Some wonder what it feels like to get a tattoo.

There are many ways to describe the feeling. It mainly depends on what part of the body you get the tattoo on.

Jorja Haskin (‘23) said that when she got her tattoos “it felt like buzzing on [her] arm”. Haskin has a tattoo on her forearm. The sensation also varies from person to person. 

Khodie Powers (‘22) said his tattoo felt “kind of like a sunburn”. Powers (‘22) has multiple tattoos on different parts of his body, and the experience has differed for every single one.

Some have heard the painful sensation of getting a tattoo can be addictive. “It’s… really addictive afterwards,” said Powers (‘22).

Sometimes it’s seen as a tolerable pain that people can handle over and over again given the rush and excitement of having a new tattoo.

“It’s a [pain] more than a shot but less than a bee sting,” said D’Angelo Wright (‘22). When people get a tattoo they often expect the pain they are about to feel and mentally prepare for that feeling. Some let tattoo horror stories get to their head and make it out to be much worse than what it actually might be.

Several high school students express the concern of having something permanent on their body. Getting approval from parents or guardians is also a worry.

Haskin (‘23) said that she “was nervous before because [her] dad has a lot of tattoos”.

For others, parents don’t agree their student should be tattooed. When asked if his parents were ok with himself decision, Powers (‘22) said his mom wasn’t while his dad was.

The reality for some is that getting a tattoo is not as bad as people often make it out to be. Each experience depends on the person, their body, and the placement of the tattoo on their body.

The sensation is most compared to a repetitive buzzing or vibrating feeling. Tattoos are positive for some, negative for others.