Hypnosis as Tattoo Pain Relief
By Beth S, M.D.
Hypnosis as pain relief isn't just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. Doctors use it to help patients overcome pain and anxiety, and you can use it yourself to help with the pain of a tattoo.
Tattoos and Pain
Tattooing involves pricking the skin with sharp needles, so it's not surprising that it hurts. Not everyone has the same reaction to tattooing pain, though. Some say it feels like vibration, with only minimal discomfort. Others describe a burning sensation that hurts but is bearable. Some find tattooing so painful that they ask the artist to stop.There many ways of dealing with tattoo pain. Purists choose to embrace it as an integral part of the experience, while others prefer to avoid it as much as possible. Choosing a less sensitive part of the body and taking acetaminophen before the tattoo are ways some people lessen the discomfort. For some people, self-hypnosis is another option for pain control.
Hypnosis and Modern Medicine
Hypnosis has been around for thousands of years. The rituals of many ancient cultures involve "trance" states that resemble hypnosis. In recent years, doctors have begun to study how hypnosis might be used in modern medical practice. Research suggests that hypnosis can help with wound healing, ease the pain of childbirth, lessen headaches, and even help with hay fever. It's also been used to help people calm down before surgery.
Why It Works
There's nothing magic about hypnosis. It's simply a state of relaxation. It may help with pain control because of a connection between emotions and pain sensation. Negative emotions such as fear and anxiety seem to increase pain, and good emotions appear to help.
Hypnosis may also work because a person is more open to suggestion when the mind and body are relaxed. In the case of hypnosis as pain relief, the "suggestion" is that there is no pain. When hypnosis is successful, the relaxed mind disregards pain signals coming from the body.
A third explanation is that hypnosis is simply a distraction. It's easy to ignore your surroundings when you're deeply involved in an activity. For example, it's possible to be concentrating so hard on a video game that you don't hear someone talking to you. Maybe you've been so engrossed in a book that you didn't realize the sun had set and the room was getting dark until someone switched on the lights for you. Self-hypnosis creates a similar state of mind; when you're concentrating on something else, it's easier to handle pain.
Trying Hypnosis as Pain Relief
One medical textbook compares a hypnotic trance to a daydream. In a daydream, you're concentrating on something outside your current reality. You can get so involved in the dream that you forget where you are and don't notice what's happening around you. To use hypnosis as pain relief, you'll create your own intentional daydream.
What to Do
You can start planning your self-hypnosis before you arrive for your tattoo. Begin thinking about a favorite place or activity. Choose something that's comforting and relaxing, someplace you feel safe. Think about what the place looks like, about the sounds and smells, and even about smaller details like the air temperature and the things you might touch.
Before your tattooist begins working, tell him/her that you'll be trying hypnosis as pain relief. Some artists enjoy chatting with clients, and if you don't reply it might seem rude. You also don't want the artist to worry if it takes a moment to get your attention.
Begin your "daydream" before the first needles touch your skin. Get comfortable and try to relax your body, concentrating on feet, then legs, then stomach, and so on until every muscle is relaxed. Now begin to imagine yourself at that favorite place. What are you wearing? What do you see? What do you hear, smell, and feel? Just like in a daydream, you can imagine activities or simply picture yourself relaxing without a care in the world. While you're your daydream trance, you just might find that you barely notice the pain of your tattoo.
For more suggestions on using hypnosis for pain control, check out the LoveToKnow articles on Controlling the Pain and Self-hypnosis.
By Beth S, M.D.
Hypnosis as pain relief isn't just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. Doctors use it to help patients overcome pain and anxiety, and you can use it yourself to help with the pain of a tattoo.
Tattoos and Pain
Tattooing involves pricking the skin with sharp needles, so it's not surprising that it hurts. Not everyone has the same reaction to tattooing pain, though. Some say it feels like vibration, with only minimal discomfort. Others describe a burning sensation that hurts but is bearable. Some find tattooing so painful that they ask the artist to stop.There many ways of dealing with tattoo pain. Purists choose to embrace it as an integral part of the experience, while others prefer to avoid it as much as possible. Choosing a less sensitive part of the body and taking acetaminophen before the tattoo are ways some people lessen the discomfort. For some people, self-hypnosis is another option for pain control.
Hypnosis and Modern Medicine
Hypnosis has been around for thousands of years. The rituals of many ancient cultures involve "trance" states that resemble hypnosis. In recent years, doctors have begun to study how hypnosis might be used in modern medical practice. Research suggests that hypnosis can help with wound healing, ease the pain of childbirth, lessen headaches, and even help with hay fever. It's also been used to help people calm down before surgery.
Why It Works
There's nothing magic about hypnosis. It's simply a state of relaxation. It may help with pain control because of a connection between emotions and pain sensation. Negative emotions such as fear and anxiety seem to increase pain, and good emotions appear to help.
Hypnosis may also work because a person is more open to suggestion when the mind and body are relaxed. In the case of hypnosis as pain relief, the "suggestion" is that there is no pain. When hypnosis is successful, the relaxed mind disregards pain signals coming from the body.
A third explanation is that hypnosis is simply a distraction. It's easy to ignore your surroundings when you're deeply involved in an activity. For example, it's possible to be concentrating so hard on a video game that you don't hear someone talking to you. Maybe you've been so engrossed in a book that you didn't realize the sun had set and the room was getting dark until someone switched on the lights for you. Self-hypnosis creates a similar state of mind; when you're concentrating on something else, it's easier to handle pain.
Trying Hypnosis as Pain Relief
One medical textbook compares a hypnotic trance to a daydream. In a daydream, you're concentrating on something outside your current reality. You can get so involved in the dream that you forget where you are and don't notice what's happening around you. To use hypnosis as pain relief, you'll create your own intentional daydream.
What to Do
You can start planning your self-hypnosis before you arrive for your tattoo. Begin thinking about a favorite place or activity. Choose something that's comforting and relaxing, someplace you feel safe. Think about what the place looks like, about the sounds and smells, and even about smaller details like the air temperature and the things you might touch.
Before your tattooist begins working, tell him/her that you'll be trying hypnosis as pain relief. Some artists enjoy chatting with clients, and if you don't reply it might seem rude. You also don't want the artist to worry if it takes a moment to get your attention.
Begin your "daydream" before the first needles touch your skin. Get comfortable and try to relax your body, concentrating on feet, then legs, then stomach, and so on until every muscle is relaxed. Now begin to imagine yourself at that favorite place. What are you wearing? What do you see? What do you hear, smell, and feel? Just like in a daydream, you can imagine activities or simply picture yourself relaxing without a care in the world. While you're your daydream trance, you just might find that you barely notice the pain of your tattoo.
For more suggestions on using hypnosis for pain control, check out the LoveToKnow articles on Controlling the Pain and Self-hypnosis.
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