Artist painting Japanese dragon illustration

by Guy Aitchison

Published August 3, 2024

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Guy Aitchison

572 pieces

Guy Aitchison Page

Ok, I’d like to dive into this topic since I believe I have enough experience in the subject to share with you all. I’d like to start by getting past and BS about being “for” or “against”— I’m so tired of this false dynamic that is intended to pit people against at each other. Instead let’s share facts and experiences. As my regulars all know, I am a Bactine user. I keep a squirt bottle of it at my station and rinse my clients with it every few minutes. When we take breaks I try to first get a bunch of magnum work done so we can really marinate the area in Bactine after the break, makes it much easier to restart after a break. I believe that my use of Bactine has added hours to my sessions and made it easier for people to take on long sessions without feeling like they need Vicodin or any of that kind of thing. That said, I’ve learned not to use products that contain vasoconstrictors- these are more effective at numbing but carry a much higher likelihood of healing problems, where with straight Bactine these issues are almost unheard of. Next come the prenumbing creams. Clients now sometimes show up already creamed and wrapped, sometimes on days where we have two hours of stenciling or freehanding to do prior to starting. These creams almost always lead to shorter, harder sessions. The brain immediately gets accustomed to the idea of avoiding all pain and cannot handle when sensation returns, which usually happens quickly. These creams do not prevent pain- they simply reschedule it, with interest. I do sometimes prenumb problematic areas of larger pieces and work these areas near the end of the session. That way the brain is already used to the sensation of getting tattooed- you can actually buy a little time this way. But always, toward the end, the numb is gone and the client is in worse pain than if they had just sat for the darned tattoo. I have had some positive experiences with numbing creams but only when taking all of these factors into account. What are some of your experiences? Please share!