Tattoos Don’t Hurt, Right…? July 10, 2012

Tattoos Don’t Hurt, Right…?

By Hemant Mehta
July 10, 2012

Todd Stiefel asked me what I would consider doing if Foundation Beyond Belief reached its goal of 5,400 total members for the Light the Night walk. (Right now, we only have 400.)

I said I would grow a beard for a month. Then I remembered that I have to travel. And those aren’t a good mix for me…

So PZ forced — FORCED, I TELL YOU! — me to get a tattoo.

I don’t know why I agreed, but apparently I did:

So if you’d like to see me in great pain, join a team! You only have this week to do it!

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What Are Your Thoughts?leave a comment

  • Can we change it and make PZ sport a mohawk? that would soooo totally rock!

  • Any way to make the site more user friendly? I spent a good 5 minutes trying to figure out how to join the fun and gave up.

  • What tattoo are you thinking of getting?

  • Edmond

    It only hurts a tiny bit, it’s very endurable.  Have it done on a fleshy part, like the popular upper arm, and stay away from skin that stretches over bone, that’ll hurt more.

  • Annaigaw

    Well it doesn’t say “permanent” tattoo.

  • Tattoos don’t hurt much, if at all. I’ve got 20, and the only one that bothered me at all was the one I got on my inner bicep right near the armpit.

  • I personally don’t have any, but I have a friend with a bunch of them. He said the only ones that really hurt much were the ones on his ribs.

  • You should get one from my sister in Villa Park.
    http://www.bonedesigns.com/tattoos.html 

  • Daniel Clements

    I heard those things can kill you.

  • Aaronlane

    Let the design contest begin in 3… 2… 1…

  • Tainda

    I say get a unicorn tat…..

  • I have some ideas… if I get it, you’ll all see the finished product!

  • Try this page. It guides you through the process!

    http://foundationbeyondbelief.org/LLS-registration

  • Reginald Selkirk

    ” I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.” – Bertrand Russell

    That tattoo is never going away, even if you suffer major brain damage and become religious.

  • Reginald Selkirk

     It should involve a pony. Because you like women, and  I hear women just love the shit out of ponies.

  • Claire A V

    happy humanist tattoo! don’t worry, the pain is totally bearable. just make sure you get recs for a good tattoo artist.

  • So does /b/ over at 4chan so he might want to skip the pony.

  • Jbenuniv

    The latest tattoo removal lasers do a surprisingly good job in just a few treatments.

  • Cincinatheist

    *tsk tsk*  Leviticus 19:28 man, Leviticus 19:28. 

  • At first it is just a poking sensation, then after a few minutes, the vibration of the motor somewhat numbs the area. Unless of course it is over a bony area like an ankle, then I hear it hurts.

  • And yes, I have tattoos, but only on the upper arm

  • I have the circular tree of life http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/wp-content/blogs.dir/470/files/2012/04/i-c45f00d8b68f5ff488017d61358744dc-simple_tree_of_life.jpeg  

    The long lines were kind of annoying, but its thin enough lines that it wasn’t like tattoos I got with shading where they use the big multi-needle!

  • Yukimi

    I’ve heard yellow is the most difficult colour to remove if you want in the future so avoid it just in case 😛

  • Yukimi

    I’ve heard yellow is the most difficult colour to remove if you want in the future so avoid it just in case 😛

  • Baby_Raptor

    Hey. There are plenty of people who like MLP that wouldn’t be caught dead at 4chan. I’m one of them, and so is my fiance. (Who I met thanks to MLP)

  • Baby_Raptor

    I have 3. (shoulder, lower back and hip.) They don’t hurt too horribly much. 

  • Slade

    I have a large tattoo on the top of my left foot.  That was agonizing.

  • Each to their own, I was just pointing out a true fact.

  • Jean1

    I am the first of my atheist group to sign up.  I think others will join, but our walk is not until October, so there is no urgency involved.

  • Hang on, so, you’re saying that the guy ORGANISING the thing gets to shave his head while he talked the other two of you to get TATTOOS???
    Wow, if you ever have to negotiate buying a house – get him to do it…
    I sure hope Henna Tattoos are OK under your agreement.

  • kev_s
  • Amy

    You HAVE to get a Crockoduck tattoo!

  • Baby_Raptor

    Understandable. Just saying that we’re not all horrible.

  • I wish you two the best.

  • Veronica Abbass
  • traveling Txn

    Tattoos arnt bad if you get them in a meaty non-sensitive area (think deltoid or outer bicep) but anything over a bony prominence, or a sensitive area or an area with thin skin I’ve heard hurts.  Mines on my deltoid and it didn’t hurt at all.  From talking to my other tattooed friends though the ones that hurt the works are the feet, fingers, and one friend said the one on his butt left him sitting on one cheek for a couple weeks.  Good luck with it man, cant wait to see how it looks, and who knows this might be the start of a new hobby/addiction 😀

  • Megan

    I’m contemplating getting a happy humanist tattoo and I’m terrified of needles. I’ve heard you can have your doctor prescribe some lidocaine cream that will somewhat numb the area – you apply it about an hour before you’re scheduled to be inked. I’m going to do a consult with a tattoo artist and also have a friend who plans to get a tattoo with me at the same time. I’m much less of a baby when in front of others 😉

  • Joseph Smith

    The Light The Night website is down for maintenance, so you might not have to get that tattoo after all. 

  • LOL.  They got to think of something they would do and volunteered tattoos.  I didn’t have to negotiate with them.  I do LOVE negotiating though.

  • James

    Just get the first tattoo out of the way and you’ll be coming back for more. Don’t make it all symbolic-y and shit. Also, let me just say that it’s a nice sensation…but then again, I like a little pain with my pleasure. 

  • Women love horseshit? Don’t they get enough of that from men as it is?

  • micro_joy

    The pain isn’t bad at all, but the itching will drive you CRAZY!  

  • carriep63

    An invisible pink unicorn, at that.

  • carriep63

    I joined your team!  I am very excited.

  • Piet

    Hemant,
    I know you are thinking a lot about this.
    One piece of crucial advise; If you are getting a small tattoo, don’t put it on your bicep, shoulder or back. Leave those spots for when you decide to get a real big one.

    Good luck!
    Can’t wait to see the final result!

  • Piet

     Lovin’ this! Any pics of the tattoo available?

  • Reginald Selkirk

     Usually not, but you won’t be allowed to donate blood for a year or so.

  • Salty

    Do your homework and choose the tattoo artist wisely – don’t get a cheap tattoo!

  • JaneRLeBlanc

    What will you get? Make sure to find a great artist. 🙂