CBD For Tattoos

If you’re considering getting a tattoo or just inked, read this! You know they can hurt if you’ve ever had a tattoo. Lingering symptoms include skin rashes, burning pain, and more.

While we know it’ll hurt, CBD is here to help ease the pain both before and after your tattoo experience. In this post, we’ll cover how CBD helps with the most common complaints about getting a tattoo, including:

• Itchiness
• Skin rash
• Redness
• Inflammation
• Sores
• Muscle pain

Getting Inked: How It Works

Tattoos go back thousands of years. Some of the earliest human remains have tattoo markings emblazoned on their skin - often noting spiritual elements. Just like our ancestors, tattoos are permanent markings on your skin’s top layer and are created through ink and a sharp needle. 

Today’s tattoo artists use a tattoo gun, which works in much the same way a sewing machine does. The gun will penetrate the skin with ink to make the desired markings and take the overall shape, usually several hours for larger tattoos. During this process, you may experience painful symptoms and bleeding.

While everyone’s pain threshold is different, you can eliminate many symptoms by taking a few steps beforehand, such as:

• Taking ibuprofen or aspirin (not always recommended)
• Showing up well-rested
• Drinking some fluids with electrolytes
• Distracting your mind with TV or a book

How CBD Works 

Apart from some tips on what to do to eliminate the pain of getting inked, CBD may be one of the best, all-natural ways to find relief. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of over 100 compounds found in Cannabis sativa. The two primary components found in Cannabis are CBD and THC (Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol). Unlike THC, however, CBD is not psychoactive - meaning you won’t get high from using it. 

 CBD works by interacting with our endogenous cannabinoid system, or ECS, to provide therapeutic relief and decrease inflammation. The ECS is one of the most important biological systems in our body, responsible for almost every physiological response - including the brain, organs, glands, and immune response.

When ingested, CBD, along with cannabis’s other 100 plus properties, works on our ECS and sends signals to our nervous system, immune system, and throughout our body to improve bodily response to a range of conditions, such as those experienced by getting a tattoo.

CBD Tattoo Benefits

CBD helps the tattoo process, before, during, and after, in several ways. Improved stress response, pain management, and relaxation are just a few of the benefits of taking CBD or using a CBD lotion. Other benefits include:

Anxiety

Sometimes, the bark may be worse than the bite. If you’re prone to anxiety, this can be especially true. If you’ve worked yourself into a frenzy before the needles hit your skin, CBD can help alleviate stress. In 2015, researchers showed CBD conclusively reduced anxiety disorders, including PTSD. Scientists also determined there “were minimal side effects and an excellent safety profile.”

Pain

In 2012, scientists noted that glycine receptors target cannabinoids in the central nervous system. When rat models were treated with CBD, researchers discovered they showed a significant reduction in neuropathic pain by targeting glycine receptors.

Anti-Inflammatory

While getting tattooed, you might also experience skin trauma and some shock, leading to inflammation. While NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can be helpful, they can cause unwanted side effects. A better option may be CBD, as it’s all-natural and doesn’t cause stomach bleeding or ulcers. In 2020, researchers showed that CBD might help fight inflammation.

Natural Antiseptic

Cannabinoids contain powerful antimicrobial properties. This can be especially comforting in a world that’s fast approaching antibiotic resistance. In 2020, scientists released a report that stated several cannabinoids showed potent antimicrobial effects against Gram-positive pathogens such as MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant staph infection. They also reported CBD’s ability to eradicate biofilms, offering hope for thousands.

CBD for Pre-Tattoo

Before you get inked, you’ll want to prepare yourself for the side effects, especially if you’re nervous. Start a CBD regimen three weeks before your visit to maximize the healing process. This will give your body enough time to build up the internal cannabinoids present in your system when activated by CBD.

Stay away from aspirin or other NSAIDs, which can cause bleeding. The first week, start with 2mg of CBD per day and work your way up to 5mg a day by your third week. Apart from promoting faster healing, this “build-up” in your ECS will help alleviate pain, anxiety, and skin responses.

CBD for Post-Tattoo

After your tattoo, you’ll probably notice some discharge around the ink and redness and irritation. Some report it feeling like a bad sunburn. You’ll want to keep the area clean for the first few days by applying soap and water. You can increase your CBD dose during the first three days after your tattoo to ease the symptoms.

After a week, start adding a CBD lotion to the area. Start with a dime-sized application and work your way up to a quarter-sized, depending on the severity of your symptoms. Our CBD lotion provides joint and muscle pain and helps pain from bruising. 

Long-Term Tattoo Care and CBD

Most of the tenderness should be gone after three weeks, especially if you’ve been using CBD regularly. After twelve weeks, all of the ink will have absorbed into your skin pigmentation, and it will appear in its intended, most colorful form.

You feel great and look great, so why stop now? CBD offers many more benefits besides comfort during your tattoo process. Keep using CBD lotion and salve for healthy skin. CBD lotion will also help keep your tattoo’s lines from shading or blurring. Also, consider sunscreen when going outside, as UV rays can damage your tattoo.

Where To Buy CBD?

Always consider the source of your CBD. Eden’s Herbals extracts all of our CBD from American-made organic hemp free of pesticides and harmful solvents. We also certify all of our CBD in a lab-tested facility that ensures our products are either THC-Free or contain the optimal THC levels for our Full-Spectrum oils.

If you want to learn more about CBD for tattoos, contact Eden’s Herbals at [email protected] today!

*These statements have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any illness. Medical advice should be taken from a medical professional.

All of the articles on this site are written by 3rd party content providers, expert bloggers or doctors not directly affiliated with Eden’s Herbals.

Individuals should learn the risks and side effects prior to taking CBD. Make sure to always check with a medical professional before starting any new CBD treatment or medication that is not FDA approved.