The pain forms part of the experience of undergoing the tattoo. Some have even stated that this is what sets them apart from a person without tattoos, as they are willing to undergo this pain in order to achieve the finished result.

However for many the idea of pain or suffering for the sake of art is something that many people do not wish to experience. Nature combined with science has managed to develop many analgesics which result in a numbing to pain.

With the increase of the popularity of tattooing the use of topical anesthetics like DrNumb of (also known as local anesthetics or a numbing cream) has become more main stream in many of the tattoo artist studios.

This form of anesthetic of is often used for tattooing. Some are also used in eye operations (to numb the area before injecting a further anesthetic).

There are a number of different substances that can be used however the most popular for a tattoo is the use of the substance lidocaine also the main content for DrNumb.

This has been used in a number of marketed tattoo ‘numbing creams’ due to the rarerity that allergic reactions occur on contact with the skin.

Lidocaine is applied to the area of the skin for tattooing prior to the tattoo being done. This can take between 30-60 minutes to take effect, depending on the concentrated strength of the lidocaine used. If covered with a bandage this increases absorption to the blood stream, but can increase the risk of overdosing if used excessively.

The result is that the nerve endings are blocked creating a ‘numb’ sensation to the area being tattooed. This done by reducing the sodium levels effectively blocking the pain receptors transmissions.

It is also possible to inject lidocaine into the affected area for greater effect but this requires careful dosage and application.