Pain, how to avoid

force majeure

Simple one here and no doubt a common one but does any one know off a good pain killing tablet or cream-spray that well help deal with getting a tatt on the chest back or neck, as last one I had done on my chest nearly caused me to pass out and while the Tattooist was very understanding the embarrassment was huge... thanks.

Star Lord

My chest tattoo hurt like hell too, but just gritted my teeth and bared it. My back wasn't as bad imho...

Dirk Gently

standard painkillers have the opposite effect as they thin out your blood and actually make it hurt more. There is a painkiller which doesn't do that which people have used for tattoos but I forget the name of it. (sorry) It's not any of the usual over the counter ones though.

Best thing to do is get a good nights sleep, eat well before you get it done and be as warm as you can. If you're tired, hungry or cold I find the pain threshold is very weak when getting a tattoo done.

What ever you do, don't look at the clock on the wall. The pain of watching time move backwards while your getting tattooed is unbearable.

Crumble Froo

on the note of food, i found it great having heaps of food to nibble on, as well as keeping my energy and threshold up, it was also a small distraction to take my mind off it.

Splinter

Glucose all the way, be it the lucozade tablets or the drink but they are great for it. your best idea is try stay relaxed and focus your mind on something else, i found music was good. I've a pretty low pain threshold so just do what you can. Have a laugh and a joke with your artist, bring a friend with you and chat with them, just try take your mind off it and it will be easier, trust me

Raze_them_all

Ya just gotta man up and take it I'm afraid, Unless the piercer is going to inject a local anesthtic into you any numbing ****e is just a placebo effect

seanybiker

got one on me chest a few days ago and it was fair sore. Just concentrate on your breathing and ya wont feel it as much.

mooeire

I went through about 10 lollies getting mine done, worked very well!!!!

ForeverYoung90

No pain,no gain! ie.if you dont take the pain you dont get the tat!
ps.I never got a tattoo but would like to.:cool:

Darthvadar

Your doctor can prescribe EMLA cream....

Local anaesthetic cream... You plaster it onto the area an hour to an hour and a half before your appointment, cover it with the clear plaster provided, and you'll be fine!...

This cream's VERY effective... People on Heamodialysis use it to deal with the needling... Good luck!...

SV

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

No pain,no gain! ie.if you dont take the pain you dont get the tat!
ps.I never got a tattoo but would like to.:cool:

lol, I don't think you realise just how painful it can be so!

jippers87

Eat well before you go and have a couple of chocolate bars to hand.

Oh, and if you are a woman, don´t have it done the week following your period as your pain threshold tends to be lower!

NikNakOoo

^ ^ ^ Don't you mean the week before?

Baggio...

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

ps.I never got a tattoo but would like to.:cool:

Enjoy... the first is always the best.

force majeure

Raze_them_all wrote: »

Unless the piercer is going to inject a local anesthtic into you any numbing ****e is just a placebo effect

That well be the day... now their a thought, may be should become a dentist and zap myself. :cool:

force majeure

Darthvadar wrote: »

Your doctor can prescribe EMLA cream....

Local anaesthetic cream... You plaster it onto the area an hour to an hour and a half before your appointment, cover it with the clear plaster provided, and you'll be fine!...

This cream's VERY effective... People on Heamodialysis use it to deal with the needling... Good luck!...

Now this is something I need to look in to.... thanks.

popecatapetal

Around the turn of the 19th century, according to The Washington Post, via Modblog, people used cocaine in tattoo ink to tattoo their eyes and skin. You could try that?

Disclaimer - don't actually do this

hitlersson666

Darthvadar wrote: »

Your doctor can prescribe EMLA cream....

Local anaesthetic cream... You plaster it onto the area an hour to an hour and a half before your appointment, cover it with the clear plaster provided, and you'll be fine!...

This cream's VERY effective... People on Heamodialysis use it to deal with the needling... Good luck!...

that was used on me whan i was a cchild and i was terrified of needles :P works wonders although artists say it makes the skin a nightmare to work on!!

PeakOutput

i don think you need a prescription to get that cream

when i was getting my nipple pierced i was given the name of an anesthetic creme and told i could just go in and get it i never did though

also my mate just got a mauri on his side and had to stop half way threw the first session and when he went back the second time he went to the chemist and got an anasthetic creme that he put on beforehand pretty sure he didnt get a prescription

window_licker

when i went into get my first tattoo the guy (Rob in COlourworkz) told me about this numbing cream u can get, its great, but u do bleed more as it stops the blood from cloting or something? But theres defo creams that u can get over the counter

bodice ripper

A grown adult should be able to sit for 1 to 2 hours of tattooing, anywhere. Must everything come easy?

Star Lord

I dunno why people try to go for that kinda thing. Yes its sore, but its generally bearable!

PeakOutput

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

I dunno why people try to go for that kinda thing. Yes its sore, but its generally bearable!

ye my forearms were very bearable but i can imagine people having trouble with even that and i can definitely imagine it being pretty tough on the more sorer areas like rib cage

personally i think the pain is kinda part of it but i dont care what anyone else does

Bubbles09

I'd say try the cream - I have got two tattoos and I would have loved to have heard about the cream beforehand, I'd say the lower back area is the sorest place to have tattooed I could feel it all the way up along my back ouch!

