The most painful places on your body to get a tattoo

Yes, we know, pain is subjective – but your body isn’t.

Your body has certain areas which are more susceptible to pain than others, and there’s a consensus about which parts are more painful to tattoo.

If you’re the squeamish type and you want to get a tattoo, then maybe you should avoid areas like…

The wrist

Probably the most painful area if you ask enough people. The skin is very close to the bone, and there is very little to no fat or muscle there to provide a cushion. Add to that it’s a sensitive area to begin with, with lots of nerve endings, and you have the perfect ingredients for a painful tattoo!

The ribcage

Again, like the wrist, the ribcage doesn’t have much muscle or fat to protect it, so people tend to feel the needle a lot more here. There’s also a physiological effect going on; your ribcage protects all your vital organs, and so is naturally sensitive. Think about being tickled – it’s a feeling like no other, and it’s because your body wants you to protect that area more than anywhere else.

The head

Your head is basically just your skull with a bit of skin stretched over it, so if you’re getting a tattoo there, you can expect it to hurt. The reason the head is so painful is because it’s nerve central. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves that connect the brain with the head, neck and body. Your eyes, ears, nose, and taste buds all rely on this collection of nerves to transmit sensory details about what you're smelling, tasting, hearing, and seeing. If you’re being repeatedly stabbed by a small needle, then they’re obviously going to go into overdrive!

When it comes to tattoos, how much it hurts, and which area hurts the most is all dependent on the person receiving the tattoo. So if you got a tattoo on your wrist and it didn’t hurt, don’t bother contacting us to put us right! Pain is subjective!

Who owns the copyright to your tattoo?

“It’s my tattoo, so I own it!”

Well, not necessarily…

The questions around tattoos and copyright is a grey area, and one which doesn’t seem to have an answer.

A tattoo doesn’t just involve you – it also involves the artist who drew it, possibly the person who designed it, and maybe even anyone in the tattoo itself. This is why things can get so complicated.

Mike Tyson’s hangover

The questions around tattoos and copyright came to the front back in 2011, when the Hangover Part 2 came out.

In the movie, Ed Helms’ character wakes up with a replica of Mike Tyson’s face tattoo. Everyone thought it was funny except the artist, who promptly sued Warner Bros. for copyright infringement.

The artist was called Victor Whitmill, and his lawyers claimed that human skin is “as tangible a medium as canvas or print material that photographers use.”

His argument is, even though it was on Mike Tyson’s face, it wasn’t Mike Tyson’s, so the company used his design without his permission.

In the end we didn’t get a legal result, because Warner Bros settled out of court, but it looked like the decision might have gone the way of the artist, which is why they settled in the end.

Cultural appropriation

Many people here in New Zealand called bullshit on the artist’s claims, pointing out the fact that he drew a Ta Moko design without any cultural associations to the country.

They said he was a hypocrite for claiming his design was “stolen”, when in fact he stole it in the first place from Maori culture.

Whitmill never contacted anyone to ask about the culture, the significance or the meaning behind Ta Moko, and by his own admission, drew it freehand when Tyson came in for a tattoo (he originally wanted a series of diamonds and hearts, arranged almost like playing cards on his face).

So, to answer the question, legally speaking, no one knows who owns a tattoo. It’s all dependent on the person, design, and circumstances, and until the law specifically spells it out, the whole area is a grey one.

Bring home a silver fern tattoo as a reminder of New Zealand

If you’ve come to New Zealand backpacking or on holiday, no doubt you’ve been blown away by the landscape, hospitality, and handsomeness of the local tattoo artists.

If you’ve decided to leave us (for some bizarre reason), then taking a tattoo home with you is the perfect souvenir. Not only does it look awesome, but it’s a great conversation starter when you’re back home, and a reminder of the best time of your life.

Silver fern tattoo

Nothing says New Zealand more than the silver fern image (other than beating Australia in the rugby).

The silver fern has been accepted as a symbol of New Zealand’s national identity since the 1880s. To Māori, the elegant shape of the fronds stood for strength, stubborn resistance, and enduring power. To Pākehā (Kiwis of non-Māori descent), the fern symbolised their sense of attachment to their homeland.

To you, it can represent your travels, the good times you had, and the friends you made.

