Does Local or Topical Anaesthetic Inhibit the Performance of a Laser?

Question

I see a lot of conflicting information on this. I've read a few academic papers on laser tattoo removal and no information is provided on this. I have a very low tolerance for pain and this could really prevent me from going for laser surgery (might just have an excision instead if it's unbearable) for tattoo removal. So...does a numbing agent prevent the laser from working efficiently? Thanks!

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Anesthetic creams do not affect the outcome of your laser tattoo removal or laser tattoo lightening procedure. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian Los Angeles

Anh-Tuan Truong, MD, FACS · Answer

There are many types of numbing medications used to pre-treat for laser treatments.  In general, the use of topical analgesics like BLT should not decrease the efficacy of a laser tattoo removal procedure.  Lidocaine or other local anesthetics injected underneath the skin may cause some edema which could make the target ink further away from the surface and theoretically could decrease the efficacy of the laser.  In our practice, we apply BLT 20-30min prior to treatment and then completely remove it right before as to not leave any white residue which could potentially obscure the laser beam.  We also use a Zimmer chiller to blast cold air on the treatment area which many patients say helps more than the numbing cream.

Hratch Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

There is no adverse outcome with the use of topical anesthetic and laser tattoo removal. The energy source is delivered into the dermis to clear ink and numbing the superficial layer of the skin does not effect penetration of laser energy.

Jeffrey W. Hall, MD · Answer

Topical anesthetic or “numbing cream” is a great way to reduce the pain
associated with PicoSure&trade; laser tattoo removal.Although it doesn’t totally remove the discomfort, it certainly helps
alleviate it.Once the cream has been in
place for roughly 30 minutes the entire area is thoroughly cleansed.The use of topical anesthetic does not
inhibit the removal process and it has absolutely no bearing on the
effectiveness of the treatment.In fact,
when a patient is comfortable, it allows our RN to take enough time to do a
very thorough treatment.At Hall Plastic
Surgery in Austin, TX we routinely use a cold jet of air throughout the entire
procedure.Most of the time this is
enough to make the treatment quite bearable.However, we also have patients who request numbing cream too and we
certainly are happy to provide it.Pain
for each of us is different and we go to great lengths to ensure our patients
are as comfortable as possible.As with
any medication, contraindications can exist which, for numbing cream, would
include an allergic reaction to one of its ingredients and the size of the area
to be treated.

Does Local or Topical Anaesthetic Inhibit the Performance of a Laser?

Answers (4)

Answer: Topical Anesthetic for laser treatments

Answer: Topical Anesthetic for laser treatments

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Everything you need to know about Tattoo Removal

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Does Local or Topical Anaesthetic Inhibit the Performance of a Laser?

Answers (4)

Answer: Topical Anesthetic for laser treatments

Answer: Topical Anesthetic for laser treatments

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Tattoo Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.