One need only conduct a fast Google search to locate potential tattoo recipients. Most tattoo artists find it difficult to comprehend, yet some people don’t believe that the pain associated with getting a tattoo is a positive thing. What makes a decent numbing cream, and do they even work? It would be amazing if you could simply buy any product, put a sign in the store window that read, “Pain Free Tattoos Here!” and leave.
What Prevents Tattoo Artists from Using Numbing Cream?
During their sessions, many tattoo artists object to using numbing lotions or sprays. There are plenty. However most of them come down to two:
1. They view getting a tattoo as a rite of passage and part of the tradition.
2. They have previously tried numbing cream, but it was unsuccessful.
A sizable portion of the tattooed population views the discomfort as a necessary component of getting inked. People in this group frequently view any discomfort or anguish they experience as an integral component of their tattoo, adding to its significance. If you fall into this category, it’s important to realise that you will ultimately work with a customer with an extremely low pain threshold. It will occur. Even though these customers can’t tolerate the agony, they value their tattoos highly.
The numbing cream you used may not have been the best if you fall into the second category, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all numbing creams and sprays are worthless. By reading on, you learn more about how numbing cream functions and how to make it work.
How Does Analgesic Cream Function?
Depending on the active ingredient in the mixture, numbing cream functions differently. The three main types of chemicals used to numb tattoos are as follows:
Nerve relaxants
Chemicals like lidocaine temporarily paralyse the skin’s nerves, preventing them from sensing pain. Although nerve deadeners are fantastic, they rarely penetrate the skin’s surface. Therefore they won’t work perfectly for tattoos. Zone 1 cream, which contains 5% lidocaine, is one of the nerve-dampening mixes. These must be used in conjunction with a nerve blocker or a vasoconstrictor to be most effective.
neuropathic drugs
Among the nerve blockers are tetracaine. These substances allow your nerves to still detect some pain without alerting your brain with an “OW!” Like the majority of nerve blockers, tetracaine and benzocaine are pH-neutral substances. To stop involuntary flinching, nerve blockers are typically paired with nerve deadeners because they do not stop the nerves from sensing pain on their own. A lidocaine/tetracaine (nerve deadener/nerve blocker) cream like Pro Plus (Dermal Source) is an illustration; these creams are most frequently used to numb when applying permanent eyeliner.
How Effective Is Tattoo Numbing Cream?
The most potent numbing drug you can take is a vasoconstrictor. Vasoconstrictors, such as epinephrine reduce bleeding by causing blood vessels to tighten. These substances also prolong the duration of numbing drugs when combined with other numbing substances since they slow down absorption. Because they reduce bleeding and swelling, epinephrine mixtures are also excellent for use during tattoo procedures. Mixed numbing sprays like Vasocaine (lidocaine and epinephrine) and Blue Gel (lidocaine, tetracaine, and epinephrine) are among the best available because they work rapidly, minimise bleeding, and can be administered safely throughout the procedure.
Tips For Applying Tattoo Numbing Cream
It may require trial-and-error to get the procedure perfect while applying numbing cream in your store. The finest actions you can do to maintain your sessions pain-free are listed below:
1. Choose the proper setup; not every tattoo responds well to every numbing cream.
The customer will need to reschedule if they arrive with a random numbing cream from the store because the appropriate numbing cream can significantly affect how long it lasts and whether it can be used throughout the session. They’ll be surprised if they bring in cream without epinephrine because it will wear off halfway through their tattoo. Verify your tool selection by looking at our selection chart (on the right).
2. Use a numbing wash or green soap to cleanse the client’s skin (like Super Juice 3).
Before applying your numbing solution, remove any dead skin and grease. Green soap will do just fine, but by maintaining the skin’s pH balance, numbing washes (like SJ3) enhance the numbing impact of additional topicals. A minor quantity of alcohol is present in green soap, which can increase skin acidity and impede or stop the action of several lotions and sprays.
3. After applying the pre-deadener, wait.
Since you must wait for 5 to 30 minutes for the area to go numb after applying your pre-deadener, it is ideal for a client to do steps 2 and 3 at home. Thicker skin takes longer to numb than thin skin; the length of time depends on the numbing cream you’re using and the area it’s administered to.
4. After washing off the pre-deadener, begin the tattoo.
You will wash off the pre-deadener and begin the tattoo after the region has become numb. Some numbing lotions that are safe topically can irritate broken skin, but they don’t need to remain on the skin to continue working.
5. Throughout the session, use an authorised spray every 15 to 20 minutes.
Your broken-skin approved spray, preferably a vasoconstrictor, will keep the client numb during the session. To make it simpler to bag, if you’re using a spray, you can move it to a tiny spray bottle with a nozzle.
