Getting tattooed
Numbing cream for tattoos
Full disclosure: we're the sort of people who quite like the feel of a tattoo needle, but we're aware that's not a universal experience. Numbing cream is a legitimate option for plenty of people, here's the honest version of how it works and what to actually watch for.
The short version
Numbing cream is a legitimate option, not a shortcut to feel embarrassed about. In Australia, the legal and genuinely safe route is a TGA-registered product from a pharmacy, used only on the area being tattooed, as directed. The real risk sits specifically with high-strength imported creams applied thickly over large areas, that's where the genuine safety concerns come from.
What's actually in it
Tattoo numbing creams work by temporarily blocking pain signals at the surface of the skin. The active ingredients doing that job are local anaesthetics, most commonly lidocaine, also written as lignocaine, sometimes alongside tetracaine, prilocaine or benzocaine. Some formulations also include adrenaline (epinephrine), added specifically to constrict blood vessels in the area and reduce bleeding during the session.
Is it actually legal in Australia
Yes, with real conditions attached. Numbing creams are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and a legally supplied product needs an AUST R number on the label, confirming it's been assessed and registered for use here. Concentration matters too: anything over 10% lidocaine is classified as a prescription-only medicine, not something available over the counter at all.
Worth knowing directly: your tattoo artist isn't legally permitted to sell or supply numbing cream to you themselves. It needs to come from a pharmacy, or via prescription for stronger formulations. A lot of the heavily marketed "maximum strength" numbing creams sold through overseas online stores simply aren't registered for legal supply in Australia at all, whatever the packaging claims.
The genuine safety risk, and it is genuine
This isn't overcaution for the sake of it. Applying a thick layer of high-strength lidocaine cream across a large area of skin, particularly under plastic wrap, which increases how much of it actually absorbs into the body, can push enough local anaesthetic into the bloodstream to cause real systemic effects. Reported symptoms range from dizziness and an irregular heartbeat up to seizures and, in rare cases, cardiac arrest.
This risk is specifically tied to unregulated, high-concentration products used incorrectly over large areas, not to a correctly used, TGA-registered pharmacy product applied only to the tattoo site as directed. The concentration and the application area are what actually matter here.
Where it genuinely helps
- Longer sessions. Sitting through several hours is a different proposition to a quick twenty-minute piece, and numbing cream can take the edge off enough to get through it comfortably.
- Painful placements. Ribs, sternum, hands and feet are consistently rated among the more painful spots, thin skin over bone with little padding. Our placement guide covers why that is in more detail.
- Genuinely low pain tolerance. Not everyone experiences pain the same way, and there's no prize for gritting through something that a legal, safe product can take the edge off.
- First-timers who might otherwise not finish. Someone who taps out partway through a piece because of pain ends up with an unfinished tattoo and a worse experience overall. A sensible numbing option can be the difference between finishing comfortably and not finishing at all.
The downsides worth knowing
- It can wear off mid-session. Most products have a limited window before the effect fades, which can mean an unpleasant surprise partway through a longer sitting if it's not timed well.
- Some artists have opinions about it. Numbed skin can feel and behave slightly differently to work on, and adrenaline-containing formulations constrict blood vessels in a way some artists prefer to know about in advance.
- It doesn't remove all sensation. Numbing cream reduces pain, it doesn't eliminate every sensation of pressure or vibration, worth going in with realistic expectations.
Using it properly
- Buy a TGA-registered product from a pharmacy, not an unregulated import.
- Patch test it 24 hours beforehand on a small area of skin to check for a reaction.
- Apply only to the area being tattooed, not a larger surrounding area "just in case."
- Follow the specific timing on the label, commonly 30 to 60 minutes before your session, rather than guessing.
- Tell your artist you're using it, before the appointment, not after they've started.
Tell your artist, always
This is worth its own line. Message your artist or studio ahead of time and let them know you're planning to use numbing cream. Some studios have their own preferences or experience with how it affects their work, and it's a courtesy that avoids an awkward conversation once you're already in the chair. Our studio etiquette guide covers the broader version of this, communicating clearly rather than assuming.
The verdict
Numbing cream isn't cheating, and it isn't automatically risky either. The actual determining factor is which product and how it's used. A TGA-registered pharmacy product, applied correctly to the tattoo site only, is a legitimate, low-risk option for anyone who wants it. A high-strength unregulated import, slathered on thick under plastic wrap over a large area, is where the genuine danger sits. Choose the former, and there's no reason to feel awkward about using it.
Sources
- SA Health, Topical anaesthetics (numbing creams) sold by tattoo artists and laser technicians.
- Therapeutic Goods Administration, Poisons Standard scheduling of lidocaine and related local anaesthetics.
Tattoo Standard is published by Penguin Tattoo Co, an Australian tattoo aftercare brand. This guide is general information, not medical advice. Speak to a pharmacist about which product and concentration is appropriate for you, particularly if you have any heart condition or are pregnant.