Tattoo Numbing Agents: To Numb or Not to Numb?

Tattoo Numbing Agents: To Numb or Not to Numb?

Apr 14, 2016 | Gay Aida Dumaguing

Design, check. Artist, booked. Tattoo anesthetic, not so sure. All tattoo enthusiasts and artists will have have different opinions regarding numbing agents, and whether to numb or not to numb. Traditionalists will say it's part of the process, to endure and feel the pain of your tattoo. Modernists, will argue there's no need to endure all the pain just to get inked. You're worthy of the art! Even without the pain. So which one is it? Research is the best way to find out, which option is for you.

Check Out the Ingredients

Always read the label to ensure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients within products that you're considering especially when it comes to your skin. The best products have been tried, tested and recommended by tattoo enthusiasts, artist and perhaps even doctors. Keep in mind, most products contain one or more of these key ingredients: epinephrine, benzocaine, tetracaine, and lidocaine. HUSH Gel uses lidocaine only (Lidocaine HCl 4%), with no epinephrine, benzocaine or tetracaine. These additives are also used to enhance the action of the key ingredients: comphrey root, menthol, tea tree oil, camphor, etc. These ingredients play a part in impacting the pain signals sent by your skin cells to your brain. Lidocaine is the most common ingredient among numbing agents. If the initial sting of needle piercing your skin frightens you, lidocaine will work on that. It will ensure you won't flinch so much so as to compromise the artist from creating the masterpiece you want. Due to their nerve blocking qualities, benzocaine and tetracaine are also often included in this list. They blockade the pain signals to your brain and in turn minimize the sensation of pain. Out of the 4 key ingredients, epinephrine is slightly contentious because it is a powerful vasoconstrictor, which means it tightens the blood vessels and minimizes swelling and bleeding.

The Best Combination of Products

For optimum numb skin, a combination of products can be used before and after your tattoo session.

  1. Before your session, apply HUSH Gel.
  2. During preparation, wash your skin with HUSH Soap to enhance the effect of our tattoo numbing gel applied earlier.
  3. After your session, HUSH Aftercare Spray is part of your aftercare routine.

Whether you're more of a traditionalist or a modernist, you've got numbing options.

Get more Hush in your Google results: add Hush Anesthetic as a preferred source on Google.

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