35 Best First Tattoo Ideas and the Least Painful Place to Get a Tattoo

Tattoos are among the most popular body decorations around the world. According to a 2010 study, a whopping 38 percent of people 18 to 29 years old have been tattooed at least once. A natural question to ask is, “Does getting a tattoo hurt?” While most people will say yes, in reality, this is a difficult question to answer. Tattooing involves repeatedly piercing your skin’s top layer with a sharp needle covered with pigment. So getting inked is generally always painful, though people may experience different levels of pain.

The body experiences varying levels of pain when tattooed. While there is no scientific evidence that says which areas of the body will feel the most and least pain when getting inked, Healthline gathered anecdotal data from sites run by people in the tattoo industry. The broad consensus: The least painful places to get tattooed are those with the greatest fat, fewest nerve endings, and thickest skin. The most painful places to get tattooed are those with the least fat, most nerve endings, and thinnest skin. Bony areas usually hurt a lot so your head tattoo is going to hurt! We decided to take a look at some first tattoos people have gotten and where they put them. Here are the 35 best first tattoos and the least painful place to get a tattoo.

A Delicate Rose

Let us start by acknowledging that every person experiences pain differently and its intensity can be a whole lot more for some than others. Most people agree that the thigh, the outer thigh specifically, is one of the least painful places for a tattoo. This fine rose would be a smart choice.

Lady in the Leaves

This part of the body is well padded with fat and has few nerve endings. If you’re looking to avoid a ton of discomfort for your first tattoo, consider this placement with a unique, custom design that fits perfectly like this one.

Butterfly Dream

You can go basic or go all in, as you can see this person has chosen the latter with this impressive neo-traditional tattoo of a butterfly with a human face. This is a remarkable tattoo and one of our favorites on the list. This might be too ambitious for a first tattoo for some, but if you’re up for a challenge, swing for the fences.

Bejeweled Moth

Um. Yes, we need this gorgeous teal moth in all of its glory. This tattoo covers a considerable amount of real estate, so that means a lot of tattooing. While there is less detail here than the last, it’s a brave move to go for something so large.

Watercolor Teapot

Watercolor tattoos are a huge trend right now, but don’t let the haunting, smoky image fool you. These tattoos hurt just as much as a bolder-looking design. It might look light and airy, but it’s going to take a lot of ink to pull it off!

Warming Glow

Here’s another thigh first tattoo for you to consider. It’s a modest size with some nice dotwork texturing and shading. Note: going too much higher up the thigh could result in more pain as there are more never endings the closer you get to the underwear area.

Geometric Bouquet

Flowers are always a great thing, right? Take a look at this detailed, but not overly so, bouquet of flowers encapsulated by a diamond. The forearm is an excellent spot for a tattoo for a number of reasons, namely that it’s not too sensitive.

Bunny Bubble

There’s a lot of muscle and thick skin on your forearms, without many nerve endings and they’re generally easy for a tattoo artist to access. No weird stretching or positions are required. This gorgeous bunny with a playful gum bubble would be a fun one.

Cosmic

This tattoo stretches from the wrist to the elbow. You’ll notice if you get something similar that the tattooing hurts most at the extremes here. So, near the elbow and down at the wrist tend to be more tender and cause more pain. If you’d like to avoid that, get your tattoo centered between those two points.

From Russia, With Love

Take a look at this fabulous Russian nesting doll. What a dream! Although this is a rather large tattoo with a good amount of detail because it’s placed on the forearm it shouldn’t be the source of unnecessary discomfort. This is nearly a half sleeve, so maybe you should go smaller than this person did for their tattoo debut.

Move Like Honey

If you’re particularly boney, make sure to get your tattoo sized to not wrap around your forearm. As the needle gets closer to the bone, you’ll notice a completely different sensation! We love this imaginative honeycomb queen tattoo.

Bird of Paradise

If you’ve got a bird of paradise plant growing in your home, these buds might look familiar to you. These gorgeous flowers are in the perfect spot to not cause a ton of pain. If you’re looking for the least painful place to get a tattoo, this would be a good spot.

La Luna

The outer part of your shoulders has thick skin with few nerve endings, making it one of the least painful places to get tattooed. Further, you can’t watch the process and psych yourself out which is part of the issue for most people.

Butterfly Kissed

See how beautiful this shoulder placement can be? This gorgeous black ink butterflies bring the sweetness with not a lot of pain. If you’re considering something similar, be sure to not let the design extend to the clavicle because that is one of the most painful things in the world to have tattooed.

Cute Creation

Have you ever? This adorable little knitting squirrel is the thing of dreams. A tidy little tattoo like this one might look small, but the amount of detail means added time for the tattoo artist to complete it. Keep that in mind when you’re thinking about how basic or detailed you want the end result to be.

