After my first tattoo session using EMLA cream I just had to write a post about its greatness.
What Is EMLA Cream?
Originally developed to ease the pain associated with needle injections for young children EMLA actually has many practical uses.
EMLA Cream is a topical anaesthesia consisting of an equal mix of both lidocaine and prilocaine. It will completely numb the skin for an hour or more and is commonly used for intravenous catheter insertion, blood sampling, minor surgical procedures and topical anaesthesia of the cleaning of leg ulcers. It also works great for relieving the pain associated with the tattooing process, piercings and even sub incisions.
How It Works
EMLA Cream is a local anesthetic. It works by blocking nerves from transmitting painful impulses to the brain.
After applying a thick (quarter inch) layer of the cream to the area to be treated (tattooed), cover the cream with saran wrap for at least 60 minutes. Once the air tight bandage has been removed the skin will remain completely numb for at least an hour.
My Experience With Tattoos And EMLA Cream
Just a week ago I tried EMLA cream for the first time on my latest tattoo across my ribs and abdomen. We applied the cream just as directed and an hour later removed the bandages and started the tattooing process. With the first line I expected the excruciating pain my previous tattoo session had produced. I was relieved and a bit surprised to find that there was absolutely no feeling at all. Some spots even tickled as the needle moved the tissue below.
My tattooist continued to apply the EMLA cream several times throughout the 3 hour tattoo session. Even though the directions tell you not to apply to broken skin, I have not noticed any difference in healing or color fading compared to all the tattoos I have received without EMLA.
I think I will continue to use EMLA cream with my future tattoos. Really what could be better then a painless tattoo?
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Tags: Pain Relief · Tattoo
40 responses so far ↓
1 Marie // May 21, 2008 at 5:24 am
I keep hearing about this cream in tattoo forums so I did a little research. Its seems everyone has a different opinion about it. Almost as if its taboo to use an anesthetic for tattoos. Well, emla has launched a site where you can upload a video about a ‘needle experience’ so I’m going to give them my two sense … looking to with the safari, dying so see some wildlife and get out of the city this summer.
2 Xenobiologista // Jun 6, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Which part of the world do you live in? Seems like it’s harder to get a hold of in the USA.
3 Curt // Jun 6, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Xenobiologista, I live in the United States.
I recently convinced my family physician to write me a prescription for EMLA. Prior to that I ordered it from Canada where it is an over the counter product.
You should easily be able to find a Canadian website to order it from.
4 Michele // Jun 28, 2008 at 12:09 pm
How did you get your doctor to write you a script for Emla with a “surgical” reason? Mine won’t do it.
Thanks!
5 Curt // Jun 28, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Michele, It was actually quite easy. I explained that I was tired of paying 60 bucks a tube to order it from Canada.
She asked me what I use it for as I don’t have any allergies or condition that would require numbing the skin. I lifted my shirt and showed off my rib and abdomen tattoo and said “massive tattooing”.
She said she had never heard of it used for that and immediately agreed to write me a script.
I suggest you either order your EMLA online from Canada, where it is over the counter, or maybe do some doctor shopping.
6 mark // Jul 9, 2008 at 6:41 am
hi there i love getting tattoos done of my kids names on my arms but hate the pain does it really work?i can get it over the counter in ireland i tink.
7 chris // Aug 14, 2008 at 4:25 am
i dont understand the issue with pain…i have tattooed myself, pierced myself, scarified myself. the only time i ever wished for a serious pain reliever was when my ear drum burst…suck it up or go get henna tats.
8 sarah // Aug 29, 2008 at 2:38 am
i used emla yesterday for my first tattoo around my wrist, i left it on for 1 1/2 hours and i felt nothing! i was amazed and relieved that it worked! if you want a tattoo but are nervous about not knowing how it will feel, get some emla cream, its amazing!
9 Robyn // Sep 4, 2008 at 5:55 pm
thanks sarah. been searching the web for some faith in a numbing cream (emla) for tats. getting my tattoo in a few days around my wrist and im a coward with pain so its nice to know u got ur tat and it didnt hurt. gonna get mine now. thanks a mil!
