The thought of using alcohol to dull your nerves and pain from the tattoo might have tempted you, but of course no reputable tattoo artist will continue a session with someone known to be under the influence of alcohol. This is because alcohol will thin your blood. Thin blood will not only make the process more challenging and messy for your artist, but also makes you bleed excessively, causing your tattoo to appear faded or patchy. You don’t want to be spending all that money, time, and pain for a tattoo that ends up looking 20 years old.
Maybe you’ve considered popping a couple of pain pills before your appointment, but that may cause complications as well. It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before going under the needle if you are on any medication. Pain killing medication (over the counter or prescription) can also have blood thinning effects. Using opioids prior to your tattoo appointment is not advisable. Being inebriated while making a lifelong decision is truly a recipe for disaster.
Smoking cannabis might have also crossed your mind when prepping for a tattoo session. It is now pretty widely accepted that using cannabis can be a natural and effective way to help relieve many areas of pain from minor to severe. But consuming cannabis with high amounts of THC (the primary compound in cannabis that cause a psychoactive effect) before getting tattooed is unfortunately said to have some adverse effects. Strangely enough, people actually claim the pain to be worse when getting tattooed high on cannabis. THC is also related to causing some people to experience greater anxiety or paranoia. When you know you are about to be in a lot of pain by making a permanent mark on your body, the last thing you want is more anxious feelings!
THC is not the only beneficial compound in cannabis though, and smoking it isn’t the only way to experience the benefits. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive component of cannabis that has a remarkable array of properties that are similar to THC. CBD has strong anti-inflammatory properties and is considered an analgesic. Basically, it has everything your body wants from a cannabis plant, without making you feel stoned. Best of all, CBD derived from hemp plants (containing >.3% THC) is legal throughout the United States!
So how can CBD be useful when planning to get a tattoo? In my experience, it did not only make the tattooing process itself more tolerable but also helped with the healing process.
How CBD May Help Before or During a Tattoo Session:
- Calms anxiety, nerves, or jitters
- Helps reduce inflammation while being tattooed
- Helps ease pain caused by the needles
- Will not interfere with your decision-making process
- Will not cause you to act or appear under the influence of any drug
I recently used CBD during a tattoo appointment for a large piece on my thigh. In earlier appointments, I tried smoking cannabis, but by the time we were actually ready to start the needles up, I was mostly back to baseline and very anxious. Not to mention that it didn't help at all by the 3rd hour when I felt the most sensitive.
I tried taking a relatively large serving (~50mg) of Heka Oral Tincture in MCT oil (it is important to avoid consuming a large amount of hemp seed oil before a tattoo session because it too can have blood thinning properties if enough is swallowed.) This helped immensely with my nerves before the tattoo and the pain after, but towards the end of the appointment I needed another serving and I didn’t want to interrupt my artist to go retrieve it.
Finally, I purchased a 100mg Pure Ratio Lozenge and I was not disappointed! I popped this little peppermint treat in my mouth and let it dissolve for what felt like the first two hours of my tattoo and it worked wonders! The lozenge is designed to provide fast-acting relief for a long period of time, which is perfect for when you’re getting tattooed and are unable to get up for more. I also experimented with some CBD gum, but the lozenge was much stronger and more effective. Of course, it doesn't remove all the pain, but I felt much more relaxed and capable of withstanding the needle’s jabs than I did sober, or when consuming THC. Now whenever prepping for a tattoo, I always come prepared with a lozenge or two.
CBD for Aftercare of a Tattoo
Being the CBD enthusiast that I am, and after experiencing notable relief while being tattooed, I thought to myself, why stop there? CBD has great properties for skin health and is often used by people experiencing different skin ailments like psoriasis or eczema. Not only does it have anti-inflammatory properties to help with topical pain and swelling, but is also anti-bacterial. I volunteered myself to be a guinea pig for testing topical products on a fresh tattoo. I would not suggest for anyone to just go slather any cream onto a healing tattoo without research. Open wounds, including tattoos, are very vulnerable to infections. Certain ingredients or essential oils can irritate your new tattoo and cause more discomfort or hurt the healing process. After doing plenty of research, and comparing different ingredients in products made for tattoo aftercare, I decided to start with Fat Pig Society’s Hemp Infused Coconut Oil. This potent, raw, organic oil absorbs into your skin fast and leaves the skin feeling soothed and moisturized. I first used it when my tattoo was about 3-4 days old and beginning to scab, while the itchy phase was in full force. The instant I put it on I felt immediate relief. No more itchiness and my tattoo never looked happier!
After having such great results with the Fat Pig Coconut Oil, I decided to only use CBD infused products for the healing process of my next tattooing session. Because the Fat Pig Coconut Oil is pretty costly, starting around $130, I chose to use a much more wallet-friendly CBD infused topical and purchased Devour Por Vida Blue Label Arnica Salve containing 100mg of CBD.
This handcrafted salve is 100% natural, contains no alcohol or ingredients that could irritate healing skin, and has a satisfyingly thick consistency. It simply melts into the skin at the first touch. Along with CBD, it’s also crafted with arnica and calendula, which both have great properties for pain management and skin care. The regular strength jar is competitively priced, and a little bit spreads a long way. When using to alleviate my sore, itchy, swollen tattoo, I used just enough to cover my tattoo after every cleanse (about 3-5x a day) for three days.
After the first three days of constant cleansing and moisturizing, I switched to cleansing once a day followed by a non-scented lotion as recommended by my artist. I went with Heka Hemp Lotion, and it now has a permanent home in my beauty product collection. I have extremely sensitive skin, and when it comes to lotion, I had few options. Fancy, heavily perfumed lotions would burn my skin and make it red and irritated, especially after a hot shower. Plain, non-scented lotions were ok for a while, but I would have to re-apply it over and over again to feel any noticeable difference. Heka Hemp Lotion was not only perfect for the delicate skin of my healing tattoo but has been extremely effective at softening my skin from head to toe, starting with the very first use!
I was very pleased with the rate I felt my tattoo was healing when using the CBD salve and lotion compared the standard ointments and lotions for tattoos. The itchy phase was almost unnoticeable, and my tattoo hardly ever looked dry or ashy. After my experiences, I wouldn’t want to use anything else on my tattoos, and I recommend it to all my friends.
Now that you have heard my story and some of the facts about CBD, you can make an informed decision next time you're under the needle. Hopefully, you won’t choose to use harmful substances that could potentially lead to unfortunate consequences and regrets, and instead give natural, wholesome, CBD hemp extracts a try!
NRG
http://wholeaddictiontattoo.com/drugs-alcohol-and-tattoos/
https://authoritytattoo.com/tattoos-and-drinking-alcohol/
https://wiki.bme.com/index.php?title=Marijuana
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