What's a tattoo without the pain?
Some people believe tattoo pain is important, otherwise you haven’t earned the art.
And some actually crave the pain.
That's f*cked up, but you do you....
Other people are more focused on the end result of their self-expression, and seek a more comfortable experience.
What can tattoos from around the world teach us about current attitudes towards tattoo pain?
Let’s find out…
The Oldest Tattoos are Over 5000 Years Old…
The oldest direct evidence of tattoo art on human skin comes from an ice mummy called Ötzi. This guy was frozen in mountain ice for over 5,000 years, and his 61 tattoos were perfectly preserved. Experts around the world have examined him from head to toe (frankly, he’s f*cking over it), and they found out some really cool sh!t.
So where are his tattoos?
Interestingly, most of his tattoos are in common areas of chronic pain. Also, a lot of his ink is exactly where you’d find traditional acupuncture points. Experts believe his tattoos were intended to treat his pain.
Similar, Yet Different…
In Samoa, the Pe’a is an intricate tattoo that spans a man’s mid-torso to the back of his knees...
Samoan women also get ink as a rite of passage, but these were traditionally less ritualized and more often seen on higher-ranking women.
These badass women call their tats “Malu,” a set of finer, more intricate tattoos. Malu are usually on a woman’s thighs, back of her knees, and on her hands, so don’t start thinking they’re any less painful because they’re thinner lines..
Similar tattoo styles have been around for at least 3,000 years, as evidenced by depictions on ancient pottery (aka some pretty sweet tattoo vase art). Aside from proving the massive void in your life is due to your grandma’s untattooed fine china, this also shows us how tattoos are an integral part of Samoan culture. They symbolize a person’s social status, heritage, personal history, and future.
Tattoos are life in Samoa.
Tapped into the skin with a bone tool, the painful ordeal can sometimes last months…
Samoan tradition says that a person’s inner child bleeds out of their body when a tattoo needle pierces their skin. Once a tattoo is finished, they are considered to have shed all traces of childhood and are formally welcomed into Samoan society as an adult.
However, if someone can’t complete the tattoo because of the pain, there are severe social consequences…
A pe’a mutu, or a man who doesn’t complete a tattoo because of the pain, is shunned from society.
So... Rumi May Think You're a Little Bitch…
Aside from treating pain with tattoos, or enduring tattoo pain on purpose, there have always been those who want the ink without the pain.
800 years ago, the Persian scholar Rumi wrote about a man who bragged about the lion tattoo he was going to get… only to back out of it right when the needle pierced his skin.
Rumi thought the guy was a little bitch, and that he should “escape the poison of his impulses,” but not all traditional tattoo art is painful.
A Painless Tattoo Tradition…
Permanent tattoos have been taboo for most people in India throughout recorded history. Only seen among certain isolated Indian tribal groups, tattoos traditionally symbolized barbarism to most of Indian society.
But temporary tattoos? They’re fully embraced...
Mehndi, the art of dying skin with henna, has been widely practiced among South Asians for at least 5,000 years.
The dried, powdered leaves of the henna plant are mixed into a paste and applied to the hands and feet in decorative patterns. Once the paste dries and flakes off, the skin is left with a badass mosaic of darker pigment.
The focus of this ritual is purely aesthetic, and there is no expectation of pain or discomfort.
In fact, Mehndi ceremonies are typically very relaxed and festive. Mehndi can be applied at many occasions, but it’s an especially common wedding tradition that celebrates the bride’s future while beautifying her body. Tradition says the deeper a bride’s Mehndi pigment turns out, the happier she’ll be in her marriage.
When I found this out, I said to myself, “Well sh!t, I should’ve rolled around in it like a damn jello wrestler before my first wedding… and my second…”
It’s Time to Say F’ Pain…
Our relationship with pain and tattoos is f*cking ancient, and it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
But, what hasn’t changed is that your tattoo is a personal experience. And if you don’t want the pain, then why endure it?
There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable. In fact, comfort and tattoos should go hand in hand…
Get an FKit!
If pain isn't your thing, get an FKit™!
The FKit™ numbs your skin so you don’t have to endure tattoo pain, especially in sensitive areas.
Plus, tattoo artists love the FKit™. The truth is, they don’t want you to be in pain. And even the slightest reaction to pain can f*ck up your tattoo.
Our numbing cream is American-made, using quality ingredients that won’t interrupt the ink or f*ck up your end result.
You can trust the FKit™ to help you sit through hours of tattooing without suffering through the pain.
Frankly, unless you're a pain junkie, you’d be f*cking crazy to get a tattoo without applying FKit™.
Say f*ck pain and get your FKit today!
