Where is the best place to get your first tattoo?

There is no single best spot. The outer forearm, outer thigh and calf rank lower on this site's editorial pain chart and offer room for a design. Also consider visibility, body shape and aftercare with your artist.

What tattoo placements should I avoid for work?

Check the rules that apply to your workplace. Hands, neck, throat and face are often visible in ordinary clothing, while other placements may be easier to cover depending on the design.

Do tattoos stretch or distort over time?

They can. Skin and body shape change over time, and a design may change with them. Ask your artist how the proposed shape and placement may look as the body moves.

What is the most and least painful place to get a tattoo?

On this site's editorial scale the highest-ranked placements are the achilles, kneecap and ribcage, and the lowest-ranked are the outer thigh, outer forearm and shoulder blade. Pain is individual, so the order may differ for you. The chart compares all 25 placements.

Tattoo placement guide

Placement affects visibility, how the design fits the body and your aftercare plan. Use this guide alongside the pain chart, then check the final decision with your artist.

What to consider

How much it hurts

One factor to consider. On this site's editorial scale, placements run from outer thigh at 2 out of 10 to achilles at 9. Your own experience may differ.

II.

Who gets to see it

Think about whether clothing can cover the exact design at work or when you choose. Hands, neck and face are especially visible; check any workplace policy that matters to you.

III.

How it ages

Friction, sun exposure, line spacing and the design itself can affect how a tattoo looks over time. Ask your artist how the chosen spot may change the design.

IV.

Size and shape

The design has to fit and may need to wrap with the body. Compare its dimensions with the available area, then have your artist check it on your body.

How it heals

Movement, clothing and footwear can rub a fresh tattoo. Discuss how you will protect the chosen area during aftercare; placement alone does not predict healing time.

Choose by what matters most

You want it to hurt the least

outer thigh 2 outer forearm 3 shoulder blade 4

These rank lower on this editorial chart. Design, technique and your own response still matter.

It has to stay hidden

tricep 5 upper chest 6 outer thigh 2 shoulder blade 4

These may be easier to cover, depending on the design size and your clothing.

You want it to age well

outer thigh 2 outer forearm 3 shoulder blade 4 calf 4

These offer room for a design. Ask your artist how friction, sun exposure and line spacing may affect it over time.

It's your first tattoo

outer forearm 3 outer thigh 2 calf 4

Places many people consider first. Choose based on your design, visibility needs and discussion with an artist.

The calmest and the cruellest

These are the extremes on our editorial pain scale. Compare all 25 placements on the pain-by-placement pages.

Artist

Bring the design and let the artist help place it. They see how a piece will sit on the body, wrap with a limb and hold up as it ages — things that are hard to picture from a flat drawing.

See the pain chart How big should it be?

Planning guidance, not predictions. Pain scores are relative estimates. Appointment length and healing vary by person, design and aftercare. See how the chart is made, discuss your tattoo and aftercare with your artist, and seek medical advice for health concerns.