There is no best tattoo numbing cream in the sense most lists mean, because none of the creams sold for tattooing is approved for it, and the strongest ones are the products the FDA has warned against. This page used to recommend several 5% lidocaine creams and suggested reapplying them to extend the numbness, which is the opposite of the FDA’s advice, so we rebuilt it from the FDA’s own warning letters, consumer warnings and drug labels. It sets out what the rules allow, why the risks are real, and how to reduce them if you still want to numb.
Best tattoo numbing cream: the short answer
If you use a numbing product at all, use an over-the-counter one with no more than 4% lidocaine, on a small area, exactly as its label directs, without wrapping it, and only after telling your artist. Avoid anything sold as a tattoo numbing cream at 5% lidocaine or more, anything combining several numbing drugs, and any product with epinephrine in it. If you have a heart condition, liver disease or take regular medication, ask a doctor or pharmacist first.
What the FDA has said about tattoo numbing creams
In March 2024 the FDA warned consumers to avoid certain topical pain relief products marketed for cosmetic procedures such as tattooing and sent warning letters to six companies. It found products labeled with lidocaine at concentrations up to 40%, and gave three pieces of advice:
- Do not use over-the-counter pain relief products with more than 4% lidocaine on your skin.
- Do not apply these products heavily over large areas of skin, or to irritated or broken skin.
- Do not wrap treated skin in plastic wrap or other dressings.
The risks it named were irregular heartbeat, seizures and breathing difficulties, and it noted these products may interact with medications and dietary supplements.
No numbing product is approved for tattooing
The warning letters go further than concentration. In its letter to one seller, the FDA states that indications related to tattooing are not included in M017, the set of rules for over-the-counter external pain relievers, and describes the 0.5% to 4% range as the lidocaine concentration those products are allowed to contain. A product marketed for tattooing is, in the FDA’s view, an unapproved new drug.
Amazon received a warning letter too
In April 2025 the FDA sent a warning letter to Amazon.com covering tattoo numbing creams sold on its site, most labeled at 5% lidocaine, one combining lidocaine, prilocaine and epinephrine, and one sold as TKTX 40%. The letter repeats that indications related to tattooing and piercing are not included in M017, and cites the FDA’s earlier public health advisories, one of them titled “Improper Use of Skin Numbing Products Can Be Deadly.”
What is in the popular tattoo numbing creams
5% lidocaine creams
Many creams sold for tattoos, including most of those named in the FDA’s letter to Amazon, are 5% lidocaine, one percentage point over the over-the-counter limit for external pain relievers. The FDA’s letters to sellers treat 5% products marketed for tattooing as a violation.
One widely sold cream shows how the labeling can differ from how a product is used. Zensa is marketed for cosmetic procedures such as microneedling and laser hair removal and is commonly recommended for tattoos, and its FDA drug label lists it under the monograph for anorectal products, with uses for temporary relief of local discomfort associated with anorectal disorders and of pain, soreness and burning. Tattooing is not among the uses on its label. This page previously described Zensa as containing prilocaine; its label gives lidocaine 5% as the only active ingredient.
Combination creams and epinephrine
Some products combine lidocaine with prilocaine, tetracaine or benzocaine, and some add epinephrine to reduce bleeding. The FDA’s warning letters list combinations of several numbing drugs, and numbing drugs with epinephrine, among the formulations not permitted in over-the-counter external pain relievers.
Very high strength products
Products labeled well above 5%, up to the 40% the FDA found, are the far end of its findings. There is no over-the-counter use for them, and they should not be used on skin before a tattoo.
Child safety
Numbing creams are dangerous to children who swallow them. In July 2025 the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers to stop using Mad Rabbit’s RELIEVE lidocaine numbing cream, sold with its tattoo kit, because it was not in child-resistant packaging as the law requires, and told owners to dispose of it. Store any numbing product out of reach of children.
If you still want to numb: how to reduce the risk
Nothing here makes a numbing product approved for tattooing. These steps follow the FDA’s consumer advice and the labels of the products involved.
