rib cage

I want to hear from ppl who have had their rib cage tatooed. how bad does it hurt, im getting a pin-up girl on my side from the waist line to just below my arm pit. any comments suggestions will be appreciated, thank you

Ahlyn is getting one... She could tell ya...

Doesn't really hurt me that much, but I've gotten alot of more horrific injuries happen to me without pleasant music playing and conversation etc. Sometimes the pain would be searing and I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but I did *shrug*. I hope to end up doing around 42 hours on my ribs, these being my first tattoo(s).

I just got my ribs tattooed last night and wow! At first the pain is seriously intense but after 20 minutes it gets alot better. The top of the ribs and hipbone were worst for me because it vibrates your whole body, and shading also sucked but other than that it was a fun ride for 8 hours

It doesn't hurt at all anymore, and that is key. It hurt like hell for me and it just got worse as went, but it was temporary and worth it.

ribs !@#$ing hurt.

Hows it compare to the inside of your bicep....a lot more pain?

I have the whole inside of my bicep done,not too bad.Ribs next.

Not THAT bad, I just had a rib piece done tonight. the guy that did it is the shit. i did a 14 gauge needle for the outlne and it stung, not gonna lie. the top of the ribs and hip vibrate the entire body, like the other person said, made me flinch. this is my 3rd tattoo, definitely not a good idea for the first one in my opinion. but after 2 hrs on my ribs, i'll never get another one there, i'll stick elsewhere. looks great though

Got my first tattoo yesterday, partly over the kidney along my back, coming up along the ribs on the side. Yes it hurt more on the ribs, but it was worth every bit of it. Took about 5 hours. I guess it all depends on your pain tolerance.

Junior...congrats on your tattoo but there is no such thing as a 14 guage tattoo needle...thats a PIERCING needle!

i got a big rib piece, going to be at least 10-12 hours when its done. it hurt but nothing you cant tolerate. holding still becomes a problem after about 3-4 hours, so if its going to be longer than that do multiple sessions. your muscles just get tired from keeping yourself still, its not really that bad though. i think its a sweet spot for tattoos and am looking forward to getting the other side done.

Ribs dont hurt that much... My first and only tattoo is on my ribs. So i have nothing to compare it to, But i presume it would be like any other.

For me, not so bad. For other people, more or less torture. You'll have to wait and find out for yourself! Mwahaha.

I did a 7 hour session on my ribs and i wanted to kill myself after about 6 minutes...but its there forever, so its worth it..but yes..it hurts

Hurts like Hell. But mine was my first tat ever so I had no basis. The pain shouldn't be your deciding factor though. You get numb to it, and afterwards, it's so worth it : )

hurts like a mofreaka!!! sat for 3, 2 hour sessions!!! don't have any other to compare it too. but when he dropped below the rib bones it just felt like a cat scratch!!! but when on the bones be ready!

I got my rib cage done a week ago....i sat for 4 hours and i slept the whole time...the pain was nothing really you think tht the pain is goin to be the worst thing ever..well thts wht i thought and then when it was finally time to get it done i was kinda dissappointed tht it didnt hurt...i was hopeing tht this would make me stop getting them but now im just trying to think of more painful places to get it...Honestly if you want it on ur ribs bad enough the pain shouldnt even matter

I was thinking of getting a tat on my rib in about 4 to 8 monthes from now. Is about 7 by 4 inches and has a bit of color. Any ideas on how long it will take and how painful it will be. Thanks for advice.

im getting my rib cage done and i just had a scorpion put on my right shoulder 3 days ago and in 2 weeks im getting the outline for my rib cage and wanna know if its harder to clean or is there some different way to keep it clean thats different from my shoulder?

im gettin a rib cage tattoo its gonna be my first and im gettin for my 18th b-day and im pretty excited. any helpfull hits to me would be great. thanks! =)

I'm getting faith in old english tattoed down my side in old english shorty after christmas i'm nervous it'll be my first tattoo. should i get a different one first!?

I just booked mine for a months time. 1 hour session first then a couple more to finish. My tattoist said its excruiciating pain. I have it in my head it won't hurt at all . which i guess is a good place to be mentally. but im thinking im going to be surprised by how much it does hurt. i have 2 before my ankle and back of my neck they were fine, but its not really on bone like your ribs are. its 10inchs long. well excited but bit scared..

i just got 2 kanji symbols on my ribs just below where my bra is about 4 inches total and it was not bad at all!! The worst part for me was when they got to my back in a more fatty area. I have my lower back done and it definitely hurt less than that. Guys have siad this is the most painful. I would not agree. Girls have a higher pain tolerance of tattoos on the ribs. Also my best friend has her whole side done and it didnt hurt her at all. I plan on getting somehting else on my other side for my next tattoo.

