Thinking about getting a tattoo? Then it's time to figure out where on your body you ideally want to get one. Location is as important as the tattoo idea itself, you know!

Shoulders

That’s right, shoulders are one of the least painful areas of the body to get tattooed. And the reason why is pretty simple and applies across the board: the more there is between your skin and the bone, the less painful it’ll be. That explains why your collarbone is painful, because most of the time, there’s not much padding there, so to speak.

But your shoulders? They have some meatiness to them, even if you’re slender. Naturally, they have more give, and they’re not connected to anything too sensitive, like a wrist is to veins.

If you’re going for a small tattoo, or even a medium-sized one that would benefit from a curve on the body, the shoulder is a great spot to consider.

Outer Arm

Think of your forearm, or even your upper arm. It’s the reason why sleeves are so popular. This area has more meat to it, it isn’t too sensitive. The veins are at the wrist, so they’re not really a part of the equation here.

And that leads to a pretty reasonable tattoo pain level that’s both tolerable, and great for beginners. It also gives you plenty of room for larger tattoos. You can get one giant piece, or a small one, or even several pieces over time to get a sleeve. The choice is up to you entirely, and the pain level is on the low side, so it shouldn’t factor into your decision at all.

Butt

That’s right, your butt. It makes sense though: there is “junk in the trunk,” and it saves you from feeling an excruciating amount of pain.

Hypothetically, say you have a bit of a flat bottom, you’re still in the clear. Male or female, big butt or not, there’s is always going to be more between your skin and the bone than anywhere else on the body. And that means the pain level is much, much lower than, say, on the knee caps where grown men are known to cry.

Plus, depending on your personal choice, you can keep it tiny, or opt for a larger tattoo back there. It can even go on your side, so it’s really on your upper thigh, but stretches toward your butt, if you rather go that route. There’s a lot to consider, but luckily, pain isn’t really a factor.

Calf

It’s the least painful part of the body to be tattooed, at least according to most people. Why? Because it’s meaty, there’s a lot of room there for a bigger piece, and the pain level is totally tolerable.

It’s not going to hurt nearly as much as other parts of the body, like the neck, for example. Or the knees.

Lower Back

If you look at anyone, however thin or hefty they may be, male or female, it doesn’t matter. One thing never changes: our tummy area, our lower back and “love handle” area, is always wider than our rib cage area. That’s because it needs to be proportional to our butt area, so naturally speaking, it’s a “softer” area.

This makes it perfect for tattoos, because it’s not going to hurt as much as less meaty areas. It’s not near any veins, or nerves. It’s a big enough area for a bigger tattoo idea too.

The only issue to be wary of, potentially, is the stigma associated with this area. It has an unflattering nickname for a reason: it’s considered to be a bit crass to have a tattoo here. It’s consider to lack class, overall, because it’s associated with a certain type of woman.

However, that being said, everything is a matter of perception and context. Society has its general consensus on things like this, but if you know you, and you want it there, you shouldn’t feel like you need to justify it to anyone. Be you, be loud, be proud, and act however you want to act. There’s only one life to live, after all!

Upper Back

This is a really good area to get tattooed for a few reasons. For one, if you have long hair, you can hide it or put it on display as you see fit. Need to attend a wedding and tattoos aren’t allowed? Put your hair down. Out and about on a warm day? Pull your hair up into a messy bun.

Another reason is that it’s an area that you show enough of, but you don’t overshow, so it’s always a nice touch. For example, if you have a romantic partner, they’re going to see the tattoo more than anyone else. If you’ve been wearing t-shirts, long-sleeves or sweaters, odds are you’re not showing off the tattoo much. But then you get home, change into a tank top, or a top with exposed shoulders, and bam. The tattoo is either peaking through, or completely in view. So, it has the effect of… always being kind of new. Kind of unexpected.

Tack onto that the fact that it is a relatively painless area to get tattooed on, by comparison, and you have yourself a pretty good experience from beginning to end.

Thigh

We’re talking the front of the thigh, or the back, but not the side between the legs. The closer you get to your intimate areas, the more painful it will be. So, if you look in a mirror, the front part of the thigh, the side of your outer leg, and the back of the thigh are painless compared to your inner thigh. That’s going to rank red on pretty much every tattoo pain chart out there.

This area can be covered up by pants, or dresses or skirts, but it can also be put on display with shorts, or shorter dresses and skirts. Having that flexibility makes it a good idea if you have a stuffy job, or if you just want to be able to change things up for the fun of it.

Plus, it’s not close to any veins or other sensitive bits that would otherwise make the tattooing process excruciating.