The $50,000 Tattoo Nap: How Pro Athletes Are Getting Inked While They Sleep
Imagine this: You lie down in a clinical suite, count backwards from ten… and wake up with a full tattoo sleeve. No pain, no long sessions, no swollen limbs. Just art — done while you were dreaming. Welcome to the new frontier of body ink: sedated tattoo sessions.
NFL veteran Justin Simmons, known for his toughness on the field, opted for exactly that. Instead of powering through countless hours under the needle, he went under general anesthesia and let a team of elite artists at Lakimii Tattoo in Los Angeles take care of the rest. The result? A densely detailed thigh piece, completed in one go.
“They told me to count back from ten. I got to eight. Next thing I knew, my brother was waking me up,” Simmons shared.
Not Just a Tattoo — A Medical Operation
This isn’t your neighborhood tattoo parlor. We’re talking fully-equipped surgical suites, anesthesiologists, nurses, sterile conditions, and up to five artists working simultaneously — all for a starting fee of $30,000. Depending on complexity, prices can hit $50,000 or more. But hey, that’s the cost of waking up fabulous.
Why the shift? Athletes and celebrities are busy. They don’t have time for ten separate appointments. And let’s be honest — few people actually enjoy the pain.
“It’s not about toughness. These are pros,” says Lakimii co-founder Timo Schuldt. “But when you’re training every day or flying for a shoot, who wants to spend weeks on a tattoo?”
The Era of Fast, Flashy, and Flawless Ink
Today, tattoos are more than personal — they’re branding tools. Pro athletes use them to express identity, honor heritage, and boost image. They appear in marketing campaigns, social media feeds, and even video games. So it makes sense they’d invest in fast, polished, and perfectly executed body art.
NBA’s LaMelo Ball had a massive back piece done over three intense days by artist Herchell Carrasco — no sedation, just numbing cream and a lot of stamina. “What Melo got done in three days would take years for most people,” Carrasco says.
Still, not everyone is sold. Some traditional artists argue that the pain is part of the experience — a rite of passage, even. But others, like Michael Zuratti from Florida-based Sedation Ink, have a different view.
“All those people saying ‘you’ve got to earn it through the pain’… come on. That’s some unresolved stuff right there,” he jokes.
Safety First, Luxury Always
General anesthesia isn’t without risk. Side effects can include nausea, memory loss, or in rare cases, cardiac complications. After the tragic death of a Brazilian influencer during a sedated session in 2023, safety protocols have become even stricter.
Studios like Sedation Ink treat the process like surgery. Clients go through bloodwork, medical screening, and pre-procedure evaluations. If anything’s off — even a surprise positive pregnancy test — the session’s off the table.
“You’re not getting a tattoo in a shopping mall,” says Noel Pace, a former Army medic and healthcare attorney. “You’re in a fully licensed facility, with a doctor in charge.”
Athletes Lead the Way
When Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott went under for 11 hours to get a full leg sleeve featuring Kobe Bryant, Muhammad Ali, and tributes to his late family members — it sent a message: Sedated tattoos are the new flex.
His teammate Tony Pollard followed suit. “If Dak’s doing it,” he said, “I know it’s legit.”
Justin Simmons isn’t in a rush for another nap — yet. But if the right design comes along?
“I’d absolutely do it again,” he says.
So if you’ve got $50K burning a hole in your designer jeans and no time to waste — why not take a nap and wake up with your dream tattoo already on you?
Inked in your sleep: the ultimate tattoo power move of 2025.