10 Best Place for A Tattoo On A Man

Getting your first tattoo is always exciting, but it’s not always easy. A lot of people easily get judgmental about tattoos, especially if they are placed in a bad spot. Although there’s no general rule for the best place for a tattoo on a man, other factors like the shape and size of a tattoo play a great role in how they will look on a certain body part.

The tattoos exponentially grew in popularity over the past few years, but they are still highly controversial in some companies where people find difficulties finding a job. With that in mind, we decided to bring you an article that talks about the best place for a tattoo on a man.

Some tattoos look amazing, and it’s shame for them not to be seen in the right place. At the same time, some people like to have tattoos in subtle places where they won’t be easy to notice, but they’ll still provide a sentimental or memorable value to the wearer.

The right place for a tattoo on men can vary for different reasons. One of the reasons is the aforementioned one, not everyone likes to have a tattoo on a visible place, and then again, maybe they are worried about not being able to find the job they want to do.

The second most important reason is being worried about the potential pain that they will feel and its intensity. Let’s agree on one thing, tattoos hurt, and that a lot. Some parts hurt more, and some parts hurt less, depending on the number of nerve endings as well as your pain tolerance.

Read More: Tattoo Pain Chart: What Is The Most (Least) Painful Place

10 Places For A Tattoo On A Man

Tattoos help tell someone’s story, or mark an important memory. To make that memory highlighted and more detailed, it’s paramount to pick the right place for a tattoo on your body.

Below, we’ll list the best places for a tattoo on a man, and also emphasize the pain level you may experience while getting your tattoo. Hopefully, our list helps you pick the right spot for your first or next tattoo, especially if you’re in a dilemma and can’t choose.

1. Arm

Pain level: Mild to moderate

Let’s face it, sleeve tattoos look attractive and at times even adorable on men. However, the arm is a quite large concept, so it’s important to understand that some parts will hurt more or less to ink. Usually, the whole bicep and nearly the entire forearm to your wrist will cause mild pain, although the wrist itself will give a stronger pain sensation.

Sleeve tattoos are ideal for men who are creative and like to experiment with symbolism, colors, and sizes. More so, sleeve tattoos help convey emotions and tell a story given that there’s a lot of space for the story to be told.

Read More: Half Sleeve Tattoos For Men: 30+ Best Design Recommendations

2. Neck

Pain level: Moderate to severe

The neck is a particularly popular location for people who tattoo their arms, shoulders, and chest, and would like the continuation of their story.

However, many men don’t dare to enroll in this endeavor because neck tattoos can hurt a lot, more so in the rear than on the front, due to the connection to the spine.

Nevertheless, the neck can serve as an inspiration for many different designs and colors, so if you’re looking for a medium-size tattoo, the neck can be a good place. The only drawback to the neck tattoo in addition to the pain is the fact that it’s visible and more difficult to hideaway.

3. Biceps

Pain level: Mild

If you’re not into tattooing the entire arm, and you want to ink a larger tattoo that will fit into your arm, biceps are the best part to go with. It’s ideal for larger tattoos, and it can be both sticking out and well hidden with a jacket or a long-sleeve shirt.

Needless to say, the bicep area doesn’t hurt as much as other body parts, although it’s important to wear breathable clothes while the wound is healing just to be on a safer note and avoid the potential bacterial infection.

The inspiration for the bicep tattoo is large, and you can experiment with different sizes, shapes, symbolism, and colors.

4. Chest

Pain level: Moderate to severe

A chest tattoo may not look easily visible, but it’s a great body decoration to flaunt during the summer months on beach parties and pools, especially if you exercise regularly and build yourself up. Chest tattoos are great for people who take good care of their physique and try to stay in shape.

The good part is that you can pick the size of the tattoo you want, as well as whether you want to ink some letters and verses, or a full abstract shape.

Note: The bad side is that the pain gets close to severe. The upper chest may not be as painful, but the area around the nipples and as you’re approaching the rib cage can cause extreme discomfort and pain. If you’re tattooing a large design, talk to your tattoo artist about finding the ways to take breaks and keep the pain at bay.

