Is tattoo numbing cream bad?

To answer this question we must firstly look into the why tattoo numbing cream may be talked about as being 'bad'.

The main reason we have come across is that tattooing is a somewhat spiritual and cultural experience, and for most people is a significant event in their lives. Because of this importance, many individuals have strong feelings about tattooing, the pain associated with it and the process in general. Some individuals may prefer to endure the pain as part of the tattooing process. They may view the use of numbing cream as unnecessary or detracting from the authentic tattooing experience.

The second leading cause we found for people viewing tattoo numbing cream as 'bad' was the negative wrap it has gotten from tattoo artists themselves. 10+ years ago, the options were limited and many tattoo numbing creams low quality ingredients that lead to the skin being thicker and more difficult tattoo. This gave tattoo numbing cream a bad name within the industry and many artists today still hold negatives ideals towards it, when in reality tattoo numbing creams have come a long way in formulation and quality since then. If you are choosing a high quality tattoo numbing cream, it is very unlikely it would cause any issues with your tattoo and the tattoo process.

The last reason we came across was the bad reviews due to allergic reaction - While rare, allergic reactions to the ingredients in numbing creams can occur. People with sensitivities or allergies to specific components of the cream may experience skin redness, itching, or swelling. It's crucial for users to be aware of their own allergies and choose numbing creams accordingly.

These were the most common reasons we came across for tattoo numbing cream being viewed as 'bad'.

When broken down one by one, each reason for tattoo numbing cream being viewed as bad, while explainable, are all somewhat outdated view points which in more recent years have been cancelled out with facts rather than old fictions.

What we do know in 2024 that tattoo numbing cream (when purchased from a high quality tattoo numbing cream brand), will not affect your tattoo outcome or the tattoo process, as it does not affect the skin quality or healing process.

We also know that most of the outdated views of tattoo numbing cream being 'bad' are outdated 10+ years, and most of which do not hold any weight. While the idea that in different cultures, tattoo pain is part of the process of getting a tattoo, this idea is still valid today, and is up to you as an individual to decide how to follow this, on a personal level.

We hope that this break down on whether tattoo numbing cream is bad or not helps you to make your decision on whether you would like to use it for your next tattoo or not.

Reach out with any questions, or if you think we have forgotten anything - Thanks from the Toochi Tattoo Team