Getting a tattoo can be a bold fashion statement, but it’s also a painful experience. Numbing cream for tattoos promises pain relief, but it can also have unpleasant side effect. Find out the most important facts about tattoo numbing cream before deciding to use this over the counter drug for the painful places for tattoos.
Used to dull the pain of the needle during the tattoo process, numbing cream can have the desired effect, but it can also pose health risks that shouldn’t be dismissed lightly.
How does Tattoo Numbing Cream Work?
As a topical anesthetic, most tattoo products come in either the form of cream or a gel, that’s applied to the skin prior to the procedure.
Ingredients often used include lidocaine, benzocaine, tetracaine and prilocaine, substances which numb the nerve endings in the skin for a limited period of time. It’s mostly used for painful spots for tattoos, but if you have a low pain threshold, you might be tempted to use it for any body art.
Numbing Cream for Tattoos: Pros and Cons
More often than not, the pros of tattoo numbing cream are contested by both the client and the body artist. The cream or gel doesn’t actually numb the area, it only dulls the pain and some tattoo artists argue that it affects the skin and can extend the tattoing process.
Since numbing cream for tattoos has a short temporary effect, it can take longer to finish the body art and side effects include a shock to the system once the topical anesthetic wears out.
If it’s applied in excess or over a skin area that’s too big, tattoo numbing cream allows the drugs to pass into the bloodstreams, which can lead to breathing difficulties and even seizures and coma if it’s not used correctly.
Painful Places for Tattoos
Most pain during tattooing is caused by either the skin being too thin or too thick and by the nerve endings that are stimulated by the needle.
Places like the back of the knees, the inner elbow and the feet are more painful during the creating of permanent body art because of how thin the skin is, but the back of the head can be equally painful due to very thick skin.
Sensitive areas due to a high number of nerve endings include the bikini area, any place near the eyes and the skin on top of your spinal column. Using tattoo numbing cream on these areas should be done under the supervision of an expert, to avoid any potential side-effects.
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