For some, going under the gun is a rewarding experience. But there’s no getting away from the inevitable pain; without the best tattoo numbing cream, the sting caused by a tattoo needle can be hard to bear.
The level of discomfort will be more intense depending on the tattoo’s size, design, and positioning. While everyone’s pain threshold is different, where the needle pierces the skin on the body and how long the inking session lasts, will also have an effect.
At A Glance: Our Top 9 Picks for Tattoo Numbing Creams for Painless Ink Sessions
- Best Overall: SAMNYTE Tattoo Numbing Cream
- Best Long Lasting: Zensa Numbing Cream
- Best on Amazon: Dr. Numb Cream
- Best Fast-Acting: Ink Scribd Tattoo Numbing Cream
- Best for Face Tattoos: Medinumb Topical Anesthetic
- Best Affordable: Base Labs Numbing Cream Kit
- Best Lower Concentration: Deeveeant Lidocaine Numbing Cream
- Best Vegan: Uber Numb Topical Anesthetic Cream with Vitamin E
- Best Recommended: Ebanel Topical Anesthetic Cream
If you’re opting for some man-sized body art, tattoo numbing cream can be a real life-saver. Hershell Carrasco, the owner of Pachuco Tattoo, says, “I typically do big pieces. Full forms, half sleeves. These are sessions where we’re sitting anywhere from 4 or 6 hours, as long as 10 hours. I personally like to use a numbing cream for tattoos…that’s how many of my clients can sit through these sessions.”
There’s no shame in having some help to make it through your ink session. Some tattoo artists, like Oslo’s Electric Linda, even opt to use numbing cream for tattoos on themselves. “I always have such pain when I get tattooed… For me, it’s so painful in some places. I just need to have some numbing cream so I can go through with it, and I don’t need to tap out.” If it works for the professionals, it’s good enough for us.
Tattoo numbing cream contains lidocaine which works by blocking impulses (like pain) that travel along your nerves, explains Dr.Jamie K. Alan, of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. Basically, it can temporarily numb an area of your body and provide relief.
To enhance your tattoo experience by addressing the crucial query, “what is the best tattoo numbing cream?” we’ve meticulously selected the finest options. This dedication allows you to delve into our extensive collection of 300 best tattoo ideas for men without the added hassle of navigating the vast world of numbing creams.
Get the low down on when and how to apply numbing cream for tattoos to the skin. Also, check out what to look for when choosing the numbing cream for your next inking. So keep reading and discover the NINE best tattoo numbing creams to help you beat the buzz.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
Best Overall  | SAMNYTE TATTOO NUMBING CREAM
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Best Long Lasting  | ZENSA NUMBING CREAM
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Best on Amazon  | DR. NUMB CREAM
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Best Fast-Acting  | INK SCRIBD TATTOO NUMBING CREAM
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Best for Face Tattoos  | MEDINUMB TOPICAL ANESTHETIC
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Best Affordable  | BASE LABS NUMBING CREAM KIT
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Best Lower Concentration  | DEEVEEANT LIDOCAINE NUMBING CREAM
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Best Vegan  | UBER NUMB TOPICAL ANESTHETIC CREAM WITH VITAMIN E
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Best Recommended  | EBANEL TOPICAL ANESTHETIC CREAM
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Best Overall: SAMNYTE Tattoo Numbing Cream
When it comes to the absolute best tattoo numbing cream, SAMNYTE stands out as the top choice for many. Whether you’re planning to get inked on your back, chest, or leg, SAMNYTE ensures you’re covered for the long haul. This exceptional cream promises an unparalleled 6-8 hours of soothing analgesic effect, making those extended tattoo sessions a breeze.
Crafted with utmost care, this cruelty-free cream masterfully blends 5% lidocaine with a rich mix of natural ingredients. The inclusion of menthol, vitamin E, and aloe vera not only offers anti-inflammatory properties to diminish swelling and irritation but also accelerates the healing process, ensuring a smooth tattoo recovery.
For optimal results with SAMNYTE, begin by cleaning the intended tattoo area with warm soapy water and patting it dry. Using the provided applicator spoon, generously apply the cream, ensuring a thick layer covers the skin. Seal it with plastic wrap, applying slight pressure to enhance absorption. Let it sit for 30-35 minutes, then gently remove the wrap and blot away any excess cream with a soft cloth.
For those seeking an even more profound numbing experience, allowing the cream to remain on the skin for up to 45 minutes will intensify its effects, ensuring maximum comfort during your tattoo session.
Best Long Lasting: Zensa Numbing Cream
he perfect all-rounder. When it comes to the best sensitive tattoo numbing cream, Zensa Numbing Cream undoubtedly takes the lead. It stands out not just for its efficacy but also for its gentle formulation tailored for those with sensitive skin.
Zensa Numbing Cream is one of the rare tattoo numbing creams on the market that boasts an FDA-approved status. Its vegan formula, enriched with 5% lidocaine and vitamin E, ensures that it’s both steroid and cruelty-free, making it a top choice for those who prioritize skin health.
