eli5 if tattoo artists numb the area why do people still warn you about how painful the tattoo will be?

Question

eli5 if tattoo artists numb the area why do people still warn you about how painful the tattoo will be?

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Answer 1

Tattoo artists don’t numb the area, at least not with any topical ointments or creams. They might put some alcohol or disinfectant down to help prevent infection, but that’s usually about it. Otherwise any sort of “numbing” comes from your body’s own reaction to the drilling of the needle and sometimes the posturing of the artist themself (since they might be leaning on you in a very uncomfortable way).

edit: Apparently some do. In my experience, *not all* do.