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10 Best Tattoo Numbing Spray Variants in 2024

Congratulations on having made up your mind about getting inked. But there is something else you need to take care of before proceeding, i.e. the pain associated with tattooing.

Even though the extent of discomfort depends on the size and type of tattoo that you wish to get, it is still advisable to stay prepared for the expected pain. And, this is why you should invest in a graded tattoo-numbing spray to keep the agony out of this creative indulgence.

A tattoo-numbing cream isn’t something you carry around in your back pocket. As a customer who has recently booked a tattooing session, you usually bring the tattoo numbing spray or the cream to the parlor, suggesting the professional use the same.

However, if you are on the other side of tattoo making, i.e., the designer, you might still have a wide range of tattoo numbing sprays sitting pretty in your parlor, which you are expected to use depending on the skin type, type of design, lining or shading, and other aspects. 

Best Tattoo Numbing Spray — Quick Summary

Not interested in reading the entire piece that talks about tattoo-numbing spray at length? Fret not as I have you covered. If you are simply looking to take our word for the best tattoo-numbing sprays around, purchase one from these.

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Now that I have taken a small detour, let’s jump right back to the essence of tattoo-numbing sprays. While you can purchase one depending on your role, i.e., either as the customer or the tattoo maker, not every numbing spray is created alike. To pick one that aligns with your skin texture and responsiveness, you must take several factors into account, including the ingredients, antiseptic properties, anesthetic promptness, lidocaine composition, presence of propylene glycol, if any, efficacy against swelling and irritation, and more.

While keeping track of these parameters can indeed get overwhelming at times, I have decided to enlist 10 of the best numbing sprays in the retail space to make life easier for you. So sit back and read through each review as I focus on the nitty-gritty of tattoo-numbing creams and sprays that work.

10 Top Tattoo Numbing Sprays to Pick — Reviewed by Experts

After talking at length with over 50 tattoo makers, tattoo machine owners, and even 100 customers who recently got inked for the first and second time, I have finally come up with a list of the top 10 tattoo-numbing sprays. Each spray is suitable for a particular skin time and can even be used throughout the tattooing process. 

Also, not one of the enlisted sprays or creams is powered by harsh chemicals and is still great at providing pain relief as a topical anesthetic.

And yes, the prices are spread out rather evenly, allowing you to take a pick depending on the budget. 

1. Hush Tattoo Numbing Spray — Best Overall

Best Tattoo Numbing Spray

Highlights

  • Loaded with Lidocaine
  • Can be reapplied to tattoos
  • Starts working in under 10 minutes

Review

If you have ever used the hush gel for numbing, you might want to invest in this powerful tattoo numbing spray. Meant for an elite tattoo artist, this lidocaine-powered numbing spray is perfect for anesthetizing the skin right before the tattoo session starts. On top of that, unlike other tattoo-numbing agents that come loaded with a large set of ingredients, the hush-numbing spray keeps things hush-hush by stacking it up with an efficient concoction of botanicals. 

Topping the charts is Lidocaine, which is complemented by soothing aloe vera. Coming to the effects, once applied, this spray takes less than 10 minutes to show effects as the composition readily activates in under 90 seconds. 

The spray still needs to be applied properly and onto the skin immediately before the tattoo session starts However, you must keep in mind that you must use it only after the tattoo outline is complete as the effect of this spray lasts for only 40 minutes and you should be able to make the most of it. 

Pros
  • No vibrations
  • Light and portable
  • All-inclusive device
  • Exceptional longevity
  • Helps achieve the smoothest grey washes
Cons
  • Pricey

2. TAT Balm Numbing Spray — Best for Tattoo Artists

Tat Balm Best Numbing Spray for Tattoos

Highlights

  • Boasts antiseptic properties
  • Loaded with Naturecaine
  • Has healing effects

Review

If you want a more inclusive tattoo numbing spray, I would recommend the one from TAT Balm. What works wonders for this spray is that it heals the tattooed regions faster than most gels and creams. As a tattoo artist, if you want to recommend a comprehensive spray to customers that renders a tattoo session virtually painless and even takes great care of the broken skin, this numbing spray is certainly worth a mention. 

Coming to the ingredients and subsequent effects, this product comprises naturecaine and lidocaine for combating swelling, skin irritation, and bleeding. With the TAT Balm numbing cream to invest in, you can even handle tattoo bruising and redness by offering a faster healing time than usual.

Pros
  • Aids skin firming
  • Minimizes itching
  • Works as a painkiller
  • Excellent numbing effects
  • Can be applied both before and after tattoo sessions
Cons
  • Effect wears off quickly
  • Not the cheapest one around

3. Aspercreme Max Strength — Best Value

Numbing Spray for tattoos

Highlights

  • Loaded with menthol
  • Faster Lidocaine absorption
  • Meant for short tattoo sessions

Review

The Aspercrene Max strength tattoo numbing spray lives up to its tag, courtesy of the quick effects and a more pronounced numbing effect. If as a tattoo artist, you have been using tattoo numbing cream, the Max Strength from Aspercreme makes you rethink. 