Kya1976

When I got a cover up tatt done on my tummy last year the tatt artist used a spray to numb the area. I'm really sorry but I can remember then name of it, but I know he ordered it in from the states.

I'm usually not bad with pain, I've sat through a few hours of tattooing before, but tattooing my tummy was completely different. For me it was unbearable. The spray worked really well. The artist told me you could only use it after you started tattooing not before like you would with the cream.

I can pm you the name of the tatt shop if you wanna ring and check what the spray is called:)

Raze_them_all

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

I dunno why people try to go for that kinda thing. Yes its sore, but its generally bearable!

non mancore people

vangoz

Kya1976 wrote: »

When I got a cover up tatt done on my tummy last year the tatt artist used a spray to numb the area. I'm really sorry but I can remember then name of it, but I know he ordered it in from the states.

I'm usually not bad with pain, I've sat through a few hours of tattooing before, but tattooing my tummy was completely different. For me it was unbearable. The spray worked really well. The artist told me you could only use it after you started tattooing not before like you would with the cream.

I can pm you the name of the tatt shop if you wanna ring and check what the spray is called:)

Yep this is really good, I was getting a large rib piece done at the last convention and it helped A LOT. Was worth the stick I got on here

May have been this, the name Vasociane rings a bell and it was in a blue bottle like the one linked here....... http://cgi.ebay.com/VASOCAINE-4oz-Tattoo-Piercing-Supply-Numbing-Pain-Spray/290389506446

As quoted aboved the spray only works after the area of skin is broken e.g. after the tattoing has started.

Kya1976

vangoz wrote: »

Yep this is really good, I was getting a large rib piece done at the last convention and it helped A LOT. Was worth the stick I got on here

May have been this, the name Vasociane rings a bell and it was in a blue bottle like the one linked here....... http://cgi.ebay.com/VASOCAINE-4oz-Tattoo-Piercing-Supply-Numbing-Pain-Spray/290389506446

As quoted aboved the spray only works after the area of skin is broken e.g. after the tattoing has started.

Yup Mr vangoz I'm pretty sure thats the same spray I was talking about:)

thecornflake

the cream stuff is good , but only works so much. I used it on my shin but it doesn't stop any pain when the tattoo is being done over the bone , pain still isn't that bad though.

Quattroste

The best advice I've read is the "eat food and stay warm". I had a 2 hour session last Sunday after a bowl of cornflakes. It was fcuking freezing and hurt much more than the first tattoo. I found the pain getting stronger as I got hungrier. After I left the shop I was shivering with the cold walking back to the car. It felt like it was -20 degrees to me. When I got home I think I went into shock and felt like I had the flu. It all subsided after I managed to eat and raise my energy level again.

Lesson learned though. Eat well and stay warm. Raise your energy level beforehand.

force majeure

Quattroste wrote: »

The best advice I've read is the "eat food and stay warm". I had a 2 hour session last Sunday after a bowl of cornflakes. It was fcuking freezing and hurt much more than the first tattoo. I found the pain getting stronger as I got hungrier. After I left the shop I was shivering with the cold walking back to the car. It felt like it was -20 degrees to me. When I got home I think I went into shock and felt like I had the flu. It all subsided after I managed to eat and raise my energy level again.

Lesson learned though. Eat well and stay warm. Raise your energy level beforehand.

Yes I get what you say, a good few people think its the best way around it and ye i know what you mean about the shivers,,,!!!:)

pippington

EMLA cream or Ametop is a local anaesthetic cream used for children when get injected, or cannulated....it does numb the area....but it can slo make the skin turn slightly red and can sometime can cause skin irritation...it must be taken off after 30mins to help avoid skin irritation..in fact some doctors and phlebotomists hate using this cream as it can slightly swell the area makin the veins harder to find....obviously any swelling of the area when getting a tat would not be good....instead they use a spray version....i would imagine though however that these creams or sprays would not be very good to use before tattooing...in fact think about it if they were compatable with tattooing the artists would use them all th time...its possible they would make the skin more difficult to work..whereas they would be good for piercings as ur just going directly through the skin..just like when injecting which is the creams purpose

If taking any painkillers before going in avoid anything with aspirin or NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, neurofen etc)...Advil or Panadol is ur best bet...however to be honest as it is surface pain as opposed to internal there effectiveness will be minimum

Best advice is good healthy food before you go including plenty carb and protein..make sure ur in the best of health dietary wise and in a good head space before you go

vangoz

Quattroste wrote: »

The best advice I've read is the "eat food and stay warm". I had a 2 hour session last Sunday after a bowl of cornflakes. It was fcuking freezing and hurt much more than the first tattoo. I found the pain getting stronger as I got hungrier. After I left the shop I was shivering with the cold walking back to the car. It felt like it was -20 degrees to me. When I got home I think I went into shock and felt like I had the flu. It all subsided after I managed to eat and raise my energy level again.

Lesson learned though. Eat well and stay warm. Raise your energy level beforehand.

