What about anaesthetics?
You will hear some people saying that taking some analgesics before tattooing will take the pain away.
The recommended drug for this is : Acetaminophen. What you should avoid are aspirin, other NSAIDs and of course ibuprofen. These drugs will inhibit the clotting process. To sum the above you will bleed very much if you take the drugs.
There are anaesthetics that will help take the pain away. As an example, Bactine has lidocaine, in most tattoo shops you can buy benzocaine preparations.
These drugs do not work well on: unbroken skin. You will have to apply it after your skin is pierced by the first needles. It will make a big difference.
Another good drug that also works on the unbroken skin is EMLA, however it is not available in U.S.A.