Coming to the ingredients, this product features 4% Lidocaine that gets absorbed better with menthol in play. As menthol works as an analgesic, you can expect this spray to work as a fast-acting pain reliever. The effects start showing up in under 10 minutes and can last for up to 40 minutes, give and take. 

I feel this is a good enough product for areas with less bruising. Also, if you are smart enough to buy at the right time, the Aspercreme numbing spray can be procured at a throwaway price. 

Pros
  • Acts quick
  • Can reduce redness and pain
  • Specifically designed for small tattoos
Cons
  • Pricing isn’t uniform
  • Wears off in under an hour

4. Vasocaine Numbing Spray — Best in terms of Fast Action

Best Tattoo Numbing Spray

Highlights

  • Also effective for piercing
  • Lasts for almost 120 minutes
  • Numbs the skin for longer sessions

Review

If permanency against pain is the only thing you want, feel free to invest in the Vasocaine numbing spray. While there are quite a few good things about this product, the best thing is its ability to numb the skin surface, within seconds. 

Loaded with the likes of Epinephrine for pain and Lidocaine for quick numbing, this spray is designed specifically for color packing and shading, where sessions use fresh tattoo ink and can proceed longer than expected.

The active ingredients in play ensure that the dermal source stays numb for almost 2 hours. Once the effect starts wearing off, the same can be reapplied 

Pros
  • Stocked with purified water
  • Best for worry-free tattooing
  • Constricts blood vessels to slow down bleeding
Cons
  • Pricey
  • Not fit for skin surface that is already tattooed

5. Ebanel Numb520 — Best for a Color Packing Tattoo Artist

Best Numbing Spray for Tattoos

Highlights

  • Loaded with Phenylephrine
  • Blocks pain out within two minutes
  • Also useful for minor cuts and insect bites

Review

Rating highly by the experts, the Numb520 from Ebane is one of the better products around, when it comes to showing instant and long-lasting numbness. The composition of active ingredients, including Lidocaine, allantoin, and arginine absorbs instantly into the skin pores and ensures that the numbness is felt almost instantaneously.

Adding to the effectiveness of this cream is its ability to lower skin irritation and pain by working as an aesthetic. As a spray meant for quick topical use, the Numb520 works better than most creams and gels, if you want to numb the area in no time.

Pros
  • Huge ingredient base
  • One of the best brands around
  • Effects can last for almost 2 hours
  • Numbs the surface quickly against needles
Cons
  • Shouldn’t be applied after tattooing
  • Effects dilute a bit after 60 minutes or so

6. Americaine Hospital Formula — Best for Allergic Skin Surfaces

Best Tattoo Numbing Spray

Highlights

  • Best for allergic clients
  • Lidocaine-free composition 
  • Handles swelling and soreness

Review

If someone you know is allergic to Lidocaine, the Americaine Hospital Formula is one of the better numbing sprays to work with. What makes this effect even without the core component is the inclusion of Benzocaine, which is still as powerful as Lidocaine, provided the composition is multiplied by a factor of 4.

On top of that, this spray can rapidly absorb and ensure that you aren’t bothered extensively by itching or uncomfortable skin irritation. 

Pros
  • Multi-faceted spray
  • Has the best reviews online
  • Takes effect within 10 minutes
  • Works faster than most numbing gels
Cons
  • Anesthetic effects do not last long
  • Doesn’t constrict blood vessels as effectively

7. Hush Anesthetic — Best Non-Oily Composition

Tattoo Numbing Spray

Highlights

  • Potent anesthetic capabilities
  • Exceptional numbing properties
  • Powerful that numbing creams

Review

If you have been using the Hush Gel or spray, it might just be the time to migrate to the Hush Anesthetic gel, which works like a spray but lasts longer than a standard topical, numbing agent would. What makes it unique is its botanical composition. When it comes to what ‘Botanicals’ means, it is a form of composition that leads with aloe vera and other numbing agents, sans the likes of epinephrine and parabens.

On top of that, the effects on tattoos and fresh ink last up to 2 hours. Despite not being a traditional tattoo-numbing spray, Hush Anesthetics is easily one of the best tattoo-numbing agents around that can work well with large and medium-sized tattoos. Also, the non-intrusive setup of active ingredients means that you can even use it for tattoo removal.

Pros
  • One of the best brands
  • Completely FDA-complaint
  • Doesn’t interfere with tattoo ink
  • Online reviews speak volumes of this product
Cons
  • A lot of gel needs to be used to numb large surfaces

8. INK EEZE — Best Topical Gel

Best Numbing Spray

Highlights

  • Standard topical gel
  • Long-lasting effect
  • Works better than any tattoo-numbing cream

Review

Head over to any popular tattoo shop and you are bound to cross paths with this tattoo-numbing gel. While I started out talking about sprays, the B Numb Gel from INK-EEZE is easily one of the best tattoo numbing agents around that can change the definition of numbing and pain relief.

