Before getting my first tattoo it was pretty clear I had a slight case of needle phobia. My dislike for them was about the same as how I felt about seeing blood, disgusted. Needless to say, becoming a doctor or even male nurse just wasn’t in my future back then.

Of course, things are quite different today. I owe a great deal of that change from staying committed when it came time to get finally tattooed.

Years ago I decided to get one of the most painful places on my body tattooed, the edges of my boney ribcage. If I could handle that, I could surely handle anywhere else on the body. Or at least that’s what I told myself at the time. As I sat in the chair, I watched the needle tear its way underneath my skin.

The stinging and burning wasn’t so bad; it was easier than I had first imagined. Then the needle started japing right into my bone up and down, over and over. Sh-t just got real. Of course, blood and plasma were oozing their way on out of my body too. Beautiful, indeed.

However, with every jab and sting I became more comfortable with the process. A few hours later my artist was finished. At the end of the day I left the shop with an entirely new outlook for tattoos. Everything I expected was quite different from the reality of actually getting a tattoo.

Sure, it was somewhat painful, though, it was more so just an annoying sensation overall. I didn’t pull out my hair, pass out, throw up, ball my eyes out, let alone die either. If anything I oddly enough, liked the process as much as I liked my new tattoo. When people ask if me if tattoos hurt, my response even today is still, “Yes, of course, but not as much as you’d first think.”

Since then I’ve done a lot of research over the years, all of which I’d like to share with you today. Below you’ll find a tattoo pain scale, exceptional advice, and plenty more. If you’re nervous about getting a tattoo and hubbub over pain has got you worried, the best advice I can ever give you is, “don’t be!”