What is Tattoo Numbing Cream?

Emla numbing cream is a topical anesthetic cream designed to reduce pain and discomfort during the tattooing process. The main active ingredient in most numbing creams is lidocaine, which works by blocking nerve signals from being transmitted to the brain. When applied to the skin area that will be tattooed, lidocaine interferes with the perception of pain.

How Does Tattoo Numbing Cream Work?

Tattoo Numbing Cream works by reversibly binding to sodium channels in nerve cell membranes. These sodium channels are responsible for the generation and propagation of action potentials, which carry pain signals from nociceptors in the skin to the spinal cord and brain. When lidocaine binds to sodium channels, it prevents the channels from opening, thus inhibiting the movement of sodium ions and blocking the conduction of nerve impulses along axon membranes. This blocking effect disrupts the ability to feel pain in the area where the numbing cream has been applied.

Most numbing creams take 20-30 minutes to become fully effective after application. During this time, the lidocaine molecules are able to penetrate through the layers of the epidermis and attach to sodium channels at nerve endings located in the dermis and deeper skin tissues. Once bound to sodium channels, lidocaine can block pain signals from the tattoo site for 1-3 hours, depending on the concentration of lidocaine in the cream.

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