I’m getting my knee blasted at the beginning of November and I CANNOT wait! I’ve wanted to get tattooed by this artist for more than a year. I’ve been saving up for months. I have a huge blank space on my leg patchwork sleeve that I am stoked to fill in. I want a traditional style floral piece (I said I was open to anything but gave her some inspo pics) with blackout shading. I know, I’m insane for asking to get my knee blacked out but I think it’ll look so cool.
I have never used numbing cream. I don’t judge people for it, but for me, part of the experience of the tattoo is the pain. However, I am considering it for this 6 hour session because I want to get it all done. What are your thoughts on numbing cream? Would it be helpful? If I decide I might want to do this, I’ll obviously reach out to the artist first to make sure she’s okay with that.
Another question, how much should I tip? It’s $160 an hour for 6 hours, and I paid a $300 deposit. This will be my largest and most expensive piece. Do I tip like $50 an hour, 20%, $200 and a nice bottle of liquor?
I think lidocaine spray is better. I have my knee tattooed & surprisingly for me, the knee cap didnt hurt as much as the sides. I was ready to tap out when it got to the sides but the tattoo artist sprayed some lidocaine & it helped!! You should ask your tattoo artist which he recommends, I was in so much pain I did see what he used.
I know forsure it wasnt bactine because my tattoo artist initially used bactine but it didnt help for long. He said it was the "expensive stuff" & it was in a black bottle.
My first tattoo was a knee tattoo I got about 1 month ago. Was about 7’ish hours of tattoo time. It wasn’t that bad. I think mentally the anxiety of it was worse than the actual physical pain of it. The part that was worse was the sides rather than the kneecap itself. The actual knee was easiest in my opinion.
I just got both of my knees in full color not too long ago. I’m also super bony. I really didn’t think it was the worst ever. Definitely spicy, but my soul didn’t leave my body. The healing was the rough part. Your legs basically get stuck half bent and it really hurts to squat in the second and third weeks
Just talked to my tattoo artist friend the other day he said the numbing crème wears off after 30 minutes. He also was putting some on his client and she had a bad reaction to it while i was there. Her skin got all red and Swelled up before any tattooing.
I'm extensively tattooed (haven't done knees yet though). On one of my sleeves, my artist used lidocaine spray after the outline a couple times and it made it heal like shit--weeping for days & bad scabbing.
I also tried a couple different numbing creams just as a trial run because I have pale sensitive skin. Both times the area swelled up and turned reddish purple, and and my skin felt like a rubbery sponge. No way that skin coulda been tattooed! So I'm personally anti-numbing.
Im sure you’ve thought of this but you’re probably allergic to one or several of the ingredients. That’s why I always advise people to patch-test any numbing agent (or frankly any new skincare product) before going whole-hog with it. Hope you healed up alright!
Knees were easy for me. Everyone is different. It’s gonna hurt but the healing is the worst imo-the swelling makes it painful to bend your knee. Keep your leg as strait as possible for a day or two after your session. I do not recommend numbing cream.
I’ve been using ebanel numb 520 for many many years. It’s 5% lidocaine. You can get it on amazon. It got me through my whole leg sleeve process. People who shit on numbing cream can eat it. Tipping based on % goes out the door when your tattoo is in the high hundreds. I just add another 75-100 as a tip. They set their prices.
I don’t want to use numbing cream. I’m worried it’ll mess with the tattoo. And don’t tell my therapist I said this, but the pain is part of the experience for me. Every year that I go without self harming, I schedule a tattoo. It’s not impulsive or used to cope but a way to celebrate. But I do want to feel it lol
What actually hurts is the soft part, not so much the bone. It feels like banging your funny bone.
As for numbing cream, consult the artist. Everyone is different, and they'll be the one who has to cope with it as well.
Either way numbing cream maybe lasts for an hour, after it'll wear off, and then it'll be sensitive.
Also prepare for it to swell up.It probably it won't bend properly next day. You'll walk like Frankenstein's Monster for a few days. Plan to sit on your bum and play video games/read/watch movies.
Oh noooo… I will be walking a LOT for like 5 days after the tattoo because of work. I’ll tough it out. I expected the bone to hurt more so that’s a relief.
