At Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo we get that question all the time. As artist we will always tell you that the tattoo or piercing process is an individual experience. My pain tolerance may be more then yours. One thing that I can tell you is some of the equipment use can effect the level of pain a customer may feel. Our needles for instance. We usually use a 5 Round Shader to do most of our outlines. Shader needles give a nice line without the shakiness that would be seen with say a regular liner. Depending on the piece will give us an idea if we need to move up or down in sizes. If we move down in sizes the pain level for the customer will increase. Smaller needles are more sharper then the bigger sizes. A single line needle is rare in the shop industry, most of the time they can actually feel like a hot razor blade. Personally I never felt the need for them. Lots of scratchers in the industry use them because they don't know any better.
Well does shading hurt more then lining? Yes and no. The reason for the outline is so the ink we put in later in shade or color has a border to come up against so it doesn't spread. This in effect creates a cavern where the ink from shading or coloring falls into and pools. Depending on the magnum or shader configuration and again how many needles are in the pattern will effect the pain level a person feels. Flats are a needle that I never use. I find they tear up the skin real good. I use mainly the 7 and 9 Magnum. It's in a weave pattern and is pretty light on the skin. Again everything depends on the artist and how they tattoo. I usually use coil machines for both lining and shading. At times though you will see me pop out the rotary machine which most of my customers say is much less painful then my rotary. When I see a piece that needs vibrant color or is bigger in size thats when I decide on the rotary.
Where would I put it? This question is generally a women or man decision. What? Yes women can take pain much better then men while getting tattooed. Generally for men the chest, ribs and front of neck are things that will bring us into the fetal position. Women on the other hand handle the chest and ribs much better. The famous tattoo on the foot is one I usually don't recommend in the winter time. Foot tattoos are 75% likely to get infected and require antibiotics because the location is surrounded by bacteria. Shoes and socks, the rubbing of these items against the tattoo get it infected usually in a few days after getting the tattoo. These tattoos should always be received in the summer to take away the chance of infection because the shoes and socks can be left off.
In the end it's personal choice on where to get the tattoo. It's going to hurt because we have needles going in you. The longer the lines the more discomfort you will feel. We recommend lots of thought before deciding on where and what will go on your body. After all its a permanent procedure.