If you have ever had a tattoo you’ll know that it can be pretty painful. Obviously, this depends on your pain tolerance, how many you’ve had before, where you’re getting it and a variety of other variables. Although I know some who have had their first tattoo on a thin skin are and been fine versus friends who have barely any space left to ink and still nearly pass out every time. If you are the latter, essentially someone who loves having tattoos but maybe doesn’t love getting them, you may have a few ways you manage the pain. Of course, smoking weed is a very common and effective way to deal with pain and discomfort. We know you definitely shouldn’t be drunk or take too many blood-thinning painkillers, but can you smoke weed before you get a tattoo done?
How Does Tattooing Work?
Before we look at our bodies and how they react to tattooing we should learn a little bit about what tattooing is. Creating a tattoo requires ink to be injected into the skin. These days this is usually done with a machine that moves a needle into the skin several hundred times a minute if not more. Each dip of the needle into the skin leaves a drop of ink behind which is what will eventually form the image. Thin linework doesn’t tend to be too painful because the needle is constantly moving and doesn’t go back over the same area. More painful tattoos have lots of small details, shading or blocks of colour as the skin has to deal with a lot more pricking than it would otherwise. These are usually the tattoos that take a long time, require breaks and can cause a pretty exceptional amount of pain. Since the needle has to get relatively deep into the skin there is usually a bit of bleeding with a tattoo.
Booze and Tattooing
Alcohol is a massive no when it comes to getting tattooed. Even the night before most artists will ask you not to drink excessively because it can make the whole process very difficult. Not only are tattoo artists not supposed to tattoo anyone under the influence, but it can make the physical experience more painful and quite dangerous. The problem is that alcohol massively thins the blood, and if you thin your blood before an appointment you are going to bleed a lot more while getting the tattoo. This can make it hard for the artist to work, can make healing difficult and generally makes the process far messier and less hygienic. So if you’re wondering whether or not alcohol will make it hurt less, the answer is probably not and it will cause loads of other issues so please don’t.
Weed and Tattooing
There are quite a lot of tattoo enthusiasts that enjoy a smoke before getting a tattoo. It can work extremely well as a painkiller without being quite as intoxicating as alcohol. As long as the person isn’t stoned out of their mind most tattoo artists won’t mind, but you should always ask beforehand to ensure they consent to tattoo anyone under the influence of a drug.
Most smokers don’t recommend this method of dealing with tattoo pain to beginners. If you aren’t used to weed it can increase your heart rate and heighten your blood pressure. This can lead to a variety of issues like panic attacks, increased pain, and increased blood flow which brings us back to the bleeding everywhere problem we had with booze. However, if you smoke pretty regularly you are unlikely to have any of these reactions. You will also probably have a generally higher tolerance and will know exactly which strain to use.
If you want to smoke before getting inked make sure you are using the right strain. You want something that is often used as a painkiller and ideally doesn’t have a particularly intense effect. The point of smoking beforehand is to reduce the pain rather than getting high. Ideally, you want something CBD heavy so you can basically stay completely sober but won’t feel the tiny hot needle as much. Choosing something too psychoactive could make the whole experience way less pleasant. You also want to be as sober as possible while you are doing the final look over of the design before it goes on your body forever.
If you know what you are doing, know your strains and know your tolerance then smoking before getting a tattoo can be a great idea. Many find it helps them relax more which in turn can help them stay still. If you are scared of tattoos or needles then it can make the entire experience far more enjoyable. In fact, there are a number of people online who swear by smoking before having a tattoo done, some say it even makes that process feel quite nice. If you’re a heavy smoker but have never had a tattoo before maybe get something small while sober to get an idea of how it feels before going for something a bit more intense while a little stoned.
If you are new to weed, new to tattooing, and aren’t sure what kind of strain will be best for you then it might just be better to try sober. The last thing you want is to accidentally increase your anxiety, your sensitivity and your blood flow. Plus if you accidentally get too high you could end up feeling like you’re sitting for hours and hours through slow agonising torture when it’s just a half-hour line piece. You might also make a mistake with the design, miss something important in the care information, or who knows what. I would recommend against it if it’s your first or second tattoo and you don’t usually smoke much.
Personally, I got my spine tattooed yesterday and it felt essentially fine. Despite having a few tattoos and smoking weed regularly enough I would never smoke before getting a tattoo done. Make sure you know what’s best for you.
Newsletter Sign Up
Make sure you never miss another Vault promo – sign up for our newsletter at https://www.cannabis-seeds-store.co.uk/the-vault-newsletter
Remember: It is illegal to germinate cannabis seeds in many countries including the UK. It is our duty to inform you of this fact and to urge you to obey all of your local laws to the letter. The Vault only ever sells or sends out seeds for souvenir, collection or novelty purposes.
Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash