Gender Differences in Subjective Pain Perception during and after Tattooing

Abstract

Background: The aim of the research was to analyse the impact of gender on pain perception during and directly after tattooing, with the following predictors as covariates: the body area chosen for a tattoo, the character of the pain, the time it takes to complete the tattoo, bleeding, the level of stress, analgesics taken before the tattooing procedure, and the cycle phase. Methods: A total of 1092 participants took part in this study (F: 863, M: 229). A proprietary survey was used in the research, including patient characteristics and questions relating to the above-mentioned variables. Multiple regression analyses were used for continuous outcomes and multiple logistic regression analyses for binary outcomes. Results: Factors increasing pain during tattooing include: time B: 0.35; 95% CIs: 0.27–0.43; p = 0.001; bleeding B: 0.36; 95% CIs: 0.00–0.72; p = 0.052; level of stress B: 0.45; 95% CIs: 0.31–0.60; p = 0.001; pain medications taken before tattooing B: 1.42; 95% CIs: 0.60–2.23; p = 0.001. Factors increasing pain after tattooing include: time B: 0.21; 95% CIs: 0.15–0.27; p = 0.001; bleeding B: 0.47; 95% CIs: 0.20–0.72; p = 0.001; level of stress B: 0.15; 95% CIs: 0.04–0.26; p = 0.001. Conclusions: There was no difference between females and males in pain intensity during tattooing. Directly after the procedure, however, pain intensity was higher in women when compared to men. The most important factors increasing pain were time, bleeding, and the level of stress.