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Last Updated on February 1, 2022 by
It’s so secret that getting a tattoo can hurt. If you have a low pain tolerance or can’t stand the thought of needles, you might have resigned yourself to a tattoo-free life.
If you’re nervous about the pain of getting some ink on your body, you don’t have to be. Things like tattoo numbing creams and gels can help alleviate some (or all) of the pain you’ll feel while getting your tattoo so all you’ll be left with is a beautiful piece of art on your body without having to feel any of the pain.
Keep reading to find our list of the ten best numbing creams and gels on the market today.
Page Overview
This pain relief cream works by targeting your body’s pain receptors to sensitize your nerves and make your first (or next) tattoo relatively pain-free.
No Prescription Necessary
This cream contains 4% lidocaine HCL and real emu oil for maximum strength and penetration. And the best part is that you don’t even need a prescription to get your hands on it.
Hands-Free Applicator
You don’t want to apply a numbing cream to your tattoo site with your bare hands. What will you be left with, then? Hands that you can’t feel throughout your entire tattoo process. This product comes with a hands-free applicator so you don’t need to worry about numbness anywhere else on your body besides where you want it to be numb.
Cost and Value
This cream is available at a very affordable price tag considering how high-quality it is. In fact, it’s one of the most affordable options in our entire guide.
Pros
Cons
Don’t let this product’s minimalistic design fool you, Hush Gel is a strong anesthetic gel that you’ll likely find to be even more powerful than most creams on the market.
Long-Lasting
The last thing you want is your numbing gel to wear off before your tattoo is finished. This product will provide two hours of numbing, so it should provide just the right amount of relief for those shorter tattoo sessions.
Cruelty-Free
This gel is not one epinephrine and paraben-free, but it’s also vegan and cruelty-free by design as well.
Cost and Value
This product rings up at a mid-price point when comparing it to the others in our guide. We loved how strong it is and that it’s FDA-compliant too, so you can feel safe using it on your body.
Pros
Cons
Greencaine Blast contains lidocaine hydrochloride 4% and brings it to consumers in this non-greasy formula to permeate the skin and provide a soothing and numbing feeling pre-tattoo.
Non-Greasy
Other numbing gels and creams are greasy to the touch which can lead to a less effective product. This gel, however, provides a non-greasy formula that’s not only effective at numbing, but simple to remove, too.
Made in the USA
This anesthetic gel is manufactured in the US from start to finish so you know it’s safe to use. Some of the competitors on the market purchase their supplies in bulk from overseas vendors which can lead to unregulated and unsafe ingredients making their way into your gel.
Cost and Value
While this isn’t the most expensive option on our list, it is priced higher than the other two we’ve reviewed so far. We love that it’s made in the USA with safe ingredients.
Pros
Cons
You absolutely cannot provide anything but a top-notch numbing agent with a brand name like NumbSkin. This cream features a 5% lidocaine formulation so you know it’s one of the most powerful ones on the market and that it’ll live up to its name.
Fast-Acting
About to head out for your tattoo but realize you forgot to apply your numbing cream that takes an hour or longer to work? No worries! NumbSkin works in as fast as 15 minutes so you can feel pain relief quickly.
Long-Lasting
If you’re going to be sitting for a large tattoo, you need a numbing agent that will last as long as your session does. This cream will last up to four hours in length so you’ll feel nothing for even the biggest back piece.
Cost and Value
This cream is priced fairly given its high-quality construction. It consists of 5% lidocaine which makes it the most powerful cream in our list so far, providing more bang for your buck.
Pros
Cons
If your tattoo is eating up all your budget, you’ll want a numbing cream that isn’t going to cost an arm and a leg. This option from Oleos is exactly what you’ll need.
Acts Fast
The moment you begin applying this cream to your skin, it begins to absorb and starts to numb. Within 25 minutes of applying, you should be feeling the full effect.
Non-Oily
Sticky gels and oily creams are a thing of the past. This formula is water-based so it’ll never feel greasy or like it’s caked onto your skin.
Cost and Value
As we alluded to in the introduction of this product, this is the most affordable cream on our list! We love that it provides 5% lidocaine while also being pocket-friendly.
Pros
Cons
H2ocean is one of the best brand names when it comes to piercing and tattoo aftercare and supplies. Their pain-relieving glide is absolutely no exception to this rule.
Won’t Change Skin Texture
Some of the poorer quality numbing gels and creams on the market may affect the texture of the skin, making your tattoo difficult to complete. This cream ensures that is not the case at all.
Natural Protectant
This cream is made with natural, organic, and antibacterial materials. Its natural construction also helps it to soothe irritation and reduce redness around your tattoo.
Cost and Value
This is one of the priciest options in our entire guide. It comes highly recommended by professional tattoo artists all around the world, making it more than worth the investment.
Pros
Cons
This anesthetic gel contains lidocaine 5% to ensure you’re getting the most numbing as allowed by the FDA for over-the-counter skin numbing agents.
Works Fast
As soon as you start applying Topicane to the area to be tattooed, you’ll begin noticing its affects. Your skin will start to tingle and by the 20-25 minute mark, you’ll notice full numbing.
Great for Small Tattoos
This numbing cream works best for smaller tattoos. You should expect the numbing to last around one hour in total.
Cost and Value
While this isn’t the cheapest option in our guide, it’s still priced affordably. We liked how strong it is and how fast it works.
Pros
Cons
Organico Lab brings us a highly effective 5% lidocaine numbing lotion that’s unlike any of the other products in our guide so far. What sets it apart is the inclusion of other soothing agents in the ingredients list.
Enhanced with Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a great addition to the ingredient list as it’s a high-quality moisturizer that can treat and prevent skin irritations. Many tattoo artists recommend Vitamin E oils and lotions post-tattoo to help with the itching.
Penetrates Deep
This cream goes down deep into the layers of your skin to numb the nerve endings for a pain-free tattoo process. The pain signals will be blocked so you can enjoy every moment of your next tattoo without wincing in pain.
Cost and Value
We were so surprised to see how affordable this lotion is. It’s one of the cheapest options in our guide today, so it’s worth the investment.
Pros
Cons
Dr. Numb definitely lives up to its name, providing a maximum potency product for numbing before your next tattoo session. It works in as little as 15 minutes and can last up to four hours!
Recommended by Professionals
Many healthcare professionals across North America recommend this product to their patients to help with pain relief. You can’t go wrong with a doctor recommended numbing agent!
Soothing Ingredients
This formulation also features soothing ingredients, so not only will you achieve numbness for your tattoo session, but also soothing after the numbness wears off.
Cost and Value
This is by far the priciest product on our list. We chose to include in despite its high price tag because of how widely lauded it is in the world of healthcare professionals.
Pros
Cons
The last option we’re reviewing today is this gel from Derma Numb. This easy-to-apply gel is made with natural ingredients and is safe for use on any skin type.
Anti-Inflammatory
One of the key features of this gel is that it doubles as an anti-inflammatory product. It will open up your skin cells and provide a better-looking tattoo, too.
4% Lidocaine
While this gel doesn’t have the maximum amount of Lidocaine like some of the others in our list, it still packs a pretty good punch and should provide the numbing effect you’re looking for.
Cost and Value
This item is available at a very affordable price and is among one of the most affordable options we’re reviewing today.
Pros
Cons
You don’t need to sit and wince in pain for hours on end to achieve a beautiful piece of art on your body. You’ll be able to stand any length of tattoo session when you have any of these tattoo numbing creams or gels at your disposal.
Comments
Jarrod Desair
34 mins agoGreat list. I use the topicane. I've also used the product by blue emu on several occasions.
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