10 Ed // Sep 11, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I heard about this stuff i was planning to get one of this.. i had some tattoos but never use EMLA. I can tolerate any pain i just wanna know how to get tattoo without any pain (at all) LOL… or i just can let all my friends client to use it… where can i get that stuff? can get it from CVS or any pharmacies?
11 marie // Sep 24, 2008 at 10:41 am
If you are in the UK you can buy it without a prescription at just about any pharmacy or online chemist.
12 max sachchi // Sep 26, 2008 at 1:31 am
I bought a cream a cream called Dr. Numb and this cream seems to be made with tattoo artist in mind. the box said its an anesthetic cream for tattoo. Anyways, it works well. i got few tattoos on my body and the last one i got with this dr. numb cream was the least pain. here is the site where i got it from. http://www.drNumb.com it took about 4 days to get it.
13 Pauline // Oct 23, 2008 at 10:19 am
i am having a tattoo on my back down my spine my tatooist has recommended Emla to me for a pain free experience. hopefully it does wrk
14 Andrea // Oct 31, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Onw person asked how you get your doctor to perscribe it; my doctor gave it to me for electrolysis, which is pretty common. You might see if that’ll work
15 mike kingston // Nov 14, 2008 at 7:29 am
thanks max for your blog on dr. numb, i bought it because its made it for tattooing, becaseu its water based and highest concentration allowable. it worked great. didnt feel any pain.
thanks
16 Ashley Cox // Nov 15, 2008 at 1:43 pm
If you can’t handle pain you shouldn’t get a tattoo. Pain in a tattoo is relative because you are having a needle jabbed into your skin 100’s -1000’s of times a session. More often then not, Emla only numbs the 1st layer of skin, and a tattoo penetrates into the 2nd and 3rd layer. Which leaves pain in the 2nd-3rd layer. Thus, meaning you pretty much wasted your money and time getting the Emla.
So suck up the pain and get over it. It only hurts for a little bit!
17 josh steven // Dec 1, 2008 at 6:06 am
Ashley,
you are saying if you cant handle the pain, then you shouldnt get a tatto. Well, i respectfully disagree. i have a phobia of needles thats why i am scared of the pain. i Bought Dr. Numb and i have also Tried Emal, they are both good. they do work. worst case, if the pain is rated level 10, with the cream it makes it level 1 or 2. there is a big difference. Ashley maybe you can handle the pain, but i cant, i hate it. i wish i could be like you and some of my other buddies, but i am like the rest of the 70% of the world, scared of needles.
18 Curt // Dec 1, 2008 at 10:04 am
Well put Josh, everyone has a different tolerance to pain and if you need something to take the hurt down a few notches who’s to say weather or not you should?
I’ve had both my arms quarter sleeved and my thigh covered without any pain reliever, but I’m sure glad I had my EMLA for my love handles and arm pit.
If the end product is the same weather you use some kind of cream or not, what does it matter how you get there?
Its kinda like walking a path with a fork in the road. You can choose either path because they both end at the same spot, one path is just rockier then the other.
19 jaci // Dec 15, 2008 at 1:00 pm
i have had all of my tats done without the benefit of any pain reliever. i handled them all well according to the 2 guys who have done my work. with that said, thank you soooo much for finding a product that will relieve if not take away the pain. i love ink and am willing to deal with the pain to get it. but if there is another option i will take it. thats like saying women shouldnt use pain meds while in labor. screw that. anything that makes it easier is good by me!!
20 Ellen // Dec 28, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Hi, I got 2 of my three tattoos with emla cream, my first tattoo was without any cream across my lower back and i nearly passed out, when I heard about this cream, I decided to chance another tattoo, This one is on the top of my back coming from my neck, its about the size as a 20 pack of smokes, black butterfly, I hardly felt anything, I was amazed! Very happy,
BUT my last tattoo was on the side of my foot, black only stars going up my foot, I applied the cream like the last time, but I felt the pain of the tattoo. Mabye because its very senitive there with not much flesh. It did ease the pain a little, it was just bare-able.
I bought the cream for about €15-€20 euro in gran canaria, (yumbo centre) over the counter.
I highly recomend it!
Good luck!
