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Article: The Importance of Tattoo Healing
Article: Methods for a Pain-Free Tattoo Experience
Some questions and answers about our products:
Q: Does the numbing cream really work?
A: Yes, as long as you follow the directions. A nice thick coat of cream, along with an air-tight wrap, and you will be a happy camper.
Q: Do I really need to keep it wrapped for the 90 minutes, even though it feels numb?
A: Yes, because it needs time to go deep into the skin. Even though it feels numb, it can deactivate quickly because it is only a surface numb. This can result in only 30 minutes of numbness.
Q: How long does the cream last?
A: Everyones' skin type is different, but on average, we see 1 hour to 2 hours of numbness. In some more rare cases we see it work well for 3 hours. Many people use the spray to re-numb once the skin is open, as it is much faster acting, and can prolong the numbing during the procedure.
Q: How long does the spray last?
A: The spray typically lasts about 30-45 minutes, depending on your skin and metabolism.
Q: Can I use the spray after the cream wears off?
A: Yes, you can use it when the cream wears off. They work great together, and this is a common practice we've seen with artists and clients.
Q: Any tips on making the cream last longer?
A: Yes, we call it the “sardine roll,” courtesy of legendary tattoo artist Rick Walters! When you have an outline already done, you cover the tattoo, and the artist peels the plastic wrap away as needed. The cream does not start to deactivate until it is exposed to air, so no air means it is going to stay numb until your artist is ready to go to that area. (Note: do NOT have more than one 8.5" x 11" sized area covered at a time)
Q: Can I use the spray before the tattoo?
A: No. It has no effect until the skin is broken. The skin must to be open for it to take effect. You get about a ¼” bleed numb margin from where the skin is punctured. Sometimes, if you have lines that are far apart, artists can take a shading set of needles and open the skin without ink and then use the spray to get a broad quick numb if needed.
Q: Can someone "over-use" the spray?
A: Yes. Over-use can cause a lidocaine burn which can result in a more painful healing process (which is rare). It is always best to use it when you feel the pain coming back - not just to spray every 10 minutes to hope you never feel anything.
Q: I noticed the numbing spray has epinephrine in it, and I have heard that some people have reactions to epinephrine. Is this true, and what is the reaction?
A: Yes, this is true. People have allergic reaction to all kinds of things, including peanut butter. The most common reaction that people have is that they tend to have a harder heal or a heal that is more of a thicker scab versus the typical flaky scab. We always recommend testing a small part on your tattoo, if you are concerned about this, but it is not a common reaction. Or, alternately, we recently launched our "Black Label" numbing spray, specifically designed without epinephrine.
Q: Does your numbing cream have epinephrine?
A: No. The cream does not, as it goes on unbroken skin, so epinephrine would not have a purpose.
Q: Do you have a numbing spray without epinephrine?
A: Yes. We have launched our "Black Label" numbing spray, specifically designed for those who do not want epinephrine in their numbing spray.
Q: What makes your healing products different from other healing products?
A: We really spent a lot of time working with credible and experienced artists, along with ourselves, to test these products to make sure they meet all the demands of the artist and collector alike. We also created a few different types of healing products to make sure we covered the different styles on how people heal. This way, you can pick what works best for you, or what your artist recommends.
Q: What makes your sunscreen a “tattoo sunscreen?”
A: Our sunscreen is water resistant, UVA and UVB broad spectrum SPF 30. Sunscreen under 30 blocks 93%, while 30SPF and higher block 97% max (so higher than 30SPF doesn’t really give more protection). We also went through many formulations to get the right consistency. This is important for two reasons: how it feels, and how it looks. It is a non-greasy formula, that still goes on smooth. Then, one of the best features is that it does not distort the colors or shading of black-and-grey tattoos (I can’t tell you how many other products out there make your skin and tattoos look grey and chalky). Finally, our tattoo sunscreen has hand-selected botanicals, which keep the skin moist, while most sunscreens do not provide moisturizer (thus, you'd become dry and flaky at the end of the day). Always make sure to re-apply every two hours or after towel drying!
Q: I had a harder heal with the numbing spray. Am I allergic to it?
A: There are three possibilities that we've seen. In rarer cases, there can be an allergic reaction, but the more common issue is either lack of properly cleaning off the spray, or overworking of the skin. After you spray the product on, and let it sit, you MUST clean off all of the numbing spray before beginning work again. While this is on the back of the bottle, a lot of people miss it, or don't follow the direction. What happens is that your body takes in what it needs to go numb and the rest just sits on the top of the skin. If you DO NOT clean it off, then you end up getting the anesthetics tattooed directly into the skin. This causes a reaction by the skin to try and push the anesthetic back out when you are healing, hence a rougher heal. The other common possibility occurs because of epinephrine, which reduces swelling, bleeding, and the redness of the skin that occur during the tattooing process. Thus, if an artist has not used a product with epinephrine in it before, it can be deceiving and the artist may go back to that area and it can become overworked, creating a harder heal. We also have our "Black Label" numbing spray, made for artists who prefer to work with a numbing product that does not have the affects of epinephrine. |