Tattoo & Piercing Care: Healing, Keloids & Rules

Proper aftercare is crucial for healing tattoos and belly button rings without complications like keloids. Learn how to drain piercing bumps, understand ear gauging rules, and identify the signs of a rejected body piercing.

Midsection of man with tattooed arms, close-up

Facts on Tattoo Numbing Cream

Published Jul,18 2017 | By Andrea Reuter

An over-the-counter or prescription numbing cream, or topical anesthetic, can be applied to your skin before you get a tattoo to dull the pain of the needle. If you have a low pain threshold or are planning to get a tattoo in a sensitive area, you can ask your tattoo artist about using a numbing agent.