The answer for this question in simple is a big YES! YES! Getting a tattoo will for sure hurt you and the level of hurt depends on the place you are going to have the tattoo. The tattoo needle needs to pass the epidermis that is replenished itself and the needle needs to penetrate through the dermis layer which is the second layer out of the three to make the tattoo permanent. In other words this could only happen if the needle attached to the tattoo machine is entered to your skin layers in an approximately 1 out of 16 of an inch which can hurt you to a bearable and to a very extreme level. The most sensitive parts and the most hurtful and painful parts of your body would be the hips, stomach, lips, back of knees, nipples, armpits, inside of the elbow, top of foot or any joint areas especially the lower chest and the sides and think twice before you get a tattoo on these places especially if you are trying it for the first time. Having a proper knowledge on these before you go to the tattoo shop is very important.
The neck, the inner arms, Centre back, head, lower back and ankle are the next most painful areas or the body parts that has been identified and the least painful areas are the calves, shoulders, top and outer thighs, inner wrist and the upper outside of arm and outer forearm. Most people do not tend to have a proper insight on these levels of pain and hurt and it is very important to get an insight before you go for a tattoo. However these pains and hurts are short compared to the lifelong love of it and that’s why most people love to have tattoos despite knowing that it is going to hurt.
As mentioned above the pain and hurt will be based on the place you are going to have the tattoo. The intensity will vary accordingly and it will be as if a cat scratch, small pinpricks or even a small paper cut or a blowtorch if the sensitivity of the area you are going to have the tattoo is low or moderate. But if the sensitivity is high you might sometimes need something to bite on, and you might even cry and pass out which is also totally acceptable.
On the other hand everyone have different thresholds of pain and thus the pain levels as mentioned above may slightly vary based on personality factors and experience factors as identified with the discussions with the professional tattooists. Some people consider having a tattoo to be as if having a hot scratch while some refer it to as very annoying and painful. It is all in the minds of the customer said a well experienced tattooist. However it is obvious that it will hurt and no one can point out and say no that is not going to hurt at all.