What sets it apart is its hypoallergenic nature, making it gentle enough even for the most sensitive skin types. It’s even suitable for use in the delicate eye area. Moreover, its formulation is free from blood constrictors, ensuring that the tattoo ink’s color retention and settling are not compromised.
For those with sensitive skin, an initial application offers 2-4 hours of pain relief, and the cream can be re-applied to extend the numbing effect for up to 8 hours. With Zensa, individuals with sensitive skin can now enjoy a more comfortable tattooing experience without any concerns.
Best on Amazon: Dr. Numb Cream
Dr. Numb is a multi-purpose topical anesthetic cream. It is suitable for treating everything from burning to itching. However, this versatile product is widely used and recommended by tattoo artists thanks to its deep-numbing properties.
This product makes one of the best numbing creams for tattoos because it starts to take effect in as little as 15 minutes. It can offer up to 4 hours of blissful pain relief while under the needle.
Application is similar to most tattoo numbing creams; wash the area, apply the cream, wrap well with plastic, and blot any excess product.
We have a top tip for those extra sensitive areas like the knees, elbows, and feet. When washing the area, swap regular soap for a soap for tattoos like Dr. Numb 4% Lidocaine Foaming Soap and then follow with Dr. Numb Cream. You can thank us later.
Best Fast-Acting: Ink Scribd Tattoo Numbing Cream
Tattoo numbing cream needs to be applied and left to soak into the skin before your inking session. Opt for a fast-acting formula if you’re worried about the timing. Get it right, and the pain-relief will kick in right as you need it most. Ink Sribd gets to work in just 15-20 minutes and offers up to 2 hours of numbing effects.
Aim to arrive for your appointment early and allow the tattoo numbing cream to work its magic while waiting for your artist. This way, you will fully maximize the numbing period.
Ink Scribd adds more than just 5% lidocaine to its formulation. The product also features Arnica and emu oil to speed up the skin-healing process.
Arnica oil works by stimulating the body’s natural healing process. Increasing blood flow to the application site reduces swelling and bruising and alleviates pain. At the same time, emu oil, a key ingredient in Indigenous medicine, moisturizes and minimizes post-tattoo inflammation.
Best for Face Tattoos: Medinumb Topical Anesthetic
The face is one of the more sensitive areas on the body to get inked. It is also the most challenging body part to hide if you’re unhappy with the result. Face designs are often intricate and precise, so flinching and twitching under the gun is a surefire way to ruin the finished look.
That’s where using the best numbing cream for tattoos comes into play. Medinumb is a general pain-relieving numbing cream suitable for use on the face. Its sensitive-skin-friendly blend of aloe vera, jojoba, and tea tree is non-oily and gentle on delicate facial skin. After leaving a thick layer to soak into the skin for 45-60 minutes, you can enjoy up to 2 hours of pain relief.
Medinumb is ideal for pre-tattooing. Yet, since it is a multi-purpose product, it’s a budget-friendly option and comes in a slightly larger 2-ounce size. This size means you will get multiple uses from one tube.
Best Affordable: Base Labs Numbing Cream Kit
Base Labs Numbing Cream Kit has everything you need to survive a long session in the chair. It has one of the best values for tattoo-specific numbing creams. A generous 4-ounce tube of 5% lidocaine numbing cream and 98 feet of skin-friendly, non-toxic film wrap can provide several uses.
The specifically designed wrap provided is for use on skin, so there’s no need to raid the kitchen cabinet for plastic food-grade wrap. The tattoo numbing cream is tailor-made for pre-inking usage. Unique ingredients help excel lidocaine’s benefits, like chamomile, hemp seed oil, tea tree oil, and aloe vera.
To boost the numbing power further, you can use warm water to wash the skin before applying the cream and covering it firmly with the skin wrap. Doing this will open the skin’s pores and allow them to absorb the tattoo numbing cream more deeply. Peak numbing effects will begin after 40-45 minutes of soaking and last for up to 4 hours.
Best Lower Concentration: Deeveeant Lidocaine Numbing Cream
There are two schools of thought regarding tattoo numbing cream. Some professionals suggest opting for the maximum over-the-counter dosage of lidocaine, which is 5%. Meanwhile, others believe a lower dosage is better.
Going for a lower dosage of the active numbing ingredient may seem counterproductive, but there’s a good reason behind this thinking. The more intense the numbing action, the more intense the pain will feel as the numbness wears off.
Deeveeant Numbing Cream contains 4% lidocaine. So, if you still have more time in the chair after the numbness wears off, the pain sensation will be less jarring and not seem like such a stark transition.
Do you have a few sessions in the tattooist’s chair under your skin? If so, and you’re looking for a pain relief option to make longer sittings more manageable, this tattoo numbing cream is a great option. It will give you an initial 2 hours of minimized sensation, helping you boost your endurance for bigger pieces of artwork.
Best Vegan: Uber Numb Topical Anesthetic Cream with Vitamin E
Made in the USA and 100% vegan, Uber Numb anesthetic cream enriched with anti-inflammatory Vitamin E will help minimize swelling. It will also help prevent the itchy skin flaking that often follows during the healing process.
