Reverie Tattoo Anesthesia
Frequently asked
questions.
Clear answers about comfort, clinical care, treatment planning, and what to expect on the day of your tattoo.
The Experience
What it feels like.
No. Reverie uses local anesthesia for the treatment area, so you remain awake, alert, and able to communicate with your artist throughout the tattoo session.
No. Reverie provides local anesthesia rather than sedation. You remain awake and alert throughout the process and are not intentionally given medications to make you sleepy or impaired.
There is some brief discomfort while the local anesthetic is administered. Most people describe pressure, pinching, or a short burning sensation during injection. Once the medication takes effect, the treated area becomes significantly numb.
The duration varies depending on the treatment area, the amount and type of local anesthetic used, and individual factors. Depending on the care plan, numbness may last up to eight hours. The dose and anesthetic plan are tailored to the client’s needs, but no fixed duration can be promised.
You may notice a tingling sensation as feeling gradually returns to the treated area.
Session length depends on your artist, the treatment area, medication dosing limits, and your individual clinical assessment.
Reverie uses prescription local anesthetic medications commonly used in medical practice to temporarily block pain sensation in the treated skin. The specific medication and amount are selected based on your treatment area, health history, and clinical assessment.
Safety & Eligibility
A plan built around you.
Local anesthetics have been used extensively in medical care for decades. Like any medication, they have potential risks and dose limits. Reverie reviews your health history, calculates medication dosing for each treatment, monitors you clinically, and maintains appropriate emergency equipment and medications.
Not every tattoo placement, treatment area, or health profile is appropriate for local anesthesia. Reverie evaluates each plan individually before treatment.
Yes. Local anesthetics have maximum safe dosing limits, so the amount of skin that can be treated at one time depends on factors including your weight, treatment location, and the anesthetic being used. Reverie determines the appropriate treatment area during clinical review.
That does not necessarily mean you cannot use Reverie. Reverie and your artist can identify the areas expected to be most uncomfortable, or the tattoo may be divided into multiple sessions so each treatment remains within appropriate medication limits.
Potentially. Multiple areas may be treated as long as the total amount of local anesthetic remains within safe clinical limits. Reverie evaluates this individually.
Injection can cause temporary swelling in the treated area. As the local anesthetic is absorbed, that swelling generally subsides within minutes. The medications do not interfere with ink placement. An additive in the local anesthetic can reduce bleeding, and improved comfort may make it easier for a client to remain still while the artist works.
Local anesthesia does not change the tattoo-healing process. Keep the tattooed area clean and follow the aftercare instructions provided by your tattoo artist or studio.
Reverie coordinates with the artist so the local anesthetic is administered before tattooing begins and timed around the planned session. The goal is to make effective use of the expected duration, but the exact response and duration vary by client and care plan.
Certain medical conditions, medications, allergies, or findings during your clinical assessment may make local anesthesia inappropriate. Every client completes a confidential health history that is reviewed before treatment. Final eligibility is determined clinically.
Ian Lindsey, CRNA, personally administers your local anesthetic and oversees your care throughout the numbing process. He is an advanced practice anesthesia professional with specialized training in anesthesia and pain management.
Planning Your Appointment
Your artist. Your studio.
Tattoos at or below 10 square inches cost $250 with no added pricing margin. For tattoos above 10 square inches, a quarter-inch clinical margin is added around every side, adding 0.5 inch to both the entered width and height. Pricing then uses the resulting numbed area, with each square inch above 10 adding $20. After your health-history form has been completed and reviewed and anesthesia care has been approved, a $100 non-refundable deposit is due to confirm the appointment. Open the pricing estimator →
Yes. Reverie can provide the service at select Iowa studios when the appointment setup meets Reverie's care and safety standards.
No. Reverie comes to Iowa tattoo studios that have agreed to offer the service. Your anesthesia care is coordinated around your tattoo appointment, so you remain with your artist rather than traveling to a separate clinic.
Still Curious?
Have more questions?
Tell us what you are planning, and Reverie will help you understand the next step.
Contact Reverie →