More common sense than anything but I'll add to this... Dont go on a heavy boozing seesion the night before.

Splinter

vangoz wrote: »

More common sense than anything but I'll add to this... Dont go on a heavy boozing seesion the night before.

yes, ill agree with this, i foolishly made this mistake before my first tattoo and god i felt rough

pippington

ul feel rough and ul bleed all over the place...def not a good idea if its a tat in a very painful place...ya loose loads of blood..then ya feel rougher..then its more painful..a vicious cycle

seanybiker

I went to get my first tattoo. Me man said he could do it there and then, I told him I had to go back to work so couldnt get it done. Went to the pub and lunged a few pints into me. Wobbled back into the studio and got it done. Not one drop of blood came out at all, not even the slightest hint of blood at all. Didnt hurt much but Im fairly good with pain. Wouldnt advise getting half pissed though before a tattoo. I was giddy and got bored waiting for them to finish.

pippington

oh god...u have no blood.....your some kind of undead vampire/zombie type thing (whatever has no blood)

pippington

oh also when i get my first (and only so far) tattoo i downed a naggin of rum in the cinema...i bled...loads....and was prob really distracting for the dude doin it cos i kept jabbering on about how much i loved elephants

joshjoshjosh

if you cant handle the pain you dont deserve the tattoo!

joshjoshjosh

pippington wrote: »

oh also when i get my first (and only so far) tattoo i downed a naggin of rum in the cinema...i bled...loads....and was prob really distracting for the dude doin it cos i kept jabbering on about how much i loved elephants

hahahahha

force majeure

pippington wrote: »

EMLA cream or Ametop is a local anaesthetic cream used for children when get injected, or cannulated....it does numb the area....but it can slo make the skin turn slightly red and can sometime can cause skin irritation...it must be taken off after 30mins to help avoid skin irritation..in fact some doctors and phlebotomists hate using this cream as it can slightly swell the area makin the veins harder to find....obviously any swelling of the area when getting a tat would not be good....instead they use a spray version....i would imagine though however that these creams or sprays would not be very good to use before tattooing...in fact think about it if they were compatable with tattooing the artists would use them all th time...its possible they would make the skin more difficult to work..whereas they would be good for piercings as ur just going directly through the skin..just like when injecting which is the creams purpose

If taking any painkillers before going in avoid anything with aspirin or NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, neurofen etc)...Advil or Panadol is ur best bet...however to be honest as it is surface pain as opposed to internal there effectiveness will be minimum

Best advice is good healthy food before you go including plenty carb and protein..make sure ur in the best of health dietary wise and in a good head space before you go

This is by far the best responce I have see so tops marks here Pipp. :cool:

pippington

why thank u..,i do try

WopTittyPop

If you have an iPod/MP3 player, bring that! Preferably with some heavy-ish style rock music. It'll keep you distracted!

And if you're in a serious panic about the pain, just use the generally well known male stress relief method beforehand! :P

force majeure

WopTittyPop wrote: »

If you have an iPod/MP3 player, bring that! Preferably with some heavy-ish style rock music. It'll keep you distracted!

And if you're in a serious panic about the pain, just use the generally well known male stress relief method beforehand! :P

Heavy metal like say Metallica in full blast... shall I dare say perhaps even good old Nick Cave... O' Malley's bar' is a good long one.:eek:

As for stress relief.... as if... like I mean have you ever noticed people can get the wiff off self satisfaction... God jesus I never live that down so no way hosay. :cool:

Raze_them_all

force majeure wrote: »

Heavy metal like say Metallica in full blast... shall I dare say perhaps even good old Nick Cave... O' Malley's bar' is a good long one.:eek:

As for stress relief.... as if... like I mean have you ever noticed people can get the wiff off self satisfaction... God jesus I never live that down so no way hosay. :cool:

I wouldn consider metallica heavy metal!

Kerikosan

Some tattoo artists have local anesthetic cream and sprays which kill all pain for super sore areas and for people who cant take the pain at all! you could just ask your artist and get advice.

WopTittyPop

Raze_them_all wrote: »

I wouldn consider metallica heavy metal!

Way to fail start an argument there chief! :pac:

force majeure wrote: »

As for stress relief.... as if... like I mean have you ever noticed people can get the wiff off self satisfaction... God jesus I never live that down so no way hosay. :cool:

No I have never noticed this, but by all means, have a shower after if needs be! lol

seanybiker

hmmm maybe a shower sounds good the way this thread is going lol.
The best thing about the pain is not to think about it before you get it done bud. The thought of the pain is 100 times worse than the actual pain. I only have top of me arm done and a small one on me chest so Im no professional. But honestly the thought of it is worse than getting it. Only thing I didnt like about getting mine, was the pure boredom of sitting there.

tommyboy26

just wondering has anyone ever used numbing cream before getting tattooed? if so did it work? would effect the quality of the tattoo


(p.s not that i cant handle the pain its just planning full chest tattoo......)


tommy

hitlersson666

This apperantly makes the skin a nightmare to work on

Star Lord

Hey Tommyboy26, just merged the thread with the existing thread on the same subject to keep things tidy