According to Healthline, "The rib cage is probably the second most painful place for most people to get tattooed. Pain here can be severe. The skin around your ribs is extremely thin, and there's less fat here than on most other parts of your body." The ribs are second only to the armpit due to its excessive nerve endings and even thinner skin; but the armpit isn't a particularly common spot to get tattooed, as tattoo artists even advise against it (via NY Post).
Cosmopolitan sat down with Fredrik Glimskär, founder and CEO of online tattoo marketplace Inkbay, to learn more about the ins and outs of the tattoo world. Glimskär didn't hesitate when asserting that the ribcage is an especially painful area of the body to get tattooed. "The ribs move every time you breathe, which makes the tattooing process more painful." He even spoke about this own experience being tattooed on his ribs, adding, "the pain doesn't let up ... the level of pain is consistent throughout — for 6 hours in my case!"
But hey, that sure didn't stop Ariana Grande.
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