I start my treatments with Ideal Image on April 2nd. I’m getting my back, shoulders, and back of neck done. They recommended I get numbing cream for the back of my neck. The cost was $37. I didn’t ask what kind it was. Is numbing cream something I can buy myself, or should I just use what they sell?
That price sounds normal. You can buy L.M.X. at electrolysis supply websites like Prestige and Texas Electrolysis Supply. You can buy EMLA through an online Canandian pharmacy, whereas you need a prescription in the U.S. Just start googling. I would get lidocaine 5% and use it correctly for best results. Consult with your laser place about what they sell as far as ingredients. I’m thinking that they are using lidocaine combinations as well.
Definitely ask what’s in the cream they are selling you. One med spa in NC was selling a cream that they were having specially compounded, which turned out to be lethal.
You may want to try it without the cream first and see how it goes. You may be able to handle it without one. The most painful areas are usually those with the mose coarse and dense hair. Is that the case on your neck?
As lagril said, it may be a good idea to try it without first.
I had dark, coarse hair on the back of my neck and found that I could manage the pain (with GentleLASE 18J 18mm) as well as down the top of the shoulders and everywhere else on my back. It’s not that bad really, the only place I really found myself gritting my teeth was around the chest bone, but that was manageable as well.
Regards,
Benji
I never used a cream during all of my LHR as I initially wanted to feel the treatment and know that it was working and also felt it necessary to know if I was getting over-treated (burned). It wasn’t so bad painwise, and the cost was high, so I never tried it.
Now, I am getting electrolysis and the treatments are 2 hours and so I have tried it (after having several hours w/o it). I bought an OTC medication at CVS called “Bacitracin + Pain Relief”, which is a first aid ointment with Lidocaine 4% w/w. The (Dallas) price was about $5 for 0.5 oz so the cost is not very high compared to many of the brands typically suggested. That amount of Lidocaine in an OTC is also fairly good, yet hopefully safe for most uses.
I think it helped as I have used it three times now and also have applied it to just half of my skin (full braz) for one treatment and noticed some difference with less pain in the areas with the Lidocaine, although it isn’t painless…
Thanks for all the responses. No the back of my neck isn’t the most coarse. I guess I will just try it without the numbing cream.