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Every single person’s body is unique in their own way.

There are a multitude of options available to those of you that are really in pain and need some form of numbing cream to lessen the effect of getting a new tattoo. Before diving into this subject it is important to consult with your tattoo artist to ensure that it is okay to use the product you are going to buy before getting the tattoo.

The reason for this is that, you do not want to have any issues with the numbing cream negatively affecting the way your tattoo will set into your skin (blown out lines/color not sticking) during the tattoo healing process. I have heard of a few different stories where people applied a certain cream onto their tattoo without telling their artist and the whole tattoo was a mess because of a lack of communication between the artist and the client.

Top tattoo numbing cream recommendations

1. Dr. Numb Cream

This topical anesthetic has a 4/5 star review on Amazon and the reviews listed are not fake “discounted” reviews. They are real from people who have taken the product during a tattoo and have reviewed their feelings afterwords.

Pro Tip: On Amazon, many companies will discount their products and in return get positive reviews to build their review count for social proof. Check to see if the content of the review contains, “I received this product at a discount in exchange for an honest review”. That is how you know they have been in many cases the reviews are not entirely the truth.

The ingredients of Dr. Numb Cream include:

• Lidocaine 5%
• Prilocaine 5%
• Benzocaine 3%
• With a cream base

The time this product takes to work is generally 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the person. The effective lasting time is approximately 2-4 hours which is something to be conscious of because if you are still getting tattooed it will start to hurt quite a bit. When it comes to applying the product you will want to follow the instructions provided diligently.

For your reference they are:

1) Wash the area receiving the cream with soap and water. Dry area completely.

2) Apply a thick amount of numbing cream to the area and rub in thoroughly.

3) Place an additional, thin layer of cream over the area. Cover the cream with plastic wrap (saran wrap). The heat under the plastic wrap helps activate the cream. and keeps the cream form drying off.

4) Leave the plastic wrap on until it is removed by the professional before the procedure.

These instructions come directly from the Amazon product page that can be found here.

2. HUSH Anesthetic

HUSH Anesthetic is possibly the most well renowned tattoo numbing cream on the market, it boasts a 3.5/5 star rating with over 700 reviews on Amazon. The majority of the reviews that are bringing down that rating generally consist of the following issues:

• The time it takes to work (30 min – 2 hours)
• The time it lasts (30 min – 1 hour)
• The price ( it is consistent with other products in this market)
• It didnt work for them (everyone is different)

The thing with reviews is that everyone has created their expectations, wants, and needs in their head and they review products accordingly. Through analyzing this product it does seem effective, with that being said it might not work for you or meet your expectations.

The ingredients of Hush Anesthetic include the following:

4% Lidocaine, Purified Water, SD Alcohol 40B, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Glycerin, Menthol, Chamomile (Chamomilla Recutita) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Leaf Extract, Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) Root Extract, Acrylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Methylisothiazolinone

The instructions on using this product read as the following:

1) Before skin is broken, apply a thick layer of HUSH Gel in the area to be tattooed. Spread evenly throughout.

2) Reapply along the edges.

3) Wrap the area with plastic wrap and allow 1 hour for absorption.

4) Remove the plastic wrap and prep skin for procedure.

These instructions come directly from the Amazon product page that can be found here.

3. Numb Master Topical Anesthetic Cream

A middle of the road product that is effective and affordable is found in Number Master cream. This product runs a 3.5/5 star rating on Amazon with over 500 reviews on its product listing. The cool thing about this product is it comes in 3 varying sizes to met your needs depending on the size or quantity of tattoos you are getting to save money.

The ratings on this product are the same for most other reviews on other products and it comes down to the product not working for them. With that being said, everyone’s experience will be different.

The ingredients for Numb Master include:

Lidocaine 5%, Water, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethoxydiglycol, Lecithin, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/ Dicaprate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-10, Cholesterol, Allantoin

• The general time this product works for is about 1-2 hours.
• It normally takes about 20-30 minutes to start working
• The price on this product is within range of other products in this market.

The instructions on using Numb Master cream read as the following:

1) When practical, cleanse the affected area with mild soap and warm water and rinse thoroughly.

