I have been getting electrolysis on my upper body for about a year. I usually use LMX 5%, but have been using 4% lately because my electrologist was out of the 5%. I read a thread on here about a Canadian website that sells Tridocaine, which supposedly has 6% Lidocaine. I decided to try it out. I did a test last night where I applied the same amount of cream to two areas on the chest. I covered both with plastic and waited about an hour. It was obvious that the LMX portion had numbed the area far more than the Tridocaine. The Tridocaine felt a slight bit numb but nothing like the LMX. At today’s appointment, I did another test. I applied cream and covered for an hour. I had my electrologist work the area for a couple minutes at the end. Very little difference from no cream at all.
I hate to say it because it is twice the price but stay with the LMX.
I have to agree, I was pointed towards the direction to the Tridocaine. I don’t feel a difference at all. At least with the Lidocaine I actually feel my skin being numb. I notice no numbness with Tridocaine. Don’t know what the deal is.
You say you are getting your upper arms through electrolysis? How is that going? What areas are you doing? I am in my 3rd month of upper body electrolysis (and probably alot more than you) but just wondering how your progress has been through clearances and such?
Things have been going well. I have been going on average of three hours a week for about a year. I am getting my entire upper body, minus forearms, treated. This includes my face as well. It’s pretty grueling having to go so much but I know it will be worth it in the long run.
I started electrolysis after unsuccessful laser treatments. Laser actually induced more hair growth. With such a large area to treat it is really impossible to get everything cleared and then be able to keep it cleared at all times. It seems to work well if you shave an area three or four days before treatment if the hair has grown out quite a bit. This way you know that the hairs being treated are in the growing phase. I have been using LMX 5% for about the last six months. I don’t know how I did without it before. I have noticed a big difference in hair growth. The key with such a large area is frequent and long appointments. This is the only way to tackle a job this size. Good luck!
What kind of electrolysis are you getting done? Microflash or what? Where do you buy your LMX? I’ll have to try that out. Well good luck, you sound like you are a trooper and probably have a larger area than even I do. Hopefully in a year or so we can share our success stories.
I am getting Thermolysis done. (Can’t remember if it’s also Flash or Microflash?) My electrologist is superfast with this method. Sometimes I can count her doing 20 hairs per minute with no tug sensation. I buy my LMX from her. She usually keeps some on hand. You can also buy it from www.texaselectrolysissupply.com It’s expensive but worth it’s weight in gold in my opinion. (Gold may actually cost less!) I don’t know how I did it before without it. I can still remember the hatred going through my mind as I felt the burn repeatedly unassisted. It’s far more tolerable now. The LMX seems to evaporate relatively quickly so make sure you cover the area with saran wrap after applying the LMX. Also try to apply the LMX at least 30 minutes, preferably 45 minutes, before treatment. That extra 15 minutes seems to make a huge difference.
I am treating a large area and it’s a pain most of the time but like you I feel that I don’t have a choice. I can never be happy unless I take care of this now. It will be probably the best investment I have ever made. Multiple long sessions per week, no coffee on treatment days, and way less spending money are all sacrifices we have to make but will pay off in the long run. Keep at it and good luck.
I have been using EMLA generic for a while and have normally had good success. However, yesterday I had to cut my electrolysis session short the pain was so bad. Wondering if the cream was ineffective due to the fact I left the tube in the car overnight last week and the temperature dipped below freezing.
I guess I’ll toss my 2 cents in here. I have tried both LMX 5% and Tridocaine with about equal results. The main thing here is to use it at least 45 minutes prior to a treatment and keep either product covered with Saran wrap or some other non-permeable occlusive to prevent the product from getting wiped off.Of the two products, my electrologist is much happier with the LMX cream as it is easier to remove.
I just did a two-hour session on a client who is using EMLA cream and she’s getting good results with that as well. As she was scheduled for 2 hours, we started off with her lip being cleared and she applied and covered the other areas she wanted treated just before I started the lip.
One thing important here is that the electrologist not take the cream off of an area until it is just ready to be worked and not remove more that can be worked in 15 minutes or so. I do this in stages, leaving the areas to be worked covered and then removing the occlusive and cream from an area just prior to working it.
I think she finished up the two hour session in better shape that I was!
The most important thing here with any of these products is to use them with plenty of time to allow the product to permeate the area to be worked and then only remove the cover and product as an area is ready for treatment. Still though, what works for one individual does not necessarily work well for another. I’ve had good results with both lidocaine and tridocaine, but a girlfriend of mine only gets good results with the lidocaine. Feel free to experiment to find out what works best for you.
