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!
January 27, 2015
Answer: Topical Anesthetic for laser treatments Topical anesthetic or “numbing cream” is a great way to reduce the pain associated with PicoSure™ 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.
Helpful
January 27, 2015
Answer: Topical Anesthetic for laser treatments Topical anesthetic or “numbing cream” is a great way to reduce the pain associated with PicoSure™ 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.
Helpful