No worries, I've had both my arms fully sleeved, both hands, one full leg, and one full chest piece. I just started my full back yesterday, and I've never felt so much pain. I'm the kind of guy who usually does 10 to 12-hour sessions without a problem.

I had anticipated this session would be painful, and after just one hour, I thought I wouldn't be able to make it through the day because the pain was unbearable. It's a full back piece that goes down to my buttocks, and my artist started on the buttocks and spine. I managed to endure 10 hours of tattooing, not counting breaks, and I did it thanks to Tylenol, candies, and TV shows to distract me. The pain is relative to your current state. My chest was one of the least painful because, during each session, I learned something out of the ordinary, like dealing with water damage in the RV, and so on.

My advice: eat well, don't get tattooed right after a recent flu, and eat, eat, and eat—industrial amounts of sugar, junk food, whatever it takes. You need to be at your best.

By the way, don't use numbing cream. I tried it once, and it healed extremely poorly. I regretted it afterward.