aren't going to be as painful. The pain experienced is the sensation of a slight burn or scratching feeling.

The following are a few tips to help you deal with the pain of receiving a tattoo, you can't stop all pain but you can lessen it.

1) Show up at the tattoo parlor with plenty of time to spend, a good tattoo is a work of art and can't be rushed.

2) Make sure you feel good about your tattoo artist and are comfortable in his presence, feeling confident about your artist will lessen your pain.

3) If the pain starts getting overwhelming, tell your tattoo artist you need a break, if the pain is really bad you can always break up a session and come back later.

4) Don't show up to get a tattoo drunk or on drugs, your blood will be thinned and therefore you are open to feeling more discomfort.

5) Listen to some music that you enjoy or cheers you up, it'll take your mind off the tattooing process and the pain involved.