5. Rib Cage

Pain level: Severe to extremely severe

As mentioned earlier, the closer you get to the ribs, the more pain you’ll experience. There’s not much difference between the pain women or men experience when getting inked in this area. The pain is hardly bearable, and many people give up from getting the tattoo in this area.

Still, some brave people dare to make a canvas, verse, or something else on their rib cage. Just prepare for a painful experience. In the end, the tattoo looks great, especially if you plan to show it off on the beach or at a pool. It improves your body definition and simply shines.

6. Back

Pain level: Moderate to severe

Back are some of the most elegant parts to ink, adding up to the class and sophistication in both men and women. However, unlike women who experience the least pain in the area, men will experience moderate to severe pain. The sensitivity increases as the needle get closer to the spinal bone.

Nevertheless, back tattoos are among the most popular ones. They are great for both larger and smaller tattoos, can boast letters, verses, dates, canvas, and a combination of more than one tattoo. Just prepare, if you’re up for a large tattoo, it’ll take several hours to complete and on some occasions, multiple sessions.

7. Forearm

Pain level: Mild

The forearm is another popular location for manly tattoos, especially for those making a glove-like tattoo pattern and are not too interested in a bicep or full sleeve tattoos. The forearm tattoos allow you to get creative with designs and add multiple different shapes and patterns. Forearms are the most popular areas for the so-called armband tattoos which come in many shapes, enriched with a detailed culture and meanings.

The pain is mild, and in some areas moderate, but bearable and easy to get through, even if you have to go through hours of the tattoo session. Still, if you experience some pain, talk to your tattoo artist about taking more breaks during the session.

Forearm tattoos are visible if you will wear a short-sleeve shirt, but otherwise shouldn’t be visible in a corporate setup. It’s also important to note that you should wear loose and breathable clothing so that the wound heals faster.

8. Outer Shoulder

Pain level: Mild to moderate

Outer shoulder is one of the most attractive tattoos on men. In addition to that, getting it doesn’t even hurt that much compared to some other parts. It’s worth it because mostly, it’s hard to notice and you can wear it subtly unless you’re on the beach.

Like with other tattoos that are covered with clothes, ensure to only wear breathable clothing when healing, so that nothing will hinder the healing process. It’s also great because you can experiment with shapes and sizes, as there’s a lot of space, and you can merge it to your sleeve tattoo if you have one.

9. Stomach

Pain level: Moderate to severe

The stomach is one of the more painful areas, especially if there’s a lot of loose skin or fat. Nevertheless, the stomach tattoos, well hidden, subtle and delicate spark a lot of curiosity in people, especially women. Men who tattoo a certain symbol or a canvas on their stomach want to highlight some event that is close to them, which is why they keep such tattoos hidden around the areas such as the stomach.

You are free to self-express yourself with your stomach tattoo because there’s ample area for you to experiment with the different designs.

10. Shins

Pain level: Moderate and severe to extremely severe

Shins are quite popular for men tattoo, especially if there’s an extra layer of muscle to highlight the shin tattoo. There’s enough space for various designs, starting from simple lettering and shapes, to abstract canvas.

Nevertheless, it’s important to be careful because shinbone tattoos can be painful and quite unbearable. Depending on your pain tolerance, you could experience a little as moderate pain to extremely severe.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tattoos For Men

Picking the right tattoo can be quite challenging and sometimes pressurizing. That’s why we took time to answer some frequently asked questions that our readers often ask us. Check them out, and the answers may help you too.

Q: What is the most popular area for a tattoo for men?

A: That’s up to you and your preferences. However, you should try answering the questions about the size of your tattoo, what shape you want, whether the area you want to tattoo on is deemed as moderately or extremely painful, and more. It’s important, to be honest about your pain tolerance, as well as the shape you plan to use for your tattoo.

Q: Do men experience less pain than women when getting tattooed?

A: Some anecdotal evidence suggests that women are more sensitive to the pain associated with getting inked, as well as that they’re better at taking. But, in the end, it’s worth accepting that all tattoos hurt, but that several factors like size, time of the day, weight, and pain tolerance have a minor contribution to how much pain you’ll experience.

Read More:

95 Great Tattoo Ideas for Men: Ultimate Guide (2023 Updated)

32 Small & Unique Tattoos For Men (and What They Mean)

Sharing is caring!