My first tattoo was a 4 and half hour piece done on my ribs, it was a very tolerable pain until around the last 30 minutes because my muscles just didn't want to stay still anymore, because of it being my first piece and one that I had picked out years before I was so excited and had such a high adrenaline rush that I barely felt the pain, THEREFORE I suggest if you're someone who has never gotten tattooed you and want your ribs done, GET YOUR RIBS TATTOOED FIRST! you're so excited that the most painful areas don't hurt as bad, its pretty crazy actually because everyone says the ribs are one of the most painful areas and about a month after my rib piece I got a music note on my hip and a 45 minute music note hurt worst than the 4 and half hours on my ribs, all because I already knew what a tattoo felt like and I wasn't as excited, therefore I felt every little prick the entire time!!!! So if you want many tattoos and are about to get your first, I unlike most suggest you get the most painful or largest piece done first!!!!

I just got my first tattoo on my rib cage and it hurt like hell. Somebody said that they wanted to kill themselves after the first 6 minutes... pretty accurate. But then again, it's going to be on you forever so the two hours of intense pain was definetly worth the lifetime of the tattoo. Mine's 2x6 inches with coloring for reference. There will be times where it won't hurt so bad and you can hold an easy conversation, but for the majority of the tattooing I was in too much pain.

i have very thick tribal and flowers on my ribs, from my butt to my shoulder. it did hurt like hell. but no where near as bad as people make you think. i have a VERY low threshold of pain, i'm a pansy-i cry if i stump my toe too hard, and even i, sober sat through 3 hours of tattooing. it hurt,and i took about 10 smoke breaks, but i'm going back for 3 more hours of adding onto it. it isnt the tattoo as much as it is how tender it gets after the first 30 mintutes. after 30 minutes it'll get sore, but if you get to that point, you're good to go. but if not, its your tat thats half done. trust me. its not as bad as you think.

i have a big tribal dragon about 2 feet long on my ribs, it hurt like hell i have 8 tats else where, nothing compared to the pain of the ribs, i had to do 2 sessions

i have a big tribal dragon about 2 feet long on my ribs, it hurt like hell i have 8 tats else where, nothing compared to the pain of the ribs, i had to do 2 sessions

I had a tattoo done on my ribs a few months back and it didn't really bother me... about an hour into shading it started to burn a bit but I def. think that my lower back was more painful. Maybe it is just my personal experience but I think it is more painful when they start inking on the fattier parts of your body than on parts that have less fat. A few of my friends have had the same experience. I have about a medium size flower on my ribs and I am looking forward to having more added to it.

i got my second on my ribcage. My first one was on my hip and it didnt hurt at all, so i didnt expect a big difference in pain levels on my second. But i was in for a rude awakening it was almost unbearable and hard not to move while the artist was working. i would suggest taking some ibprofen before you go in and focus on smooth breathing.

I had my second tattoo done on my rib cage two days ago; two blue birds and a heart. Compared to my first tattoo, it was incredibly painful. After almost three hours, holding still the last 30 minutes was hard. In the end though, it's completely worth it and I can't imagine getting the tattoo in a different place.

I just got one on my ribs tonight that lasted 4 hours. Comparing it to my 35 hours I got on my arms and armpits. I would rather go thru that again 100 times before I took 1 minute on my ribs again. It hurts so bad and I had to aploygize to my artist for screaming and squirming off the table. If your gonna go thru with it limit your caffine in-take because the caffine will activte your nerves and make them a little jumpy. Good luck

man, i got my second on my ribcage. it goes from my pelvis bone to my breast bone. and it sucked. hardcore. it was SO painful. i know it has to do with your pain tolerance and junk, but i means this was PAINFUL. i felt like my whole body was shaking, constantly. it was only a four hour session, your muscles get tense from trying to stay calm and unmoving. afterwards though, it wasn't so bad, it was just the sitting through the session.

yo that shit dont hurt at all, i got loyalty down my whole rib cage and i thought it was gonna kill but you dont really feel it! the worst part was by the hip but it wasnt even that bad

Im in the process of a large flower piece up my ribs and side and some of my back. The outline took 2 hours and its very painful. Its my third tattoo but still the sides are the most painful spot. Even my tattoo artist stated that!! ill be going back in a week to get the shading/color. Its gonna look gorgeous, so the pain is very well worth it. I suggest if you get a rib tattoo, get something youll always enjoy!

lol. you people who say ribs don't hurt are insane. Unless you have less nerves there than the average person I don;t see how you could think that. Def the most sensitive area I've ever had tattooed.