- Talk to your artist before you buy anything. They need to know, and some prefer not to tattoo skin that has been numbed.
- Talk to a doctor or pharmacist first if you have a heart condition, liver disease, a history of seizures, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take regular medication or supplements.
- Choose 4% lidocaine or less, with lidocaine as the only numbing ingredient and no epinephrine.
- Keep it small. Use it on a small tattoo area only, not across a back piece or a sleeve.
- Follow the label’s amount and frequency exactly, and do not reapply it during the session to stretch the numbness out.
- Never cover it with plastic wrap, film or a dressing to make it work harder.
- Stop and get help at the early warning signs of numbing-drug toxicity, which the NIH-hosted StatPearls reference on local anesthetic toxicity lists as including a metallic taste, numbness or tingling around the mouth, dizziness, ringing in the ears or other changes in hearing and vision, muscle twitching, slurred speech and confusion.
Other ways to make a tattoo hurt less
Pain is personal and usually more manageable than people expect. In the largest survey we found, 1,092 tattooed people rated pain during tattooing at 4.35 out of 10 on average. These steps carry no drug risk.
- Choose placement with pain in mind. A smaller first tattoo on a well-padded area is a gentler introduction than a large piece over bone.
- Arrive sober. Texas’s rules for licensed studios say no one may be tattooed who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and most studios everywhere follow the same principle.
- Eat beforehand and bring water. Sitting for a long session on an empty stomach makes it harder going.
- Ask for breaks, and split a large piece into several shorter sessions.
- Tell your artist how you are doing. They can pace the work around you.
Once it is done, our tattoo aftercare guide covers the first three weeks, and keeping numbing and anti-itch drugs off the healing tattoo is part of that: our itchy tattoo guide explains why medicated creams should wait until the skin has healed.
The verdict on tattoo numbing creams
No numbing cream is approved for tattooing, and the 5% lidocaine creams sold for it are the products the FDA has warned their sellers about. If you want to numb, use no more than 4% lidocaine on a small area exactly as labeled, never wrap it, tell your artist and check with a doctor if you have health conditions. For most tattoos, planning placement and session length is the safer way to manage pain.
FAQ
What is the best numbing cream for tattoos?
There is no numbing cream approved for tattooing in the US, so there is no safe best pick to recommend. The FDA advises against over-the-counter products with more than 4% lidocaine, and many creams sold for tattoos are 5% or stronger. If you use anything, keep to 4% lidocaine or less on a small area, and tell your artist.
Is 5% lidocaine safe for tattoos?
The FDA does not consider 5% lidocaine creams marketed for tattooing to be legal over-the-counter products, and it has warned sellers including Amazon. Over-the-counter external pain relievers are limited to 0.5% to 4% lidocaine, and tattooing is not an approved use.
Do tattoo numbing creams work?
They can reduce pain on the surface of the skin for a time, but no product is approved for tattooing, and the FDA warns that using them over large areas of broken skin, for long periods or under a covering increases how much of the drug enters the bloodstream.
Can I wrap numbing cream in plastic wrap before a tattoo?
No. The FDA specifically tells consumers not to wrap skin treated with these products in plastic wrap or other dressings, because covering it increases absorption and the chance of serious side effects.
Can I reapply numbing cream during a tattoo?
You should not. The tattooed skin is broken, and the FDA warns against applying these products to broken skin and for prolonged periods. Reapplying to extend numbness is the pattern its warnings describe.
Is Zensa numbing cream approved for tattoos?
No. Zensa’s FDA drug label lists lidocaine 5% under the monograph for anorectal products, with uses for anorectal discomfort and for pain, soreness and burning. Tattooing is not among its labeled uses.
What are the signs of a reaction to numbing cream?
The FDA names irregular heartbeat, seizures and breathing difficulties as serious risks. Clinical references list earlier warning signs of local anesthetic toxicity, including a metallic taste, numbness around the mouth, dizziness, ringing in the ears, muscle twitching and confusion, and any of them is a reason to stop and seek medical help.