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The honest answer? Not completely, but you can make it a lot more comfortable. HUSH has made tattoo-native numbing and aftercare products since 2009. Our 4% lidocaine Gel helps take the edge off during your session; results vary by person and placement.
Most people prefer not to be in pain if they can help it. Tattoos hurt. You see where we’re going with this. Many people would love to have a few great tattoos, but they’re not thrilled with the idea of enduring the pain.
Good news: you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through a tattoo.
You can do plenty of things to reduce tattoo pain and get through your session like a trooper. It all starts with how you prepare for your tattoo appointment.
How Badly Does a Tattoo Hurt?
Pain is a subjective experience. Ask ten people how bad their tattoos hurt, and they’ll give you ten different answers. Some people aren’t particularly bothered by tattoos, especially if they get them in a spot where their body is naturally a little more padded.
Other people will tell horror stories about sitting through a small wrist tattoo. It all depends on the person.
Your Unique Pain Tolerance
Think about a tattoo for what it is. Needles rapidly vibrate several millimeters into your skin to create lines, dots, and shading. You’re going to be punctured countless times. Yes, it’s going to hurt.
You know your pain tolerance. You’re sure of what you can and can’t handle. You're probably worried if you’ve never had a tattoo before, and you know you don’t do well with pain.
If you already know that pain doesn’t phase you much, you may not be. If you prep for your tattoo with HUSH, you can take the edge off; results vary by person and placement.
Some Spots Hurt Worse Than Others
Think about how it feels when you bump your bicep and compare it to how it feels when you bump your elbow. Body parts with muscle or a thick layer of body fat are well-padded.
Bony parts of your body aren't. If you’re getting a tattoo on a bony or sensitive area of the body, like your hand or your knee, it will have a higher level of pain than a tattoo on your bicep or your forearm.
Can a Tattoo Hurt Less?
A temporary tattoo won’t hurt at all. A permanent tattoo will always involve a little pain, just like anything else we do to improve our look.
It’s also painful to wax your eyebrows or fix an ingrown toenail, but it’s totally worth it. It’s the type of pain that most people can handle.
You can’t eliminate all pain from a tattoo, but you can reduce the pain to a far more tolerable level, similar to the pain of a waxing session. Preparing for your tattoo and choosing a comfortable spot can improve the experience if you know you don’t do well with pain.
How Can I Reduce Tattoo Pain?
We'll let you in on two secrets if you want to know how to reduce tattoo pain. You can pick a less painful spot or prepare the area to prevent you from feeling most of the pain in the first place.
Choose a Different Spot
Switch spots if this is your first tattoo and you plan to put it on a bony part of your body. Flick yourself on your collarbone, and then flick yourself on your bicep. Which hurt worse?
Odds are high that your collarbone really didn’t appreciate it, but your bicep didn’t care that much. If you’re trying to avoid tattoo discomfort, you should use the same strategy. Avoid bony areas like the ribcage, ankles, and armpits, and stick to a part of your body with a little more padding.
If you’re nervous about getting a tattoo, changing the placement to a less painful area might ease your stress. Some of the least painful places to get a tattoo are on the outside of your upper arm, thigh, and booty. Many artists have tattoo pain charts to help you choose a location that promises less pain.
If this is your first tattoo, you might feel better choosing one of these spots because they’re easy to cover with clothing. You don’t have to be “all in” and keep your tattoo out on display, especially if it’s something you’re doing just for yourself.
The tattoo design can also affect how painful your tattoo is. For instance, small tattoos with fine lines typically won’t be as painful as large body art designs that require large swaths of black-out tattoo ink.
The Pre-Tattoo Prep Process
Tattoos are a little bit traumatic to your body. You’re being wounded, but you’re doing it on purpose. Unlike with an accidental injury, you have the time to set yourself up for success before your tattoo but anticipate your body’s needs.
Get plenty of sleep the night before and make sure you stay hydrated. If you’re one of those people that struggles to drink water, try coconut water based electrolyte drinks.
They’ll do a good job of hydrating your body and will also work to keep you hydrated during the healing process. Avoid alcohol for a few days before and after your tattoo to help your body maintain adequate hydration levels while you’re healing up.