After wiping away, the non-sticky, water-based cream will not leave a greasy residue on the skin. It is the consistency that makes it suitable for pre-tattoo applications.
While Uber Numb says the numbing action will last for one hour, many users report up to 4-5 hours of effective pain relief under the needle after application.
To ensure you achieve the maximum level of pain relief, apply the tattoo numbing cream in a thick layer, cover well with plastic wrap and allow to soak for 40-45 minutes. Remove the wrap and repeat the same process. After two applications, you should be able to sit for even the most elaborate rib or stomach tattoos without punching the wall.
Best Recommended Tattoo Numbing Cream: Ebanel Topical Anesthetic Cream
Ebanel Topical Anesthetic Cream is one of the most highly recommended, multi-purpose numbing creams by tattoo artists and fellow body art enthusiasts. With over 48,000 reviews on Amazon alone, it’s fair to say this is a cult product.
The formulation is free from harsh chemicals and contains allantoin. This highly effective skin-calming ingredient helps to promote cell regeneration and wound healing. So it will help to speed up the healing process of your new body art.
The 5% lidocaine in the cream helps to block nerves in the skin, preventing them from sending pain signals to the brain. Ebanel will do this for 1-2 hours before the effects begin to fade.
Remember, tattoo numbing cream should be slathered on, not rubbed into the skin. Imagine frosting on a cake. Just don’t eat it.
What to Look for in The Best Tattoo Numbing Cream
Strength
The active ingredient in tattoo numbing cream is lidocaine. The maximum over-the-counter strength is 5%, but some creams contain 4% lidocaine.
If you’re sitting for a very large or intricate piece, the numbing sensation will likely wear off before the end of the tattoo session. Then, you’ll face a period of full feeling returning to the tattoo inking area.
A lower concentration, such as 3-4% lidocaine, may be preferential in this situation. As the anesthetic cream wears off, the change in sensation will feel less jarring and intense. Going from entirely painless to full sensation may make the pain more unbearable. So easing this transition makes sense.
On the flip side, if your tattoo session only lasts for up to 4 hours, you can easily find a cream on this list that will go the distance. So feel free to opt for 5% lidocaine strength, sit back in the chair, and relax.
Formula
When choosing a top-rated tattoo numbing cream, you have two options. You can choose either a multi-purpose anesthetic cream or a specially formulated tattoo numbing cream.
A multi-purpose anesthetic cream is suitable for tattooing, aches and pains, cosmetic procedures, and general ailments. They are often more budget-friendly and offer good value for money.
Before you rush to add them to your basket, consider that tattoo numbing cream is formulated specifically for the job at hand. Often it will include special ingredients to benefit the tattoo healing process. The cream’s formula will also not hinder ink retention and settling.
Are you looking for a more pocket-friendly option? Then consider one of the multi-purpose numbing creams on this list. Each one is more than capable of doing the job and has been trialed and tested by fellow ink lovers.
However, we suggest if your budget can stretch to it, opt for a targeted, tailor-made tattoo numbing cream product.
Effectiveness
Some tattoo numbing creams will numb the area for 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, others can provide up to 4-6 hours of pain relief without re-application.
Chat with your artist to make sure you understand how long the session will take. Doing this is essential since you want to choose a tattoo numbing cream that will remain effective for the entire time under the gun.
When it comes to effectiveness, consider how long it’ll take until the tattoo numbing cream kicks in and takes full effect. Think ahead and plan how long the journey from home to the studio will take. Then work out when it’s best to apply the anesthetic cream so that it reaches peak effect by the time you settle in the hot seat.
You can discuss with your tattoo artist the best time to apply the tattoo numbing cream. Remember, there are no prizes for pretending to be the bravest guy in the studio. Don’t hide the fact you will use a tattoo numbing cream. Creams can affect the way the gun moves on the skin, so your artist should be aware before starting.
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How to use tattoo numbing cream
Apply a little of the tattoo numbing cream on a small area 24 hours before going under the gun. If there is no adverse reaction on the following day, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Wearing disposable gloves, apply a ¼” thick layer of cream to clean, dry skin, 3” beyond the tattoo site. Cover the area with plastic wrap to prevent any air from entering, and secure with soft tape. The numbing effect will generally take around 45-60 minutes to kick in. Finally, wash the cream off, pat dry, and get ready for your fresh ink.
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How long does tattoo numbing cream last?
Tattoo numbing cream is a topical skin numbing product. Depending on the brand of tattoo numbing cream you choose, its anesthetic effect will last for 2-6 hours of tattooing. After which, the sensation will start gradually to return to the inked area.
In some cases, the numbing period can be extended by allowing the cream to soak into the skin for longer, or by repeating the soaking process twice.
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What is the strongest tattoo numbing cream?
Face the pain and help prevent the chance of infection with the strongest tattoo numbing cream. Don’t tap out. Instead, opt for a product with a long-lasting effect, such as Samnyte Tattoo Numbing Cream, which contains 5% lidocaine and, according to its manufacturers, lasts for 6-8 hours.
Minimizing the pain will help you sit more still and calmly for your inking, allowing your artist to really nail those intricate and precise sections.
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