My tattoos are anything from 4 - 15 years old and the hydrating lotion makes them look sharp. I recommend the lotion. As far as the numbing cream, Ive never used a numbing cream before, however, I'm about to have an extensive commerative piece on my forearm soon and thought I would try it. I did patch test to make sure I was not allergic to it, which I am not. I found the area became slightly numb, but it's not what I was expecting. I hope I have better results during the session.