Every Rose

Is this the best rose tattoo that’s ever been put on skin? Perhaps! We love this design, but we caution you that the stem for the rose, here, comes uncomfortably close to the collar bone. If you’d like to avoid that pain, don’t extend a design up to that point.

Floral Meets Geometric

Delicate florals are always a smart option. We find their organic shapes juxtaposed with some geometric ones which add visual interest.

Kitsune

In Japanese folklore, Kitsune are foxes who are believed to possess paranormal powers. Here’s a very cool design that marries old motifs with new ones. What a stunner!

Take a Hike

We’ve included this tattoo as somewhat of a cautionary tale. The bicep, in general, is one of the least painful places to get a tattoo. But, the inside of the bicep is not ideal. Your inner bits are some of the most sensitive and so, here, would be a no-go for most people. The closer you get to the armpit, the more unbearable it will become.

Prickly

Here’s a good example of a mellow bicep placement that’s more on the outer portion. This is a fun design because cacti can prick you just like a tattoo gun. If your hobby involves plants, consider a personalized tattoo to match it.

Dalí Time

Art is an excellent source of inspiration and we find a clock in the style of Salvador Dalí. Keeping the tattoo a modest size and lower down the arm is a smart move. Consider getting an object or motif inspired by your favorite artist as a tattoo.

Don’t Touch

Here’s a tattoo placed in the exact right position on the bicep. This one would probably be the least painful of all of these bicep tattoos. Even though it is large, it found a happy home without many nerve endings. Be sure to get your feminist tattoos, people. They rock!

Sunshine

Bold lines with minimal shading on the least painful place to get a tattoo makes for a good combination if you’re looking to avoid pain with your first tattoo. Simplicity is bliss here!

Traditional for the Win

Hallmarks of traditional Americana tattooing include bold lines and shapes, primary colors, and understated design. If you like old-school tattooing, consider trying something similar for your first tattoo.

Wild

There is a significant amount of fat and muscle on the calves, and few nerve endings, so calf tattoos usually aren’t too painful. Further, you’ll often be asked to lay on your stomach to get a back of the calf tattoo which, generally, helps people to cope.

Bloom

Yes, these back of the calf tattoos are where it’s at! Take a look at this minimalist floral design that stretches up the leg. As with all tattoos, keeping this away from any bones or connection, meaning the ankle or crook of the knee, will serve you well. Do exactly as this person has done.

Bloom Some More

Wow! This extremely colorful geometric design is breathtaking. While this is a very complex design, its placement should mean you can chill for the majority of it. Shading is generally a different sensation than the actually lines, so prepare yourself to feel all sorts of feels when you get inked.

Marvelous Melon

How sweet is this slice of melon? Pass the salt! This juicy gem is placed on the side of the calf away from the knee. This probably won’t hurt too much for most people. However, there’s a lot of shading in this design so choose something less detailed if you’re worried.

Turtle on the Line

Single-line tattoos are wildly popular these days. We find a lovely one of the calf here. We just would like to warn you to not get too close to the bones in the ankle!

Little Bug

This is an interesting bug tattoo with some cool imagery worked into it. We love the combination of red and black ink and we encourage you to explore red ink more as it always pops and makes a statement.

Botanical Beauty

The further away you tattoo from the bones and nerve endings in your spine and hips, the less pain you’ll feel. This makes the majority of the back an ideal location for a big, bold tattoo. We love this geometric floral design and the colors chosen for it.

Get the Crane

See how this big crane’s wing cups the shoulder blade? Getting a tattoo here is a smart idea and will allow you to go wild with the design because there’s so much space to work with. However, we caution again that a tattoo this large is a huge commitment no matter where you put it.

Botanical Bliss

The least painful place to get a tattoo on your back is over your shoulders but the center of the back is also a beautiful option that won’t hurt you too much more. We find a lovely flower right up the spine here, taking advantage of the natural shape of the body.

Ornamental Yet Botanical

We’re big fans of abstract and ornamental tattooing and this one, with its vaguely botanical shapes, is a real winner sitting in the center of the upper back. Bravo!

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Zodiac Attack

Sagittarius energy right here, with this constellation tattoo. You can choose something modest in size as this and feel happy about the outcome without having to lose painful hours of your life. A tattoo that honors your astrological sign is a fun a brilliant choice that we encourage.

There you go! We showed you 35 excellent first tattoos and described the least painful place to get a tattoo. What’s the least painful place to get a tattoo? The upper and lower back, the calves, outer biceps, outer shoulder, forearms, and upper outer thighs are your safest bets. Be bold! Be brave! You got this!