A variety of forms of anesthesia can be used for a tattoo and depends on a few factors including the body part being tattooed. The main types include:
Regional anesthesia(nerve blocks / epidurals) – involves freezing entire regions of the body. This minimizes the sensation of the tattoo needle allowing you to be awake and comfortable during your session.
Sedation – involves administering a combination of medications to keep you comfortable during your tattoo session. You may sleep or be awake and drowsy. You are not fully unconscious.
General Anesthesia – involves administering a combination of medications resulting in a state of unconsciousness. This also requires a breathing tube which is used to help you breathe while under anesthetic. This form of anesthesia would not be required for most types of tattoo projects. At this time, we do not offer general anesthesia.
You will have the opportunity to discuss the most appropriate options for you during your consultation with the doctor.
Will I be completely unconscious?
This depends on the type of anesthesia. With IV sedation, you will likely be in a relaxed state and may drift in and out of sleep, but you will typically not be completely unconscious like with general anesthesia. You will still breathe on your own.
Is anesthesia safe?
Anesthesia in Canada is incredibly safe. Your anesthetic is provided by a highly skilled team, including an Anesthesiologist, who is a medical doctor with approximately 10 years of intense training.
Patient safety is our top priority. You are monitored continuously and very closely to ensure you are comfortable and safe during your tattoo procedure.
If you are healthy, anesthesia for a skin procedure, such as tattooing, is considered very safe. You will have the opportunity to discuss this more in depth with your anesthesiologist during your consultation.
Is this the same as numbing cream?
No! Numbing creams use “local anesthetics” as the active ingredient. They are applied topically and work by absorption into the deeper layers of the skin to have the desired effect.
The problem is the skin is very effective as a barrier protection. This means that it is difficult for the creams to absorb and have the desired effect. Translation:
Very slow time from application to desired effect
Patchy results
Short duration of action
Local anesthetics can be highly toxic (potentially life threatening) when taken in excessive quantities. This limits the surface area that a tattoo can be completed pain free.
Many numbing creams on the market are not approved by government bodies which means you do not have any form of quality control. This means you don’t know what’s in the tube.
In contrast, if you are healthy, anesthesia provided by an anesthesiologist is highly effective and very safe at offering a comfortable tattoo experience.
What are the potential risks and side effects of the anesthesia?
As with any medical procedure, there are potential risks and side effects associated with anesthesia. These can include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and dizziness. Regional anesthesia can cause motor weakness of the affected region of your body for the duration of time the medications are working.
More serious complications involving the heart, lungs, or nerves can occur but are extremely rare. You can discuss these in detail during a consultation, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions at that time.
How should I expect to feel AFTER the anesthesia?
Most people feel relaxed and well after anesthesia.
Immediately after, it is common to feel drowsy however, this may be short lived. Other short lived side effects include nausea or dizziness.
Regional anesthesia will result in numbness and motor weakness to the specific region of the body for the duration of action of the medications.
The anesthesiologist will walk you through what to expect and be aware of for your specific situation.
How is the tattoo recovery when using anesthesia VS not?
The recovery from the tattoo is considered the same with and without anesthesia.
Many people have commented that their skin feels better the following day compared to no anesthesia. This is due to the relaxed state of the area during the tattoo session resulting in less muscle and joint pain.
Do I have to use your artists? Can I bring my own artist?
We can collaborate with any artist.
Here at Dr. Sleepy Sleeves we work with world renowned artists that offer a wide range of styles. We can coordinate the project from start to finish.
If you have a question not answered, please drop it below and we will get back to you. We will also review and update this FAQ.
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