2) Gently dry by patting or blotting with toilet tissue or a soft cloth before application of this product.

3) Apply up to 6 times a day as needed.

These instructions come directly from the Amazon product page that can be found here.

Through my observation and experience there are a few things you need to be aware of when it comes to numbing creams.

• Everyone will respond differently to different products.
• Certain products applied onto a tattoo can affect how the ink sets in your skin. Check with your artist prior to getting tattooed.
• Once the cream wears off, the tattoo process will hurt.
• Sometimes upon application of numbing creams the skin will burn. Keep an eye on this, you can read more about other’s experiences in the review section of Amazon.

How do you feel about numbing creams, have you ever used any and if so what was your experience?

The post What is the best numbing cream for tattoos? appeared first on Tattoo Healing Pro.

There’s no doubt about it, tattoos and the military have a deep history that is only going to continue to develop.

The post Tattoos In The Military appeared first on Tattoo Healing Pro.

If you’re like me, you didn’t have any siblings or family members that were getting tattoos and you didn’t have any answers when it came to getting the best quality tattoo.

I did what I could to ensure that I was getting a high quality tattoo from a reputable artist to ensure the best and safest tattoo healing process but I didn’t know what I didn’t know. It’s important to know how to find a good tattoo artist and that all begins with…

Research, Research, Research

When you want a tattoo you probably act on impulse. I can’t express enough how important it is to research your artist and to never jump right into a session thorough due diligence.

• Do not get a “garage” tattoo (done by your buddies at a party).
• Do not get a tattoo in a small town from a local shop that doesn’t have a well established reputation from people with good tattoos.
• Do not go to an artist that doesn’t tattoo the style that you would like.
• Listen to your gut – you’d be surprised what your intuition knows that your brain doesn’t process.

Here are a few things I do when it comes to finding a good tattoo artist that will exceed my expectations.

Disclaimer: I am not looking for the best priced tattoo artists, I don’t believe in finding the cheapest tattoos for the sake of getting a tattoo. If you are shopping tattoo artist’s on price I suggest you find another blog or wait until you have enough money for a good tattoo artist. 

Research Tips:

1. Get on Instagram, it’s the #1 photo sharing social media platform in the world and it is the go to place for tattoo artists to share their artwork, here you can find ideas, find artists, and create opportunities to get high quality tattoos inked on your skin
2. A couple of my favorite accounts are: @ricardo__avila, @carlgracetattoos, @niki23gtr
3. Use your own social media, ask your facebook, instagram, and snapchat friends who the best local tattoo artist’s are. Most people will spout shitty artist’s without knowing they suck but you can find some gold there.
4. Ask people that you see with amazing tattoos, if you’re shy or uncomfortable with going up to someone that you don’t know simply compliment them on their tattoo and ask them where they got it done.
5. Scout around, go into shops and describe to the artist what you are wanting to get done. Some artist’s hate to do certain tattoos and other’s you wont vibe with, its important to spend some time scouting different shops to see which one you believe you mesh with the best.
6. Don’t rush it, take the time finding what your gut feels best with and go at your own pace. For most tattoo artist’s giving someone a tattoo is a normal process and the speed in which they go is normal for them. You might want to go slower, simply explain that it’s your first time and get all your questions answered up front, its not their first rodeo with someone who is new to getting tattoos.
7. Ensure the environment is clean. This is possibly the most overlooked and most important aspect to finding a quality tattoo shop. You MUST ensure that the equipment and process the artist is using is sterile and clean.

If you notice your tattoo may be getting infected contact your doctor ASAP.

Here is a phenomenal article from Harvard.edu that goes into detail on thinking before you act when it comes to tattoos and infections, check it out here.

What this really comes down to is ensuring that you can find a good tattoo artist in your area and vet them to ensure that your tattoo and the healing process come full circle and you end up with the best possible ink on your skin.

Take care and do your due diligence!

The post Crucial Keys to Finding A Good Tattoo Artist appeared first on Tattoo Healing Pro.

“How painful are tattoos?”

“How much do tattoos hurt?”

“Does a tattoo hurt if I get it here?”

Often times this can be a question that comes up whenever you are getting tattooed in an area that is new to you.

