How to Minimize Pain During Laser Hair Removal?

A numbing cream can be applied before your treatment to reduce discomfort. You can also take something orally. 

An easy way to reduce discomfort is to apply cold packs to the area prior to treating it. Many lasers also have built in devices to increase comfort during the procedure such as a chilled tip or a zimmer cooler that blows cold air onto the skin. Another alternative is to apply an anesthetic numbing cream (only recommended for small areas and on intact skin. Do not apply to mucous membranes) at least 20 minutes prior to your procedure.

Hope this helps.

The Lightsheer Duet laser that we use in our office is less painful than any other lasers on the marker and most of our patients do not need numbing cream or icing prior to the procedure. Most topical anesthetics take 45 minutes to an hour to numb the skin and are not recommended to be applied on large areas. Patient’s safety is most important and choosing a laser that is tolerable without any numbing creams might be a better option.

In our office we use a cold air machine attached to our Cynosure Elite Laser.  In most cases, the very effectively lessens any pain from the laser.  Additionally, with this laser, the treatments are very fast, so the process is over very quickly.  We also offer topical anesthetics prior to treatment for very sensitive patients.  Our goal is to make the process very comfortable for the patient.

 

Good Luck.

Everyone will have a different threshold for pain when getting treated. Cold air or numbing cream are options to consider.

While everyone's pain tolerance is different, the majority of clients in my Raleigh, NC plastic surgery medical spa and laser center do not think it is painful. Our patients report that treatment with our lasers is much more comfortable than other lasers and far more comfortable than waxing. Our lasers, yag lasers for hair removal, and an alexandrite laser are equipped with a DCD (Dynamic Cooling Device) that makes the treatment both comfortable and safer to the skin than other lasers. Before every laser pulse, a cryogen (cooling agent) is automatically sprayed onto the skin within the laser field that protects and partially numbs that area. This makes the treatment safer and more comfortable. Because the lasers we use have a very large (18mm) spot size, treatments are very quick. Any discomfort one experiences is over very quickly.

Tips to improve comfort during laser hair removal:


Shave two days before treatment

Use a commercially available prescription numbing cream.

Avoid 'homemade' topical numbing creams sold in medi-spas.

Have a doctor perform the laser hair removal treatment.

We recommend two ways to minimize the pain of the laser during laser hair removal. The first is to apply a topic anesthetic cream and leave it on at least 45 minutes prior to the treatment. The other thing that we do is use a high powered cooling machine like an air conditioner to blow cold air on the area as treatment is taking place. You might want to ask your provider if they have a chiller available for the treatments. That is the best way to do it. I hope this information helps.

There are several ways to minimize pain during laser hair removal treatments:

Numbing cream before treatment.
Aspirin, Tylenol or other over the counter pain medication.
Proper colling with the laser (most use a chilled cooling window).
Icing before, during or after treatment.
Air cooling with Zimmer chiller before, during or after treatment.

During the consultation with your practitioner, let them know you experienced an uncomfortable sensation during your past treatment. They can indicate you to take an analgesic previous to your treatment or apply a topical anesthetic on the treated area to reduce the pain. Some laser machines have integrated cooling systems that blow cool air into the skin to offer a better experience. Also, cooling spray or ice can be applied during or before the treatment to avoid or minimize pain. Laser hair removal doesn’t have to be a painful treatment; there is always something your practitioner can do to make it more comfortable; mention during your consultation that pain is a concern.