Mine hurt exactly as much as I thought it would...which is probably no help at all.
But it really didn't hurt too much. If you take a friend to talk to, it's nice. They can distract you.
Mine never even scabbed over. I kept it dry for 6 hours, then but bag balm (a really soft moisturizer, they use it on goats udders) on it for a couple days, every two hours. Until the skin looked and felt like all the stuff around it. It only took a few days.
I agree, make sure it's what you want. I had mine taped over my desk for a year, so I knew I could look at it and never get tired of it. Although it's on my lower right back, so I can't actually see it unless I try. But even after two years I still adore it, every time I look at it I remember how much I love it!