I am wanting to get small cursive writing w/ branches & flowers under writing from my hip up to my shoulder blade. Does anyone have any idea about how long that would take??? I will prob do it in 2 seperate sessions. Branches and flowers first, then writing.

I had jus gotten mine 2 weeks ago from my hip to my arm pit. Worst pain ever! i love tattoos and i have others but there was no other feeling like this i lasted 2 and a half hours though and the artist said that was really good compared to others. I go back thursday to finish..wish me luck

oh yea and if someone could email me or even comment back...is there anything i could take before i go back to help the pain? you all know its crucial and im determind to finish the rest of my tattoo! thanks!

oh yea and if someone could email me or even comment back...is there anything i could take before i go back to help the pain? you all know its crucial and im determind to finish the rest of my tattoo! thanks!

I will agree that the rib cage is not that bad..HOWEVERE, If you get anywhere near the armpit you will wonder why you thaought it was a good place for a tattoo!!!

Hey I just had to put my 1.5 year old pit bull to sleep because I had to get rid of her due to my apartment complex and no one would take her because she was a pit. Anywho I was thinking of getting four paw prints up my side on my rib cage with her name and dates below the first paw print. Now I've read all your comments about rib cages and I'm scared to death. I have roses tattooed on my shoulder blade and that only hurt bad when they went over where my shoulder blade sort of pops out. I want the paw prints to be pretty life like size to her paw so I'm thinking its gunna be kinda big...now I'm 5'6" and about 115 lbs. I don't have much fat on me so I guess what I'm asking is will it hurt me a hell of a lot more because I don't have much fat on my bones?? lol I just really want it where I can see it all the time so my back is out of the question and I don't want it on the side of my calf because I just don't like that spot for this particular tattoo. I plan on getting it in about two weeks when I get check. If there are any tattoo artists that would be able to help me draw it out or figure something out or anyone that could help me please message back or email me. Thanks a Bunch!

Dude....that sucks SO bad and i'm sorry that it came to that. I dont know what i'd do if i was in that situation but regardless i'm so sorry. As far as the pain goes I couldn't tell you because i dont have anything on my ribs but the memory of your pup is worth every second of the pain. Think of it this way...you'll experience that pain for a very short while in the grand scheme of life but you'll have a tribute to your pit for the rest of your life when its all said and done. Just go for it and you'll be fine. I'm waiting to have some kids so i can put their portraits on my ribs.

I have a piece on my rib cage, and i think everyone is different when it comes to sensitive areas of the body.. some people will be more sensitive there than others. My problem was the lower part toward the hip bone/ back area.. Super sensitive for me. But it still wasn't so bad, just on certain areas. Either way, what I always remember is.. no matter how bad it hurts during the tattoo, as soon as your done the pain is over, so just go for it.

i had my ribs done in november 07 and personally it was a pretty intense pain, but if anything, the pain is totally worth it and the final look is amazing if you have a good artist doing it.

I just got my rib cage (from right below my bra line to about an inch above my hip bone) inked, sat for 3 and a half hours, and still not done....It hurt like nothing else. I have a chest peice, thick tribal wings on my shoulders and a lower back tattoo and I have to say the rib cage is the worst.....when the lower part was gettting done, it vibrated my whole body and made me feel like I was going to puke....I have a couple more sessions to go to finnish all the color, but if you can sit for it, I say it's totally worth the pain...Honestly, afterwards, I was in more pain from holding the position I had to lay in than from the tattoo itself, it hurt like hell when my artist was doing it, but as soon as we called it a night, I felt fine, except for my neck and shoulders....Also, after the first hour, you're going to think your a bad ass, but into the 3rd hour your going to sit there and think you were a dumb ass for gettting your rib cage tattooed cause it goes from being numb to hyper sensitive.

