Xanax for Juvederm Lip Injection with out a Nerve Block?

Although there is a subset of my patients who prefer not to have a nerve block a Juvederm/ Restylane injection in the lip, the vast majority of my patients prefer it.  The lip is extremely sensitive and repetitive injections in the area without a nerve block can be exquisitely painful.  At the same time, a nerve block affects sensation and motion of the lips for several hours which is considered undesirable by some of my patients.

Xanax will "take the edge off" prior to lip augmentation with Juvederm but local anesthetic is more effective to reduce pain. Xanax does not reduce pain but rather reduces procedure-related anxiety. This typically involves infraorbital and mental nerve blocks supplemented with topical ice treatment to minimze bruising. This tends to eliminate most discomfort associatied with hyaluronic acid filler lip treatments.Stephen Weber MD, FACS