Kiwi as bro

The fern isn’t just a native plant. It’s a symbol of New Zealand, it’s culture and it’s people. The association with our armed forces, sports teams, and politics gives it a deep emotional connection for Kiwis, and is a figure of pride for all New Zealanders.

As a visitor here, you can take a little piece of that home with you, and spread the love of New Zealand around the world for us.

Come and see us at Sunset Tattoo, and our resident Ta Moko artist Tristan will be happy to design you a silver fern that’s unique to you.

Tristan himself is of Te Rarawa descent, and his blackwork, geometric designs, and pattern work are exceptional.

Contact us today if you would like to book in for a silver fern tattoo, or just pop by our studio off K-Road and we’ll be happy to have a chat.

3 tattoo ideas that are straight out of left field

Traditional tattoos are the most common type of tattoo and have been for over 100 years. But the more we push the boundaries of what’s possible, and supplement that with advances in technology, the more creative we become. Here are three cool tattoo ideas to think about…

Your children’s drawings

Some parents put their kids’ drawings up on the fridge, but those parents obviously don’t love their children enough.

Having that drawing inked forever on your body is a recent trend in the industry, and one which is adorable by anyone’s standard.

This is an incredibly sweet tattoo, taking a snap shot of your child’s development and keeping it forever. Plus you know no one else has this design!

Man’s best friend

Ok, there is one thing cuter than kids – puppies.

For those of us who don’t want children (and there are a lot), pets are the most precious thing on earth. Nothing - and we mean nothing - beats the love and loyalty of a dog.

While paw print tattoos are nothing new, having your own pet’s paw inked has become a recent trend. And with our canine friends only living a few short years, it’s a perfect way to remember them after they’re gone.

DNA tattoos

Ok, this is a new one.

A company called Everence has created a new technology which allows someone’s DNA to be mixed in with tattoo ink.

The idea is you can carry a loved one around with you at all times, as part of yourself, for as long as you live.

One part creepy to one part cool, the DNA is purified and enclosed in microscopic capsules, protecting it from the body and keeping it in the tattoo itself.

It can be added to a new tattoo, or an old, existing one, and certainly is a unique way to be close to a loved one.

Russian prison tattoos – their significance and meaning

Back during the Soviet era, a strong culture of prison tattoos developed in Russia. They were used to tell who was in prison for what, and what authority they had in the criminal world.

The practice under the Gulag system grew in the 1930s, peaking in the 1950s and declining in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s.

History

Branding criminals in Russia was commonplace long before tattoos came on the scene. Deserters from the army were branded with a cross, while prisoners sentenced to hard labour had their forehead and cheeks branded with the word "VOR" (thief).

In the thirties, criminal gangs began to emerge, and with them a tattoo culture to define rank and reputation.

During the Stalin years, political prisoners were sent to the gulags by the thousands, and tattoos were used to differentiate between political prisoners and the Vor criminals.  

The tattoos themselves show a "service record" of achievements and failures, prison sentences and the type of work a criminal does, such as safe breaking or assassination.  Anyone adorning a tattoo who didn’t have the “right” to, could be punished by death, or forced to remove them themselves with a knife, sandpaper or a shard of glass.

Some of the designs came from English sailor tattoos, such as the flying tall ships, a heart pierced by a dagger, anchors, a serpent-entwined heart or a tiger baring its teeth.

Symbolism and meaning

From the 1960s to the 1980s, Arkady Bronnikov visited prisons all over the Soviet Union and photographed thousands of tattooed inmates to decode their body art. His findings actually helped solved crimes by tracing criminals back to their deeds and locations. Through his work we now know what the following symbols mean.

Stars - One of the most recognizable tattoos is the eight-point star, often placed on the chest and on the knees. This tattoo, when placed on the knees, means "I won't stand on my knees before the authorities." When placed on the shoulders it shows rank as Thief. 

Lenin or Stalin – Often tattooed on the chest, partly from a belief that a firing squad would never follow orders to shoot such an image.

Medals – Can indicate rank or, if done in pre-Soviet style, indicates contempt for authority.

Orthodox church – Indicates a thief, usually a chest tattoo, with the number of cupolas indicating the number of convictions

Suns – Rays can be used to indicate number and length of sentences served.

Snake – A snake around the throat can represent drug addiction.

Hooded Executioner – A prisoner who has murdered a relative.

Eyes – When on the stomach indicate the owner is gay (with the dick becoming the nose), or on the buttocks can indicate a passive homosexual