First of all, you must only consider using this numbing agent before tattooing. Also, as it has Lidocaine, you can even expect it to pacify the entire area that is to be tattooed. Coming to efficacy, unlike other nerve blockers or nerve deadeners, this gel has effects spanning 2 hours or even more. 

Pros
  • Can reduce pain
  • Doesn’t impact the skin texture
  • Doesn’t interfere with the tattoo color
  • One of the more easily available numbing products
Cons
  • Overkill for any small tattoo
  • Must be properly applied to have the desired effects

9. Numbify — Best Budget Spray

Tattoo Numbing Spray

Highlights

  • Gentle on the skin
  • Helps heal the tattoo area
  • Enriched with natural ingredients

Review

Not many tattoo numbing products come loaded with natural ingredients like chamomile green tea extracts, Kava Kava, and the likes of arrowroot powder. In case any active ingredient mentioned here interests you, you might want to get Numbify for your skin.

Numbify is also one of the best tattoo-numbing options around if you want to keep the budget intact. Plus, if applied with precision, this spray can easily get rid of the painful procedures associated with tattoos, way better than any other cream would do. 

Pros
  • Perfect choice for new tattoo
  • Handles broken skin rather well
  • Anesthetic capabilities are at par with the hush spray
  • 2-hour long effect is at par with the popular Lidocaine Blue Gel
Cons
  • Overkill for small tattoo
  • Not perfect for every tattoo process, like removal

10. Hustle Butter Deluxe — Best Cream with Vegan Composition

Best Tattoo Numbing Spray

Highlights

  • Effective tattoo numbing cream
  • A better bet for new tattoo designs
  • Sits well with every tattoo process

Review

There aren’t many numbing creams in the market that can work as well as sprays. However, the Hustler Butter Deluxe changes things with its vegan-friendly composition. Most importantly, this is one of the few products that show up at almost every tattoo shop, courtesy of its efficacy both before and even during getting a new tattoo made. 

Also, if you are worried that a spray will dumb down the color of your large tattoo, this cream ensures zero color interference while keeping the painful procedures out. 

Pros
  • Excellent numbing effects
  • Doesn’t interfere with tattooing
  • Best for new and old tattoos alike
  • One of the better creams to numb large areas
Cons
  • Skin stays completely numb for only 30 minutes or so
  • If the cream smears on the gloves, the machine might slip

Buying Guide — Tattoo Numbing Sprays

Before picking up a numbing spray, you must take the following aspects into account. 

Usage

Most sprays, gels, and creams are good enough to be applied before the tattoo. However, if you want something that doubles up as a healing agent, you must check the label during and after tattoo usage. 

Safety

If you, as an artist, plan on using a spray to help clients with pain, always draw an outline before applying the sprays or creams. Also, it is better to take the allergies, if any, into consideration. 

Ingredients

It is important to select a spray only with natural ingredients. However, good luck finding anything worthwhile that doesn’t include Lidocaine unless the product comprises Benzocaine. Apart from that, menthol, Kava Kava, and more are some of the preferred ingredients to look for. 

Availability

It is important to focus on numbing agents that can be purchased over the counter. Also, if the company delivers online, you can even purchase them over Amazon. 

Tattoo Numbing Sprays — FAQs

What numbing spray do tattoo artists use?

Artists prefer sprays that can lower or completely minimize the pain associated with tattooing, by completely getting absorbed by the skin surface. 


Is it bad to put numbing cream on before a tattoo?

No, numbing cream should mostly be applied before the tattoo session begins. This way, it becomes easier to subvert the expected pain. 


Can I numb myself before a tattoo?

Yes, you can use your spray or even blue gel before getting inked. However, it is advisable to talk to a professional before that. 


Which one is better a numbing cream or a numbing spray?

I prefer a spray as it is easier to plastic wrap the area once the numbing agent is applied. Upon wrapping, the product seems deeper into the pores and numbs faster.

Top Rated Tattoo Numbing Spray

Last update on 2024-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Verdict

You can pick any of the mentioned products on the list, depending on personal and professional preferences. However, just to reiterate, if you were to pick only one tattoo-numbing spray, I would recommend the hush-numbing spray over everything else. 

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Robert Green

Robert Green, the brain and brawn behind TattooLous is a tattoo enthusiast and a raging bullbat. After getting 20 tattoos made and even working as a professional tattoo artist for almost 5 years at a stretch, Robert chose to contribute towards the tattooing community in a different yet rewarding manner. Robert believes that the tattoo-making industry is rife with possibilities and, therefore, strives towards educating budding tattoo artists about the choice of kits, machines, aftercare products, and more. Moreover, each of Robert’s drafts is even relevant to the professional tattoo experts who are seeking additional insights into exclusive products and accessories.

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