Heyy..im 16 and im going for my first tattoo soon.and im getting my last name in old english down my ribs..they said it would take about an hour and a half..how much will that hert???

Ok, 7 days ago, I went threw and read all of these responses before getting my ribcage tattoo yesterday at least 3 or 4 times. What people are saying in here is too much. A ribcage tattoo is a challenge, i wont lie, but it is most definetly doable. All of this talk about your whole body shaking...not so true. the closer you get to your bra line or armpit the more *intense* due to the fact that there is not alot of flesh in that area. I got 4 west african symbols going from my hip up to my ribcage. What was difficult which no one fails to mention are tattoos over stretch marks. Those arent always so fun because your skin is literally being sliced and you bleed ridiculously. The pain differs from a ribcage tattoo, but it is intense. One thing to note when getting a ribcage tattoo is the fact that it is over a sensitive area so the feeling will differ than in other areas. But if you got some shit on your ankles, your toes, hands, shoulder blades, then chances are the feeling is going to be similar. To those of you out there who are looking for answers to getting ribcage tattoos, dont read into peoples responses too deeply because it will give you great anxiety and stress. Focus on what you can do while getting the tattoo to calm your nerves as oppossed to the pain that will be inflicted. I really feel that if I didnt sit back and read all these messages on this blog I would have been able to focus more and keeping my mind steady and calm. If ribcage tattoos were so painful, how come so many damn ppl have them! Just go for it...if I could sit back and read how painful that tattoo is for 7 days straight and still walk into that parlor to finish my tattoo and not feel that it was as painful as people make it out to be, I think others most certainlty can as well. Your WHOLE BODY does NOT vibrate when you get your tat. The vibration you will feel is similar to the vibrations from massage chairs except with a the tattoo machinery. It only shakes in the area where you are getting your tat. If you sit in a damn tattoo parlor getting your ribs did for more than 2 ho urs then hell yeah your body is going to experience pain/numbness....but if you go in in a few quick sessions you will be fine. The most irritating part is the outlining. The feeling from shading is sharp, but it isnt unbearable.

Just spent 3 1/2 hrs on my rib, gonna finish tomorrow. The outline ain't bad, doing all the filling and shading is what started to get me. *Hince the tomorrow session* But the guy doing mine told me ahead of time that it would hurt, but how bad depends on your tolerance and what you're willing to sit through. If yours has some size to it i agree with multiple sessions. But once you have your first, you'll be hooked anyways so just grin and bear it. I'm looking forward to tomorrow so i can get it finished and show it off. The collar bone is another touchy area, but they look great as well.

It hurts. I just went into do some colour on a piece i had outlined a few years ago, was a total pussy, squirming, sitting up, etc etc. Get your ribs done first. Then all your other tattoos seem a breeze. I think i'm pretty good at handling tattoos, i have my legs, feet and a big chest piece done and that was all fine... I am determined to finish them though...will have a few little sessions of like an hour because thats all i can do! I have a new found respect for people with rib and torso tats!

its hurts a lil but if u want it u gotta go thru the pain....to tell u the truth it hurts more on the actual bones....u can feel the needle against ur rib cage...but not too bad

believe the hype... the outline was FUKIN MURDER! well worth it tho... don't read anything here just fukin do it! it'll only make u think too much.

I got my rib's tattooed as well about 2 weeks ago. It was also my first one, and I read alot about it and how much it would hurt. After having it experienced I can now clearly filter the messages into 2 kind of people who are talking about a ribcage tattoo. 1) Those who actually have only their ribcage done, will say it won't hurt that bad at all. I completely go with this. A tattoo on the ribs itself didn't hurt at all, and since I was sleepy, I even almost fell asleep too. No denying though that it still is an unpleasant feeling, but you sure can handle it. Don't think you're the one person who's pain tollerance is superlow. Nobody likes being scratched on that side of their body.

