Needle Shock: Yes it’s a Real Thing

June 22nd, 2010 by campblsoupgrl

You know how your tattoo artist always asks if you have eaten before getting a tattoo?  They aren’t asking in case you feel like puking (although that is a good secondary reason to ask), it is because they are trying to prevent a rare tattoo side effect called “needle shock.”
From Flikr

 

According to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing, “needle shock” is defined as the following:

“…a feeling of faintness, chilliness and perhaps slight nausea. Needle shock happens rarely, but when it does, it is most likely to happen in situations in which the patient is very nervous about the needles, is extremely exhausted or fatigued, or is experiencing low blood sugar from not having eaten for a long period of time before the acupuncture treatment.

Needle shock can be disquieting to the patient but is not considered harmful.”

Eating a well-balanced meal before your tattoo or piercing session is one of the best ways to prevent needle shock.  Most of the time there is something sweet for you to chew on at the shop but I wouldn’t count on it.  If you need nearby restaurant recommendations for a pre-tattoo feast, there is no better place to look than a bunch of tattoo artists.

The more you know.

Posted in Piercing, Tattoo

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