4 out of ten

Very sittable · #23 of 25

Shoulder blade tattoo pain

Broad, flat and muscled — one of the best canvases going, provided the artist stays off the bony ridge.

Pain score 4 / 10
Sensation Warm scratch
Sitting time 3 hrs
Heals in 2 weeks
Artist

Lean forward slightly to open the blade out and flatten the surface.

How it compares

One step worse Tricep 5 One step easier Outer forearm 3

Also a 4: glute , hamstring , calf . If you have sat through one of those, this will land in the same territory.

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 shoulder blade tattoo?

Shoulder blade scores 4 out of 10 — very sittable — which ranks it 23 out of 25 placements counting from the worst down. It sits level with glute, hamstring, calf. Scores are a relative scale drawn from people who have sat through them, not a clinical measurement.

Is a shoulder blade tattoo a good first tattoo?

Yes. At 4 out of 10 this is one of the calmer placements on the body, and it takes a long sitting without wearing you down — which is exactly what a first piece needs.

How long does a shoulder blade tattoo take to heal?

Expect roughly 2 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 shoulder blade tattoo hurt more than a tricep tattoo?

No. Tricep scores 5 against Shoulder blade's 4, 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.