2) The second group, are those whose tattoo isn't only on their ribs but expands on their full side (into the armpit, and over their hips). I'm one of them, and have to say the hips and the armpit hurt like hell. I asked the guys in the tattooshop how this comes, since I really didn't see that coming. It's because on your hips, there's no "protection" of bones or whatever. The needle almost directly hits through your flesh onto your organs. And THAT is a very unpleasant feeling, but you'll get over that one too after a while. For some it takes 5min others need 30min to get used to the scratching. I've had a 3h30 - 4h session and will have to go back for shading and some colloring in a couple of weeks. Don't know what to expect from that yet, since on that topic I find many different statements as well. We'll see, it'll have to be done anyway. Best piece of advise I can give you for your first tattoo, or a painfull one: make sure you did rest enough the days before. See to it that you have eaten enough, and take some food with you if needed. Just from excitement alone your body uses a lot of adrenaline and energy, and that's just what you need to get you more comfortable through your session. Hope this helps some people...

i got my surname in script from just under my armpit down to my hip. its true that near the armpit and the hip hurt the most, alot more then any of my other tattoos. the actual ribs wernt the worst part but still hurt like hell. no way i will ever get my other side done

I just got my rib tat a couple days ago and it was my very first. I had come to this site and read most if not all the replies and well, I have something to add to it all. I have no clue why people thought that this would hurt like crazy?!? Certain spots yes but overall, the pain was very bearable. I basically turned a minute or two into it to my artist and asked her if that was it? She laughed and we started up a conversation for my full 2 hours. The needle she used to fill in the artwork I barely felt altogether. I for one have to say that getting a tat was a great experience. I can't wait to get my next one and from the same artist. She was fantastic and even made the design better than what I had in mind. The ribs are a great place for a tat. I feel even sexier and can't wait to show off this bad boy in the summer (of course with a good sunblock). Peace and Love Zeeks

i got my first tattoo ever for my 18th bday. It says faith slanted down my ribcage. It hurt.Especially on ur upper ribs.But in the end it is all worth it.It will be sore, but it can be handled.Goodluck.Just go to ur happy place wen ur getn it done.

Not that bad... I just got one, it was my first tattoo. Everyone makes it out to seem like it is soo painful. It wasnt even that bad. I would like to think that my threshold for pain is about average. I didnt think it was as bad as everyone made it out to be, the anticipation is the worst but the tat sometimes hurt, other times you cant even feel it at all. Did it hurt, yes its a tattoo, but not miserable or extruciating like everyone says it is!

My only tattoo so far is my rib cage... It runs from under my armpit to just above my belly button... I had 3 needles the first didn't shoot any ink so basically i got stabbed for no reason... He changed to a smaller needle which hurt like hell so he switched to a bigger needle... It's not that bad really the only tender parts on me were right under the armpit and in between the ribs... Mine only took a little over an hour because it was many shading... It hurt but you'll thank yourself in the end because it's pretty kick ass and if you can take the pain a rib cage tattoo others won't be near as bad (depending on where you get another)

I got my rib tattoo yesterday and it was not nearly as bad as I was expecting. I had read every single response on this blog, as well as others .. and some of the experiences people wrote about really freaked me out!! I had people telling me to rethink the location of my tattoo to another place besides the ribs, but there was no way I was going to do that. I was really nervous that I wouldnt be able to handle the pain or that I would pass out or that I would move too much .. but that worrying for nothing! It was my first tattoo and I had nothing to compare it to and I wasn't sure what my pain tolerance was. My tattoo is medium size .. it starts at the braline and goes until the bottom of the ribs. It definetly hurt, the most painful part was at the bottom of the ribs, but it was never untolerable pain. I would compare the feeling to glass being scraped across the skin .. but like most people have said .. it's a good kind of pain.

it is a unreall pain it feels like your being stabbed,i have a lot of tattoos in a lot of places n the ribs is the worst ever place

So I just got my rib tattoo yesterday after reading all of these comments....they were all right, it hurts!! I sat for 3 and a half hours getting 5 snowflakes on the ribs. We stopped for one 15 minute break. It was brutal, honestly there were times that I was like screw this I am done, but now that it is done I LOVE IT! I could not have had it in another place. The pain sucks for a bit but the tattoo is great forever.....just keep telling yourself that during it.....

At the end of this month, I am getting my first tattoo ever for my 17th birthday and I have choosen to get it on my ribs. The tattoo I want to get starts at my bra line and extends to right above my hip bone. I just want to know if it is going to make me want to scream, or if it is tolerable, and if talking to people while being tattoo'd helps distract from the pain. Thanks!

I just got (my first tattoo) a small piece on my rib cage last night. To be completely honest, it wasn't bad AT ALL. Everyone there was trying to warn me about the pain, saying that I was crazy for doing my rib cage as a first tattoo, but, I mean, really, it wasn't anything like they were hyping it up to be. I've passed a few kidney stones before, and getting that tattoo was NOTHING like the pain of a kidney stone.

