Pain

I've actually lost count at this stage as to how many people ask me if my tattoos hurt. So to clarify to anyone who has not yet gotten a tattoo or just wants to know how it feels; yes it does hurt. If you think about it logically, it's a needle going into your skin at very high speed. The closest likeness I can relate tattoo pain to, is getting a blunt knife and running it slowly over your skin under pressure. Obviously a sharp knife would be a better likeness but doing that with a sharpened knife would be plain stupid.
This website here gives some handy tips on pain relief if you don't think you could stand the pain of a tattoo.
What I tend to do is try to distract myself, although I have found that displacing myself from the tattoo process is quite effective, something akin to this form of self hypnosis;

• Get comfortable. Settle yourself in the chair. Let the artist position you so he/she will be able to work. Next, do your best to relax your body.
• Think of a favorite place or activity. Maybe you love to surf, or ski or cook. Where would you go to do one of those things?
• Now, begin to imagine the place. You might see a pristine, snowy mountaintop… crashing surf… or a gourmet kitchen…
• Paint in the details. What does the place smell like? The clean, crisp scent of pines and snow? Suntan lotion and the sea? What does it look like? What color is the sky, what shape is the land? Do you hear any sounds? Is it warm or cold? Is there any wind?
• Now put yourself there. What are you doing? Maybe catching the perfect wave, shooting down a slope, or cruising the streets of Rome.