Tattoo can be very painful, it is a fact, but in spite of that, tattoos are a growing fad these days. If you are going in for a tattoo but have a low pain threshold or seeking a tattoo in a sensitive area, you must take advice from your tattoo artist about using a numbing cream to ward off pain.

Applying over-the-counter numbing cream – a topical anesthetic - can help deaden the skin before getting a tattoo so that you don’t feel the associated pain of needle pricks. Numbing cream can be helpful in relieving pain associated with inking the skin, however, if it’s not used in the correct manner, numbing cream can have negative, serious health impact. It is thus recommended to consult a doctor or the tattooist before inking.

Who should use Numbing Cream while Tattooing?

Anyone who wants a painless tattoo experience should use a numbing cream before being inked.

While most tattoo artists are fine with their clients using numbing cream to make their experience smoother, they would even have numbing creams in their shops, some artists are strictly against the same. The latter argue that they feel the pain is part of the experience of getting inked and people should not shy from it.

How does the numbing cream function

Numbing creams are available either in form of gel or cream. It is applied to the skin an hour or two before the tattooing session. The topical anesthetic works by numbing the nerve ending in the skin where it is applied. The effect is the person would feel little or no pain sensation in the area when the needle is piercing through. The effect of numbing cream generally lasts for about an hour after application.

What are numbing creams made of?

Generally, numbing creams such as Dr Numb numbing cream have Lidocaine as its main ingredient. Some of the other possible inclusion in the topical anesthetic include prilocaine, benzocaine and tetracaine. A few numbing creams also contain a combination of drugs, which should be used under strict guidance of a doctor especially if you have a sensitive skin or are prone to allergies.

While there are a range of numbing creams out there and all of them function differently because of the main ingredients and composition, it is easy to classify numbing creams in two broad categories –

Nerve deadeners: These numbing creams have Lidocaine as their primary ingredient. Such creams deaden the nerve endings in the skin. Since these do not skin deep into the skin, they have a very short-lived numbing effect.

Nerve blockers: Creams with benzocaine and tetracaine as ingredients are strong and help take the impact of the pain while tattooing. These chemicals when combined with nerve blockers can have a lasting numbing effect, which can be helpful for people with low pain threshold.

What are the benefits of numbing cream?

If you have the permission from your doctor and a go ahead from tattoo artist, you need to know the advantages of numbing cream before applying it. Some of the most exciting benefits of numbing creams include:

• Numbing creams would deaden the nerve ending where applied and make the tattooing session pain-free and comfortable
• Numbing cream can also be applied before a tattoo removing procedure to limit the associated pain
• Numbing creams have a lasting effect, which ensures a person can sit relaxed while the tattoo artist does the job
• Numbing creams can be applied to the skin anywhere. It therefore makes it easy to get tattoo on sensitive and private areas without pain