I'm going to get my first tattoo in like 4 months its going to be my birthday gift and Ive heard that the ribs hurt but thats where i want to get it and i heard if you have some body fat it wont hurt as much but im 102 pounds with no body fat, and before anyone thinks i dont eat I LOVE FOOD I LOVE TO EAT AND I DONTTTT THROW UP CAUSE THATS NASTY IM JUST A GYMNAST AND DANCER! lol i just want to make sure no one says i dont eat lol, but umm yea so im afraid its going to hurt alot, any adivce, also on a scale of 1 to 10 whats the pain like and any good ideas to help get my mind off it while in the chair? listen to music? cause i know i have to hold my breath while its getting done

I just got my rib cage tattoo today. It was my first tattoo, and its now halfway finished. Honestly, this is an extremely painful place to get a tattoo. For me personally, the ribs were not very terible, on a scale from 1-10, it was about a six. BUT my tattoo goes from my bra line to past my hips, and the farther down the tattoo got, the worse pain it was. The hip, love handle area was THE WORST pain of my life, definately a 10 on the pain scale. The fatty areas hurt way worse than the bone areas, so I would say that the less fat in the area, the less it is going to hurt. Again, this is all just my personal experiance, so if you are dead set on the ribs, go for it. I hope this helps.

I got my first rib piece done when I was 17, and I am currently about to finish my second rib piece and I am 22. The first one was my FIRST tattoo, which was CRAZY of me. However, it allowed me to experience the most painful tattoo ever and that made the rest of the areas (neck/shoulder, ankle, spine) a lot more tolerable. It should also be noted that my first rib piece was not anywhere as detailed as my second one. My first was an outline of stars and simple lined planets and shooting stars going from my armpit to my hip. My second rib piece is a cherry blossom branch that goes from my armpit to my thigh. I can shamelessly say that it was the worst pain I have ever experienced, yet it was tolerable. Barely tolerable, but tolerable. I sat 2 1/2 hours for the outline, but once the shading began I really could only sit for 40 minute intervals. After that my body would start shaking and my pain tolerance was gone. When you first start the tattoo you're like "HOLY SHIT THIS HURTS" but after about 10 minutes your body releases endorphins that lessen the pain. After awhile, depending on your body, those endorphins wear off and your body claims defeat. That's when the pain will start to be unbearable. Please do not let the pain factor deter you from getting a rib piece, because as soon as the needle stops there is no pain. You scab up and it's sore and then it heals and you have an awesome tattoo PLUS you get massive credit for getting a tattoo in that area.

Just got my first tattoo. And it was on my ribs, first 10 minutes were hell, then couple of hours of tolerable pain but last half an hour when he went back over some parts that had already been done were very sore. Worth it though.

i got my ribs for my first tattoo so i have nothing to compare it to. yes it hurt pretty bad but if you want the tattoo bad enough you can do it. the pain is part of the tattoo, ya gotta earn it.

I am getting my first tattoo right under my right brest from my to about the middle of my chest, two lines and then probably a design shaded around the words. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." I wasnt really nervous before but after reading these, I'm not gonna lie i'm pretty scared. I have a pretty high tolerance to pain... i think but i'm only 18 and a girl. Am i going to be able to get through it?

I am getting my first tattoo right under my right brest from my to about the middle of my chest, two lines and then probably a design shaded around the words. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." I wasnt really nervous before but after reading these, I'm not gonna lie i'm pretty scared. I have a pretty high tolerance to pain... i think but i'm only 18 and a girl. Am i going to be able to get through it?

I am getting my first tattoo right under my right brest from my to about the middle of my chest, two lines and then probably a design shaded around the words. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." I wasnt really nervous before but after reading these, I'm not gonna lie i'm pretty scared. I have a pretty high tolerance to pain... i think but i'm only 18 and a girl. Am i going to be able to get through it?

It really wasnt that bad..the worst part had to be the outline but the rest was cake...there will be parts that you wanna rip your hair out like the bottom of your rib cage but I thought it felt awesome when the artist tattooed my hip but thats just me...the pain is worth it though cause rib pieces are sick

I got my ribs done today.I have the word ambition going down my ribs highlighted in blue.It hurt near the armpit pretty bad.The middle letters were a breeze.Then the N at the bottom hurt on the hip.I would say it is way worth the discomfort.the burning is pretty bad. But ull be fine.I chewed gum and just bit down when it was bad.

