Breaking Down The Ingredients Of A Numbing Cream

Have you ever thought how numbing cream reduce your pain? This is because of the several powerful ingredients given here.

Numbing cream reduces pain and discomforting occurring during tattooing, piercing and other minor surgical incisions. They are topical anesthetics containing numbing agents like lidocaine or benzocaine to dull the pain receptors beneath the skin.

Here is a list of ingredients generally used in a numbing cream. It helps you understand the efficiency and function as well of a numbing cream.

Nerve Deadeners: Nerve deadeners are common ingredient used in numbing cream. Generally, these are the chemicals numbing the nerve endings so that they can’t send pain signals to the brain. However, they don’t have deep penetration, meaning that they can’t keep your skin numb for long tattooing. Many creams mix nerve blocker or vasoconstrictor with nerve deadeners to make numbing cream more effective.

Nerve Blockers: Nerve blockers are similar to nerve deadeners in terms of function. However they are not as effective as nerve deadeners. For example, tetracaine is a nerve blocker which is less effective than lidocaine that is a nerve deadener. Benzocaine also comes in the category of nerve blockers and is widely used for mucous membranes like gums, inside the cheek and anus due to its mild numbing effect.

Vasoconstrictors: Vasoconstrictors like Epinephrine are the category of most powerful numbing ingredients. They dull your nerve endings by constricting your blood vessels which also helps in reduce bleeding. Besides, vasoconstrictors also balance the rate of absorption, making numbing agents to stay longer. This is why they are added to a local anesthetic.

So these are the ingredients used in a numbing cream. These ingredients can be used individually or mixed with each other in a numbing cream.

Uses of a Numbing Cream: As we have told you numbing cream reduces pain and discomfort, they are widely used in the processes like tattooing, piercing, and minor surgeries which may hurt you.

Tattooing: Tattooing can be painful due to the needle’s striking over your skin. So, it is a wise and nice idea to use a numbing cream before the process.

Piercing: Piercing hurts as the needle penetrates your skin in order to make a hole for jewelry. Apply a numbing cream to the area nearly one hour before your piercing session.

Biopsy: Biopsy is the process when a physician takes your skin sample for a microscopic test. A numbing cream is also used to reduce pain.

Waxing and Hair Removal: Most people also use numbing cream to make their hair removal and waxing process less painful.

Laser Treatments: In a laser treatment, an intense ray of laser is thrown at the skin which can be painful. You can also use a numbing cream to ease your pain.

How to Buy a Right Numbing Cream?

Not all numbing creams are fit for every need. The numbing efficiency of the cream depends on the ingredients and percentage of the numbing agents. This is why you should keep the certain things in mind while choosing a numbing cream:

• 5% Lidocaine (if the cream is for tattooing or other intense skin process)
• Good user reviews
• FDA approved
• Ingredients