Pain is really relative. Everyone has a different tolerance for pain. We’re not going to kid you, though—it does hurt. Just not that much. But, people would not be returning again and again for tattoo after tattoo if it hurt that bad. Most of us are not into pain, but the beauty of the tattoo and the pride associated with wearing it far outweighs a little pin-stick here and there.

Tattoos typically take two to four weeks to heal on the surface, but it can take three to six months to fully heal. The tattoo healing process typically involves a week of redness and oozing, followed by two to three weeks of itchiness and peeling. After about a month, the skin still internally heals.

Pat your skin dry with a soft cloth. Apply a small amount of fragrance-free and alcohol-free moisturizer to the tattoo. You can keep the covering off at this point to let your skin breathe. Keep this routine up for the first couple of weeks, and keep the tattoo out of the sun until it’s fully healed.