Okay, so I plan on getting a ribcage piece done soon. I have an awful pain tolerance, though i am wanting this piece done so badly! I just want to know what to expect. Reading all of these entries are making me insanely nervous and i'm not sure if i can go through with it. My plan is to get done from under my armpit to below my hip bone, full color of cherry blossoms. It's a massive piece with excessive detail. Do you think i should getdone something small first? Like a word on my hand? I'm just afraid of having to stop halfway and not being able to go through with the entire thing. Like, i am such a baby when it comes to pain. haha HELP MEEE.

If it's that big, it's something you'll do in a few sittings, probably a few hours each. I wouldn't suggest getting something smaller first; you might psych yourself out. I've never had someone that couldn't finish because it hurt too bad. Once you and the artist find a rythm and your body's natural anasthetics kick in, you'll be just fine. I'd recommenc you lay off parying for a few days before, get a good night's sleep the night before, eat a good hardy breakfast/lunch about an hour before you go. The most important thing to do while you're getting tattooed is remember to relax, and keep breathing. I used to try to ignore the pain while i was getting tattooed, but i realized since I was concentrating on it to trying to make it hurt less it hurt all the more. I found that If I let myself feel the pain, and just concentrated on relaxing, breathing, and conversation with the artist, I was done before I knew it.

just got a three hour rib cage tattoo. unlike the others i would say the ribs and hip hurt the least and that when they did the part that extended towards my stomach it hurt the worst. im assuming its because of the muscle there. it was pretty much my first tattoo because my other two are very small and i would definetly say get something else somewhere else before you do your ribs. it does look great though. very satisfying. have fun ;)

IM GETTIN MY RIB CAGE done this week on the 29th i asked him the type a pain and he told me its kind of intensense at first but then again i like a lil pain i figured i smoke some reall good bud go in and ill put on my ipod on close my eyes think about the best pussy i ever had wen thats done he should be finished lol

Just got my 1st 2hr tat on my ribs and I was scared before I got it but it didn't hurray all it just messed with my nerves alot and made me shake,make sure u eat before cuz u do use alot of energy.it's not anything u can't bare

I've read a bunch of these posts...guess what? they're ALL right. Everyone's experience will be different. I just got a black/gray tattoo yesterday, 2.5 hours on my ribcage, and I'll tell you what...it was ROUGH. I knew it wasn't going to feel good, but even after the body's chemicals start to do their thing, I was struggling. Took all I had, man. I'm a lean guy, so there isn't much cushion, and that doesn't help either. Here's the bottom line. You've got to earn it. You want a sick tattoo on your ribs that everyone will know you suffered for? Then do it. My tattoo was a memorial to my dog, and I just wanted to express my love. I got a great tattoo in a place that meant sacrifice. EARN IT.

Like many of you I have wanted a tattoo on my rib cage for quite some time. I have thought about the placement, thought about changing the placement, and thought about not getting it all together. When it came down to it, the one place I wanted my tattoo was on my rib cage. So, after reading all the posts on this blog at least once, I decided to man-up and just do it. I went today to get mine, took 2.5 hours but the whole time I kept thinking how worth it in the long run it would be. For me personally, the outline was the easiest part. My tattoo runs from just below my armpit to just below my waist line on my hip. The hip and closest part to my armpit were the worst by far. There were some parts in the middle I didn't even feel (once my body numbed itself). The whole time I was laying there I just kept thinking of how many other people have had their ribs tattooed in the past and that helped me push through. I would say that I have a Medium to Low tolerance for pain (I almost passed out in the middle of the Icing at the mall in front of "x- amount" of teen girls when I got my ears pierced. I had to lay on the floor and the lady brought me a sucker and a sprite just because she couldn't stand to see a 21 year old college student puke and pass out in her store) and it was bearable. The bottom line is you should not decide where to put a tattoo because you are nervous about the pain of a certain location. Like I said, about a week ago I was almost positive I was going to get my tattoo on my arm because I didn't want to deal with the pain. Now that its all over and I have the tattoo, I am so glad that I just sucked it up and went for it on my ribs. Take a deep breath, get comfortable on the table and go for it. I have no doubt that if I can sit through a rib session, anyone can. Ignore all the scary shit that people write on this blog and just keep reminding yourself of how many people (lots of girls too!!! (no offense girls)) have gone ahead and done it. You're not going to die... Its going to suck for a little bit but you can handle it. In the end you will be a lot happier with your tattoo and proud of yourself for doing what you originally wanted in the first place. Good luck, breathe and YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Oh and by the way, this was my 1st tattoo ever! If anyone has any questions or concerns I would be happy to answer them. Lord knows we need all the help we can get sometimes. Good luck everyone!

