Yes, for sure it does but maybe not the way your think it.
So, how painful a tattoo can be?
The first answer is not that bad and for sure not that much as you may first think. You will feel like a scratch on your skin, not more, not less. It's an annoying kind of burning sensation but mostly bearable.
If you are afraid of needles as you may remember painful experiences with doctors, you have to know that the tattoo needles don't goes as deep in your skin as the doctor one's. Getting a tattoo is definitely not as bad as it seems.
The feeling will be different according to where you tattoo is located; how big it is (mostly how long it takes to get it done) and of course the type of design you chose. For example, for some people shading is more painful than doing the tattoo outline or line work and for others this is totally the opposite.
Getting a tattoo is for sure not a common experience and stress might make you over feel. The best is to talk with your artist, visit the studio before taking a decision. A good tattoo studio should be able to answer all your questions and make you feel comfortable even if you are not getting your tattoo done on your first visit.
Do not forget that we are all different and we do not feel the same pain. What is totally okay for your friends might be more painful for you and if you know you are sensitive to the pain in general there is not shame at all to prevent it by asking your artist before and buying a numbing cream.
Picking an experienced and professional tattoo artist does make a difference about pain. An experienced tattoo artist with good skills and a proper training would often be more light and gentle than an artist who had a lack of apprenticeship or supervision. Yes, making your customers feeling the less pain as possible when tattooing is something you learn. Practicing in good conditions such as proper equipment, position and light not only help the tattoo artist to produce high tattoo quality, it helps as well to lower the amount of pain.
More areas of your body are more painful than others. I built for you a beautiful infographic to help you to figure out where you going to get your next one.
Abundance of bone and nerve endings are locations where tattoos hurt the most. Any area with a lot of muscles and a lack of nerve and bone endings are almost pain free areas.