Your body burns through blood sugar very quickly during a tattoo. Eat something with protein and whole grains before your session—even if it’s light. Even whole grain toast with some peanut butter is better than going in fasted. In fact, bring some snacks to enjoy mid-session if you think you’ll be there longer than two hours.
Lastly—and the thing that most people don’t think about—be comfortable. Most people in a tattoo studio look really cool, but you’re not expected to follow the same dress code. If you’re more at ease in your slippers and sweatpants, do what works. As long as you’re clothes are clean and you’re cozy, that’s all that matters.
Numb the Area With Lidocaine
Lidocaine can block pain signals, causing you to feel less discomfort when you get a tattoo. It won’t block every sensation, but many people find that over-the-counter lidocaine tattoo prep gels and topical anesthetic creams help take the edge off during a tattoo.
Most tattoo shops don’t offer numbing cream to people who come in, especially because it increases the waiting period before the tattoo can start. Your artist is on a tight schedule when you're in the shop. They may not be able to wait while a numbing product sets up before they get to work.
Tattoo numbing gels are made for session prep. Check with your tattoo artist before you apply one; most artists would rather you be comfortable and relaxed throughout your tattoo session.
They want you to be happy and to enjoy your tattoo — not to be ready to run away in a panic or cut the session early. If you use numbing cream and still need to take breaks, that’s okay, too!
Thinking about taking any medication before your tattoo? Check with your doctor first.
What Is Lidocaine?
Before a doctor, dermatologist, or dentist performs a procedure on you while you’re fully awake, they’ll use lidocaine (or something similar) to prevent you from feeling pain. They’ll usually inject it into the treatment area and allow it to get to work before they begin the procedure.
Lidocaine is an anesthetic agent. It works to block the signals your nerve endings send out, preventing you from feeling pain. It isn’t like a general anesthetic.
You don’t go to sleep or get drowsy. It only works on the nerve endings in the spot where it’s been injected or applied.
How fast a topical lidocaine product sets up, and how long it lasts, depends on the product, so follow the product label. Lidocaine works differently for different people, and results vary by person and placement.
How Does Lidocaine Work for Tattoos?
Lidocaine for tattoos is a topical product, like a cream or a gel. Lidocaine for tattoos isn’t injected into the skin and doesn’t need to be. Tattoo pain is fairly close to the skin's surface because the needle only goes up to two millimeters deep.
The nerve endings affected by a tattoo will have difficulty relaying a pain signal to your brain, which means you won’t feel the full tattoo. It waters down the sensation, making it easier to tolerate a tattoo session for longer.
HUSH Healing Spray
Healing Spray is a fine mist made for aftercare comfort on healing ink, used only as the label directs. It’s not a session product: for prep, reach for HUSH Gel.
HUSH Numbing Gel
HUSH Numbing Gel delivers 4% lidocaine, with no epinephrine, in a smooth gel made for tattoo prep. Apply it before the needle touches your skin; for timing, follow the label directions. It helps take the edge off during your session; results vary by person and placement.
Which Product Is Best for a More Comfortable Tattoo?
Not one product fits all. What may work for one person may not work for the next. Therefore, we suggest asking your tattoo artist or other aficionados which of our products worked best for them.
What About Pain While the Tattoo Is Healing?
A tattoo won’t magically feel better as soon as your session ends. Your body still needs to heal. A tattoo might feel similar to a bad sunburn during the healing process.
As it heals, it may also begin to feel very itchy as a side effect of the scabbing. No matter what, though, you can’t scratch your new tattoo.
Our Healing Spray is made for aftercare comfort on healing ink. That itchy feeling might drive you crazy, so reach for the spray instead of scratching, and use it only as the label directs.
As your tattoo heals, the soreness and itch should ease. If pain or itching sticks around or gets worse, check with your doctor.
HUSH Has You Covered
Hush’s line of tattoo prep and aftercare products are designed to keep you comfortable and soothe your skin throughout all stages of the tattoo process. Why sit through more than you have to?
Grab a session bundle and take the edge off.
Sources:
Lidocaine (Topical Application Route) Description and Brand Names | Mayo Clinic
