Using topical anaesthetics before providing non-surgical facial aesthetic procedures

Abstract

Topical anaesthetics are used by the majority of aesthetic practitioners before providing non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as injectables, laser and dermal needling. Moreover, today's dermal fillers now come with lidocaine, offering practitioners another option when it comes to pain relief. However, there is still a strong need for topical anaesthesia in practice, meaning that health professionals in aesthetic medicine should update their knowledge and understanding on nerve propagation and modes of action. In this article, the author gives an overview of the classification, pharmacokinetics and toxicity of topical anaesthetics. The author also provides information on the most common products used in aesthetics (e.g. Emla cream and LMX4).