I did skim thru some of these replies but I didn't see anyone talk about being fat or being skinny and getting a rib tattoo. I'm pretty thin and it hurt like crazy (4 hour tat). I wonder if these people who said it was easy are really just not feeling the pain due to having more fat tissue... not to be a jerk or anything... but definitely a thought.

im getting my first tatto tomorrow and well..rib cage say hello to painn. im actually really excited, i cant stand pain in the slightest but im pretty sure it'll be worth it.

I just got my rib cage done. It wasn't nearly as bad as I always heard it would be. I have a fairly high pain tolerance to begin with though. The only time it started to suck was some of the shading, it felt like the needles were going all the way to the bone (I know that's not actually possible. Its just how it felt.) But overall, its not bad.

How fat are you huys... Or in other words what's your BMI? I'm a skinny guy and I'm considering getting a ribcasetattoo... People say the pain can't be compared and that sucks...

Im getting my first rib cage tattoo tomorow morning. My regular tattoo artist is coming to my place to do it and Ill tell you what, after reading about others experiances of rib tatts.... Im really not looking forward too it... I feel ill just thinking about it....S knows me so well and knows my pain tollerance and even he said, you are going to cry like a little girl so Im feeling really confident LOL. If its anything like the pain I experiance having my foot done.... Im in a shit load of trouble! Shall report back tomorow.... if I dont pass out from the pain that is.

first let me say i cant say i know to say about a rib tat seeing on how im trying to get advice on mine. that said i will be getting a 11X4 pin up of my wife and the pain wont bother me i can think of things that ive done thats way worse. my question is this i hate my ribs being touched does anyone have advice they could give me and also if your good with photoshop email me i need alot of help with something

I got my third tat on my rib cage and i didnt hurt the first time, i think it has alot to do with who is doing the tat.

i'm 16 bout to get my ribs done last name down my right rib cage then 1994 down my left rib cage i got my first tattoo at 12 on my left arm then at 14 got nautical stars on my shoulder blades so i think i can take the pain.. its different for everyone like my cousin just got a tattoo ad his buddy said that top of the bicep is worst ever but he said that bottm of the arm is worst and top is nothing its different for everyone so i think i can take it

I just got mine done last night... It's not as bad as u think... It hurts more in some places than the others, but its not intense at all... u'll enjoy it =D... Go for it!

I don't know what all you guys are on about. I got MT ribs tattooed 2 days ago. I'm a 18 year old female and it didn't hurt at all. After reading these posts I was shitting myself. But it was a breeze, definitely getting my other ribs done.

I got my first tattoo yesterday, was really nervous beforehand and I made sure to go to the bathroom before I started cuz I was scared I was going to piss myself. I got it on my ribs right under my armpit and is about 2.5" tall and 3" wide and is basically just 3 stylized letters with some filigree. For the most part, it was painful but it's nothing you can't sit through if you really want it done (which I did). It mostly felt like a cat scratching a really bad sunburn with one nail while some parts didn't hurt at all and all I felt was pressure and vibration. But I have to say that the part closer to my armpit hurt the most and it felt as though I was being electrocuted. I have to agree with everyone else and say that I definitely felt the vibration along the rib area especially since I'm very ticklish. It took about an hour and didn't take any breaks cuz I knew if I took any, I'd be reluctant to go and finish. The first 5 minutes were great, the next 40 minutes were tolerable and the last 15 minutes I was wondering when she was gonna finish. The part I disliked most was when my artist was finishing up the shading. What an annoying burning sensation! I have to say that I'm glad I asked her to put some music on cuz the sound of the tattoo gun going was the scariest part for me. I felt great after it was finished and was just overall proud that I got through it and am extremely happy with the finished product. Today, a day after, coming down from that endorphin high/adrenaline rush, I feel like I've been beat up and I'm definitely feeling the muscle pain from keeping my arm over my head to stretch the skin. Thanks to my artist, I had a great experience overall and look forward to expanding this tattoo in the future. Don't let the fear of pain keep you from getting what you really want!