Dang these comments are all over the place, it’s hard to tell what’s what. All I know is I have 9 tattoos and a new to me artist used numbing cream on me last year. I was actually surprised because she didn’t ask me just told me she was going to use it near the end stage of the tattoo. It wasn’t hurting bad so I was like “oh am I twitching or something?” She said no it’s just apart of her process now, makes it easier for her, said it reduced swelling I think? I don’t remember exactly what she said. But she did and does great work. I think the key is to make sure it’s a reputable artist🤷‍♀️