Did It Hurt to Get Your Head Tattooed?
Friday, April 3, 2009 at 10:14AM As a heavily tattooed girlie, I always welcome questions about my ink. I have found that people are both curious and confused about aspects of my tattoo art and I try not to shy away from the inquiries.
While I have heard some doozies, I must say that the MOST commonly asked question of them all is, "Did it hurt to get your head tattooed?"
I understand being inquisitive about this. Really, I do. But the short and honest answer is, ummm, YES!
Tattoo collectors have various levels of pain tolerance. In a room full of tattooed peeps, asking "which spot hurt the worst" will most likely get you a variety of places cited. There really isn't a "rule" or "gauge" to be able to give prospective tattoo recipients when they ask "how much will it hurt?" If honest, even the toughest-of-the-tough have got to admit that EVERY PLACE hurts, to some degree; unless they have CIPA, have been drinking excessively, or come from another planet.
I have been told by artists who have tattooed me that I handle the pain well. I can sit and chat, eat, laugh, etc. Over the last four years of my eight year tattoo journey, I have acquired 14 full-color portraits from Mike DeVries alone; each one averaging 8-9 hours per portrait (Cyndi Lauper took 16 hours/broken into two sessions; the octopus took 26 hours/broken into six sessions) and I can sit for an eight hour ink showdown, gabbing away throughout; I just hobble away and cry all the way home (I kid, I kid). But I must say, that for me personally, the head project was a whole other ball game.
It may have been amplified by the fact that I had TWO Mikes (Mike DeVries and Mike DeMasi) tattooing simulaneously; one on each side. There is just something about the sensitivity and pressure applied to the noggin that doesn't quite compare to any other place I have been inked (yet).
Though the "head tattoo project" is still in progress (I had to go and be a girl and look for a change by growing hair for awhile), I thought I would share some of the photos from the first and second sessions with The Mikes.
Winx, Jinxi
*The tattoo machines both artists are using are Neumas.
**Be sure to hit the "Click to read more" link to see many more photos (if you want to, that is)**
Cyndi Lauper, Mike DeVries, head tattoo, ink, octopus, pain, tattoo, tattoos in Art, Fashion, Photo Love, Tattoos | Permalink | Print Article 
Reader Comments (13)
wow.. thats awesome. Great pictures of the experience. =)
ahhh! i remember when you initially started work on your head tattoo. and i love when you take time to share with the world various parts of your tattoo journey. i must still say after all of this time that the alice in wonderland back piece is still my favey! did you ever get the colour filled in?
THAT IS WICKED COOL!!! i love how you posted the pics. awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing, Jinxi! I think my favorite by far is the one picture where you're eating a lollipop while gettin' inked..
Wow! amazing pictures!
Waaaaay cool. Thanks for sharing, Jinxi.
I'm a tattoo artist, and seeing your head getting inked on both sides at once makes me cringe! You are one tough cookie/cupcake! I love your new design. Great layout, and I love your words of the day. xoxoxo, hil
you are so cute! i admire your style, and all of your ink. you're really an inspiration. and by far, the coolest wifey on wifeswap! haha.
I remember getting me head tattooed...
The idea started when I was 17. I had been seeing tattoos on friends and older people and always been fascinated. As a skateboarder, they kind of went hand in hand, and I decided that when I turned 18, I was getting my head tattooed. A week after my 18th birthday, I had my appointment, and was excited to see what my artist would come up with for me.
I went in early, as this was my first tattoo, I had no idea what to expect, I just knew that I was stoked, and wanted to do everything I could to make this as smooth as experience as possible. When I walked in, andy said 'your early, that's cool' and was sitting at the light table, putting the finishing touches on a large grinning sun. There wasn't any color in it, it was black and grey, and not to heavy on either, mostly lines, and a little shading.
I can tell you that the first 30 - 45 minutes of my first 4 and a half hour session hurt a bit, but not as bad as I thought. I had psyched myself up for something excruciating, and was surprised to find out that it wasn't near as bad as I expected. BUT IT STILL HURT! After that I am not sure about what it felt like. A few friends said that they came in and saw me, but that me and Andy were just chatting away, and they didn't want to interrupt me.
I have no idea what we talked about, I'm pretty sure I was on auto-pilot, and had checked the conscious part of me out, just to deal with what I was feeling. It's kind of funny when I think about it, I think that if I had known, I might not have gotten one there for my first one. I tend to be a little outrageous and 'balls-out' when I do things, so, the head it was.
It was 10 years later when I got it colored in. It had seen a lot of extra sunlight, and definitely needed a re-working. I had done some extensive traveling at this point, and had seen a lot of talented folks, but had still not found the right guy for the job. Then I met Fernando and he promised me a sweet piece in 5 1/2 hours. I was sold. 5 1/2 hours later he told me that he had never seen anybody take a tattoo like that, and that I was certified, or 'one tough cookie' I figure. I never really did figure out what that meant.
Now I get asked all the time how it felt, and did it hurt. the answer "yes." Of course it did, needles, poking in and out of your skull. OUCH. Would I change it? Not for the world! I love my ink, and everything it is.
Great post here! I love hearing other peoples stories about their tattoos! thanks for letting me tell mine too. And that is one wicked piece you have there, I must say.
You are incredibly awesome, Jinxi. You make me believe in serendipity...that some people are just meant to come into your life (even though we've never met in person!) Your personality just jumps out in everything you do...even as a once anonymous seller off eBay ))
Hi Jinxi - just curious how the Neumas "feel" compared to a regular machine?
i am currently having my vine of flowers up my leg removed - laser - it fu*king hurts!!!!!!!! it gets all blistered and icky. much more fun GETTING inked ;) i am making room for something else i havei n the works...the laser treatment is ru nning me 5K, tho !!!
i just googled does a head tattoo hurt and you came up lol. my twin brother has a shaved head, my hair is past my middle back. i told him if my head were shaved i would put a tattoo on it. it reminds me of that super model in the 90s with the pink shaved head and tatoo(i think a dragon) it was hot! I remember you on wife swap too with the religious black family from raleigh nc. lol i was born in nc. i can imagine what you were through!! lmao. anyway, i love the tats!! thanks for sharing. Travis- nyc