In short, yes, it’s going to hurt. Each and every one of us has a different pain tolerance that cannot really be compared to another’s. Only you can gauge the pain you experience but I always recommend being mentally prepared for it.

If you are not mentally prepared and/or do not have the pain threshold to withstand the tattoo it’s pretty easy to end up as “they guy that left the shop with half a tattoo on his chest”. Yes, I’ve heard stories of people literally leaving with no intention of coming back because they realized this was not for them.

In a strange way, I enjoy the process but it can get pretty brutal in a few select spaces in my experience. Some of the worst spots for me so far have been:

• The inner arm -towards the armpit
• The elbow (both sides)
• The top of shoulder cap

There are a few things that you can do to manage and mitigate the pain that you will experience when getting a tattoo.

From my experience a few key things come into play.

1. I always want to go into the session fully hydrated and on a full stomach.
2. I like to have access to my own music (screamo comes in handy at certain times)
3. Have water and remain hydrated
4. Mentally prepare yourself for the area that is going to be tattooed.

There was a session where we ended up tattooing on top of my elbow and I had not prepared myself for tattooing that area. It ended up being the most miserable session I’ve had because of the intense pain from tattooing on such a vulnerable area. It’s important to be in the right state of mind when you go about getting the tattoo if you are not accustomed the pain of getting tattooed.

I find having a positive state of mind that reaffirms that the tattoo is worth it to you and the pain means something to you is far more beneficial than repeating to yourself how much the pain sucks.

There are numerous other alternatives that I don’t really indulge in when getting my tattoos because I don’t particularly have an issue with the pain that comes with getting tattooed. Some of these include:

• Drinking alcohol (if the shop allows it)
• Taking pain medication
• Using numbing creams on the skin

There has been a pretty big influx of people taking an interest in using numbing creams on their skin before getting the tattoo. If you are going to use the creams I would just double check with your artist to ensure that the product will not interfere with the ink and tattoo process.

If you do intend to go that route you may consider Amazon’s top seller:

In conclusion, tattoo pain is a pretty independent thing to gauge, any needle repeatedly being put into your skin is going to hurt. Again, that depends on the place and the artist.

Prepare yourself and you will be alright

The post How Painful Is a Tattoo? appeared first on Tattoo Healing Pro.

The best way to prevent having a horrible tattoo on your body is to consider who is doing it and seeing their work before it has begun. When searching for the artist that I have now, I went through numerous portfolios of those both local and abroad to my location. I wanted to make sure if it was going to be on my body it was going to be high quality.

From there, I went and met the tattoo artist’s we talked briefly and I got to feel their vibe and if we would get along. It’s always great when you can hit it off with another person and build a relationship overtime; this is something I put consideration into.

Above everything else, I must say that the one attribute that sealed the deal for who I chose as a tattoo artist was the skills he possessed between envisioning the tattoo and producing it.

As a visual person, I have an idea in my head of how I would like to look with the tattoos on my body, when artist’s sketch out what I have asked for, it doesnt quite complete the vision for me. My artist was able to take it to another level by creating my tattoo exactly how I pictured it in photoshop to then tattoo it. I think this is one of the best, if not the best thing someone who is unsure about getting a tattoo can do.  Of course, it is important to make sure your tattoo artist can also pull off what he has done in photoshop on your skin.

You can see the effect this has from start to finish

As you can see, it is a work in progress that is most likely going to take a couple of years to complete. However, the effect of seeing the work before it was done allowed for needed corrections, color changes, design changes, and overall better placement as time went on.

As my forearm got started, I wanted to do something that no one has ever done and display a powerful message that would remind me of one thing everyday.

Remember that you will die

That is something I have always been very aware of and I wanted to incorporate the message into the whole theme of the sleeve. Once again, the usage of photoshop was essential to mastering what I wanted done.

See the process we went through from conception of the idea to creation.

When a tattoo artist can use photoshop, the customization and quality can be taken to a whole other level. Hopefully now, when you go and find a tattoo artist you have higher expectations, better quality, and an outline you can see.

The post Photoshop – A Tattoo Artist’s Tool appeared first on Tattoo Healing Pro.