Numbing creams

Michellenman

I'd love to get a tattoo but if I'm honest I'm a bit of a whimp when it comes to needles. I've a couple of ideas that I've been mulling over but I'm in no rush to get them, partly because of lack of funds and partly because it's gonna be there for the rest of my life so there's no hurry. One of my ideas is quite big and is on the back of my ribs which I've heard is really sore so I thought I'd go for something a lot smaller first and see how I get on.

That was a bit of a ramble so here's my actual question. A few years ago when I had to get some injections I bought this cream in the chemist in England (it used to be available here but you need a prescription now) that numbed my skin so I couldn't feel the needle going through. Would that be ok to put on the area before getting tattoo'd or would the cream feck it up? The cream just numbs the top of the skin, it doesn't penetrate through to the tissue underneath. Any idea if it's possible to use it?

truthinwords

Just sit it, it won't be fun but that's part of the process. These numbing creams normally wear off after an hour or so and the whole wave of pain hits you at once.

Michellenman

See I was thinking I could maybe get it done in stages. I haven't been in to talk to anyone about it yet because I'm not fully settled on the idea so I dunno if the stage idea would be possible even. Would it be?
Do the creams affect the ink or anything in any way?
Also the small one I'd like to get first would take nowhere near an hour... so by your logic the cream should be alright?

truthinwords

You'd have to ask if the artist was willing to work with it. It's painful but tattooists tattoo ribs multiple times a week, I'd say you'd be surprised how well you'll be able to sit it.

Broad

Hi - there are creams with local anaesthetic agents in them but they may be a secondary ingredient to other active ingredients such as antiseptic. Lidocaine I think is one topical anaesthetic (or something else ending in "caine" - but not starting with "co".... ha ha. Think there are the unpleasantly termed "personal itching" products such as "Lanacane" (or "Lanacaine"?) that contain this, is over the counter. Red and yellow packaging as far as I remember. Lash the stuff on in a thick layer one hour in advance of the tattoo and most importantly rub in well then apply another thick layer and cover with a dressing that will allow the area to heat up a bit. This will ensure maximum absorbtion. Previous poster is right though - numbing effect will be fairly short lived. Will wear off slowly though. Best of luck with your paint!

Michellenman

Thanks! Having the cream in my skin won't affect the tattoo though will it?

popecatapetal

When I was getting the last session for my thigh tattoo, it was only a few days after my second session, so some of the areas we were tattooing were quite close to the week-old tender areas. After about two hours, we only had a small bit left to do, but I was writhing in pain, so the tattoo artist put some numbing cream on and let it sink in for about 15 minutes. It helped me relax enough to finish the tattoo, even though it still hurt quite a lot (maybe I'm just a big wuss:o)

BUT the artist did say that this numbing cream was only effective on brokenskin - ie the areas he'd tattoo'd over already.

Dunno if this helps you at all, but I thought I'd share:) and le you know that at least one artist in dublin allows numbing creams, so if your a big annoying whiny pain-in-the-ass like me, John in InkWell is the bomb:D actually he's the bomb anyway!

Broad

I don't believe the broken skin thing - I had to take my young child for a blood test and was given a topical anaesthetic cream to apply to her (unbroken) skin under a plaster one hour before the needle, which was a big one! She didn't feel any pain at all.

Sweenox

The one for the broken skin is a spray(cant remember the name),it cant be got here so the artist or you would have to order it from england and it lasts around 45 minutes,the perscription cream is called Emla( think thats how its spelled ha) any doc will give a perscription for it, if the tattoo is going to take less then an hour I wouldn bother with them the area should numb its self up after about ten minutes and even with the creams you will feel it

hot2def

Broad wrote: »

I don't believe the broken skin thing - I had to take my young child for a blood test and was given a topical anaesthetic cream to apply to her (unbroken) skin under a plaster one hour before the needle, which was a big one! She didn't feel any pain at all.

why don't you believe it? Do you know which numbing agent the artist was using? Do you have some reason to believe the artist had motive to lie?

What a daft thing to say.

The numbing agent in question DOES only work on opened skin. What you are talking about is a numbing cream intended for injections - a whole other thing, and they wear off quickly and arent really all that effective for tattooing.



look, its like this: numbing cream works on the flesh, but being a "whimp about needles" comes from the brain. its pointless. you will feel it anyway, and might even suffer more from having convinced yourself you would feel nothing

Michellenman

hot2def wrote: »

.look, its like this: numbing cream works on the flesh, but being a "whimp about needles" comes from the brain. its pointless. you will feel it anyway, and might even suffer more from having convinced yourself you would feel nothing

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks for all the input!