Getting a tattoo is a pretty risky process if you think about it. A lot can go wrong, but tattoo side effects are pretty rare. However, one cannot help but wonder; alongside all of the things that can go wrong, is nerve damage a thing when getting tattooed, or is it just some rumor circling to scare us into not getting inked?

It is well known that tattoos hurt. But, tattoos hurt more when they’re done somewhere on the body where the skin is thin, soft and there are a lot of nerve endings. Such circumstance makes it pretty painful to get tattooed; thin skin means that the tattoo needle reaches the nerves closely and even directly, so the brain perceives this kind of pain more intensely. Such areas include ankles, shinbones, fingers, private parts, the front of the neck, the face, feet, etc.

But, when one gets tattooed in such an area, or overall, does the needle actually cause nerve damage? Is that the real reason why tattoos hurt? Does the needle just keep repeatedly damage the nerves and we didn’t even think about that?

Well, if this is something you’ve been thinking about, you’re at the right place. In the following paragraphs we’ll talk about tattoos and nerve damage, whether this is possible and how often does it occur. So, without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Nerve Damage – Explained

What Is Nerve Damage?

In order to understand the relation between a tattoo needle and the nerves during the tattooing process, we first need to take a look at what nerve damage really is.

Nerves are responsible for ensuring that impulses travel to the brain in order to function. Because of this, you react to different temperatures, touches, sensations, pain, you can feel the wind or the rain, etc.

When a nerve gets damaged, the nerve is generally cut by some external injury, so the affected area loses feeling or movement. However, this is a serious injury; tattooing doesn’t belong in this category. This kind of nerve damage is known as third-degree nerve damage, where the nerves are severely injured, require surgery, and have a smaller chance of recovery.