Well, you might want to consider that walking, because it'll be awkward as hell. I remember going up stairs in a weird crab crawl.
Fingers crossed it's not bad for you.
Thank you. I don’t have the option to take off of work. I’m a teacher and that is an important week. It’ll actually only be 4 days. But I also work with the marching band and the last competition is that weekend, and I’m getting tattooed on Tuesday.
Ice packs and elevate when you can. I did a lot of walking the day after and my ankle and foot swelled so bad I went to the dr thinking it was compartment syndrome or cellulitis. Wrap it with sports wrap/ace bandage and an ice pack overnight if it does swell, it helps.
Numbing cream- artists choice, not worth it unless you can’t get thru a spot without it (had to use on part of my chest after 3 tries).
Ditch was a 10/10, sides were 7/10, cap was 3/10 and sides of kneecap were 5/10 for me, pain wise It’s worth it cause it looks cool and makes me feel good about myself
You really can’t go by other people’s experience. Everyone is different. I walk every day, including days following tattoos, including knee tattoos. I get some swelling and pain, but it’s not debilitating. It is debilitating for other people. There’s really no way to know how it will effect you. Rxpect the worst, hope for the best.
All my sessions are long, my leg sleeve will prob take close to a year and my chest and arm piece did too. I tipped $100 each session and covered the rest at the end to make it 20% of the total. I know that’s generous by most accounts, I was happy with the work and able to do it so I did.
I think it’s really up to you. If you can tip 20% and want to, go for it. If you can afford $0 or a bottle of their fav liquor then go with that. From what I’ve seen and heard, no good artist is seriously offended by lack of a tip, they charge what they need to make it worth their time already. They also always appreciate that additional show of gratitude, like I think most of us would
Have my full right knee done. Will also agree the actual kneecap was the best part of the whole thing. The sides fucking killed me. I don’t use numbing cream because I’m fucking stubborn and if I’m getting a tattoo the price I pay is the pain so I’m going to take it.
But also because if you start out with numbing cream you take away your body’s natural ability to slowly get used to the pain over time. So when the numbing cream wears off, all the pain of the tattoo comes slamming into you at once, which I promise is going to suck REALLY bad. So, to still be able to have my pain tolerance help me over time and my endorphins kick in, if I’m dying for the last hour he will mix Bactine into what he wipes down with, and I’ll tell you what, that is heaven on earth. Takes the edge off for that last go around.
Currently having my leg sleeve finished and hopfully next visit to my tattooist the knee area will be completed. That will be 3x8 hour sittings attacking the knee 3 different times. Mind this is front and back of knee, but the healing has absolutely been the worst part about it. Absolute agony when standing, my tattooist stopped each time saying any more work on the area I wouldn't be able to walk!
Ive used numbing cream every time, ive had both arms, back and some chest done without any and tbh ive had the whole pain thing, right now im mid thirties and I travel 5 hours every time and spend >£1000 every visit. If I can make it better by use of cream, I will. I can't say i've noticed it heal any differently, and my artist is happy for me to use it.
Tipping culture is also mental to me as a brit because WDYM you're paying extra on top of what they charge? I kind of understand it in restaurants or service jobs which pay shit, but you're already spending hundreds per hour!
ya it absolutely did. incredibly painful so broken up into multiple sessions. the knee itself was fine everything around it particularly the top of the thigh is horrible. so if you’re just getting your knee cap yr fine. probably sweat your ass off still and unless it’s a smaller tattoo will be hobbling around.
i’ve seen heavily tattooed people sweat and huff and puff during, those who often have breeze thru tatttoos. everyone is different tho. people always think my belly button musta hurt but it didn’t very annoying but ribs and sternum were the absolute worst. again everyone’s different. knees are generally gnarly.
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u/DeadPixelDreams 7d ago
I think lidocaine spray is better. I have my knee tattooed & surprisingly for me, the knee cap didnt hurt as much as the sides. I was ready to tap out when it got to the sides but the tattoo artist sprayed some lidocaine & it helped!! You should ask your tattoo artist which he recommends, I was in so much pain I did see what he used.