8 out of ten

It will test you · #10 of 25

Hip bone tattoo pain

The crest of the hip is bare bone with a nerve bundle running over it. Loved for its shape, feared for the score.

Pain score 8 / 10
Sensation Grinding
Sitting time 1–2 hrs
Heals in 2–3 weeks
Artist

Lie on your side rather than standing. Standing hip sessions end early, every time.

How it compares

One step worse Throat 9 One step easier Inner bicep 7

Also a 8: forehead , sternum , elbow ditch , hand & knuckles , shin , ankle . If you have sat through one of those, this will land in the same territory.

If that is more than you want: the calmest placements on the body are outer thigh (2) , outer forearm (3) and shoulder blade (4) . Same artist, same design, a fraction of the sit.

See all 25 placements on the chart

Estimates, not advice. Every figure on this page is computed from published reference values and standard measures, so your own inputs, equipment and conditions will move it. Nothing here is professional advice — talk to a qualified professional before acting on it.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How painful is a hip bone tattoo?

Hip bone scores 8 out of 10 — it will test you — which ranks it 10 out of 25 placements counting from the worst down. It sits level with forehead, sternum, elbow ditch, hand & knuckles, shin, ankle. Scores are a relative scale drawn from people who have sat through them, not a clinical measurement.

Is a hip bone tattoo a good first tattoo?

Probably not. At 8 out of 10 this is among the hardest places on the body to sit for, and going in with no idea how you handle a machine is a rough way to find out. Most artists will steer a first-timer somewhere calmer.

How long does a hip bone tattoo take to heal?

Expect roughly 2–3 weeks for the surface to settle, with the deeper skin taking longer. Healing time is not the same as pain — some of the calmest placements on the body are the slowest to heal, and plenty of the worst sits close up quickly.

Does a hip bone tattoo hurt more than a throat tattoo?

No. Throat scores 9 against Hip bone's 8, so it is the harder sit of the two. Both are individual though — your tolerance, the artist, and how big and detailed the piece is move the number more than the placement on its own.