21 Laura Clarke // Apr 17, 2009 at 6:24 am
hi, i too am terrified of needles, but have always wanted a tatoo. i use emla cream alot as i have a lot of blood tests and when i heard that it could be used as an aid to tattooing i was thrilled. i decided to give it a try and to my amazment it totally worked, i didn’t feel a thing!!! i had a medium butterfly at the top of my back and it was completely pain free.
i understand that some people feel the use of numbing creams in tattooing is ridiculous.well in my opinion if you can make something easier and still get the same great results why should you have to go through unnecessary pain.
i also know that some people have better results with these creams than others, well with me it worked and thats all i’m saying!
so if like me you were scared to go through it without any pain relief give it try you have nothing to lose xxx good luck and happy inking!
22 kitty // May 12, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I tried emla…it sucks! dr. numb works better. Trust me on this one fellas. emla is oily unlike dr. numb and it works better. Actually its the best numbing cream i ever had!
23 Nat // Jun 3, 2009 at 12:12 pm
For the people that have said you shouldn’t get a tattoo if you can’t handle the pain thats a load of bollocks. I love having tattoo’s but have a hard time dealing with the pain so I end up tensing and the tattoo doesn’t come out as perfect as it can be. If this cream is gonna make my tattoo look better then of course I should use it. A lot of people seem to have a very macho view on pain, having a tattoo shouldn’t be a way of proving how hard you are, it should be a way of expressing yourself!
24 al // Jun 3, 2009 at 8:52 pm
g’day
i gotta tell u pplz im getting a heap of work done 2morrow and u can bet yr asses im using emla.
so my question is how is the best way 2 use it, im guessing u spread it on and throw a bandage on it 4 an hr or so. is there any other tips at all?
by the way the ones that carry on bout not using pain relief….we get it yr really tuff good on ya
cheers groovers
25 al // Jun 5, 2009 at 10:58 am
ok ppl i gotta tell u…..i luv emla.
i would make sweet salty love 2 the stuff if it was socially acceptable. i just got a freakin huge dragon done on my forearm and its the best 1 ive got because 4 the 1st time i was able 2 keep completely calm without tensing up.
26 adrian // Jun 6, 2009 at 6:25 am
hi i realy want a tiny black star as this is my first tat and im so scared so do i still feel pain when using emla. pleasse help
27 Liz // Jun 22, 2009 at 8:37 am
Hello,
I am sooooo happy I found this site. I have always wanted a ballet slipper on my neck, and have asked many tattoo artist what they thought of Emla. I have used this cream for years when going through cancer..I am scared of needles and the pain, but the artists all told me the tattoo would come out wrong. They said the cream as it may num the skin it also swells it. I want to make sure that if I do put the cream on that the tattoo won’t look weird. Have any of you had this issue happen, or are the tattoo artist full of poop?
Please let me know..I’m dying to get the tat!
28 Curt // Jun 22, 2009 at 8:49 am
Liz,
I’ve used EMLA extensively and never had a single issue regarding swelling. When i get tattooed, I have the EMLA pounded into the skin along with the ink and never had a single issue. If it caused undo swelling I think I would have noticed by now.
29 Liz // Jun 22, 2009 at 8:53 am
Awsome…Thank you so much..I am excited and scared all the same time..but mostly excited to have finally found this site for answers!!!!
Curt..you rock!
30 Dookie // Jun 22, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hi all,
Just want to say I have 3 tattoos and have never used Emla, I have used it for piercings however and it’s worked brilliantly.
Even though I’ve coped with the pain of tattoos pretty well, I’d really like one on my foot and ribs and have been told these are the most painful places, and like most people I don’t want to tense up/move around and screw up the tattoo.
I have also been told by a tattoo artist that it is not a good idea to use the tattoo as it can wreck it during the healing process.
Does anyone have any first hand experience with Emla and tattoo healing?
Thanks!
31 mz. pinky // Jul 15, 2009 at 1:24 am
Last night I just got the biggest tattoo I ever had on my thigh to cover up a name. I have 12 tattoos in all. I never had a pain reliever but after the tatt last night I told my tattoo guy before he finishes with the shading and coloring in severeal different colors I need to find something to numb my thigh. I am a 35 year old woman and promise you all my tatts I never needed any pain reliever they say its different when you get alot of shading and coloring, they not lying it hurt like a bitch!!!! But I let him finish the tatt all we have left is the different colors. My tatt is 4 roses w/leaves a bird feeding off one of the roses,a butterfly flying above the roses, and a banner underneath w/ my mothers name…. It is so pretty I cant wait for him to do the coloring but I need that cream lol. I will keep looking for it in CA or try asking my doctor as well thanks for everyone comments it helped.
32 Hanna // Oct 27, 2009 at 10:49 am
Hiya Im Hanna, Im 17 In November 25th,
Im Getting My First Tattoo On My Wrist With
R.I.P
MUM
11.04.1960-25/04/2004
And Stars Underneath, My Bf Tatooist Advised me to get sum elma cream or dr.numb before i go
pound loads of it on rap my wrist in cling film and leave for 2 hrs, and he promised i wont feel a thing :)
I Was Just Wondering Which Works Best?
x
33 Curt // Oct 28, 2009 at 11:26 am
Hanna,
I’ve never used dr. numb. I use emla quite a bit and find that it works wonderfully.
34 Dean // Dec 24, 2009 at 10:29 am
Ive just had the second session of my vampire girl on my back, the first sitting was for 3 hours up the top of my spine towards the lower half, was sorta painful but nothing i couldn’t handle to much.
But ive also had my spine fused in march just gone and yesterday when i went to have some more work done on lower half i used emla cream to just take the edge of it because my lower back is so sensative due to my surgery, it seemed to help id say by 50/60 % so not a bad thing but i felt the pain as he was going into the love handles area, wow that was intense but next session i am going to use on these areas co’s it bloody hurts.
But for continuing my sleeves i love the needle so won’t use anything, no good being all jumpy in pain your tat guy is just gonna get fedup and its not gonna turn out as good if you keep jumping, so in sensative areas its worth it to me.
I had no reactions or swelling etc should have just used a little more cream at the sides thats all.
35 Amy (UK) // Jan 7, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Hi,
I’m having my first tattoo this month – it’s only a small one going in my groin (ouch!). I have got some Emla ready and I feel totally relaxed about getting it done now!
Will let you all know how it goes!
36 Amy (UK) // Jan 8, 2010 at 10:33 am
Just thought I’d update you! I had my tattoo done today and felt absolutely nothing!
I had the emla cream on for 3 hours before and removed it when the tattooist was ready (he really wasn’t bothered and said that most people use it!). I actually had to look to see if he was doing it!
Now I know I can have a painless tattoo I can start thinking about the next one!
37 David in England // Jan 22, 2010 at 8:28 am
The thing about Emla is that it is a eutectic mixture of 2 local anaesthetics (hence the name) so it it stronger than the creams which are just 5% lidocaine and penetrates the skin better. I don’t know what difference the formulation makes.
38 Jessy (21) UK // Jan 25, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I’m Having my 1st Tat on Friday this week!!! I’m so nervous but Excited at the same time. Im starting a sleeve and for a 1st tattoo its a pretty huge design!!! I’m having a cassette tape with Angel wings going from my Left Shoulder blade and down my Left arm half way to the bend!!! my Tattoist has advised me to buy some ELMA!!! Im so glad to hear it works pretty well!! Ive got myself some. However. She also asked me to take 2 extra strong pain killers 1hour and a haf before the session because my collar bone will be a painful area!!! Is this ok? Coming from the Tattoist herself? Painkillers??? Ive heard thats not a good Idea….It thins your blood!!! :/
39 Adele // Feb 7, 2010 at 10:21 am
I have 2 half sleeves aswell as other extensive tattoos.so far,I have done them all without pain relief.as tough as I am,they have all hurt like fuck!!! I have decided that for my next project I will use emla cream.not sure how long I should leave it on for as I’m having a 3hr sesh of outline.any tips?
40 Adele // Feb 7, 2010 at 10:25 am
Ps.to anyone saying that if u can’t handle the pain,don’t get a tattoo,I kind of half agree. I think if it’s ur first tattoo u should just go for it and see how it feels without pain relief.u may find it’s far less painful than uve built up in ur head. However,if uve tried it&found it agony then there’s no shame in pain relief.
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