Cosmetic treatments continue to advance and become more available to many patients. For many, one of the main obstacles to overcome is the fear of how painful the treatment will be. Powerful numbing creams, like compounded BLT cream, help make the actual treatments much less painful and easier to tolerate. Here we will talk about some of the current cosmetic treatments being done that can be made easier with a compounded numbing cream.
Why are Laser, Light, and RF Devices Painful?
The modern cosmetic treatment devices that are used often use laser, light, or radiofrequency technology. In many cases, the reason these treatments work so well is because they partially damage the epidermis and/or dermis. The damage may help renew skin cells to reduce hyperpigmentation or help stimulate collagen production. In most cases, this leads to some minimal downtime and recovery – although not as significant as plastic surgery. That is why these are called “minimally-invasive” procedures.
When a device is working on the skin it may use very intense heat (like with RF technology), or it may use actual needles that penetrate the skin (like with microneedling). This can cause moderate discomfort or pain that is not always excessively severe, but severe enough to warrant the use of a topical numbing cream. There are many numbing creams available over-the-counter that usually include lidocaine as the main ingredient. For a truly powerful numbing cream, dermatologists will often use the services of a compounding pharmacy.
Numbing Cream and Cosmetic Treatments
Morpheus 8 – This is a radiofrequency microneedling device that penetrates to the deeper layers of the skin. Microneedling and RF treatments are both very popular treatments and Morpheus8 combine them into one. The microneedling helps encourage new collagen production while the RF technology helps tighten the skin. A numbing cream for Morpheus 8 treatments will help reduce the pain of the needles and RF heat.
AccuTite – AccuTite is a radiofrequency contraction device that uses a needle. A numbing cream for AccuTite can help reduce the pain of needle insertion and the discomfort of the movement of the needle. AccuTite is also sometimes referred to as radiofrequency assisted lipolysis because of the way it targets the fatty layer of tissue under the skin.
ActiveFX – The ActiveFX laser is a CO2 laser that is frequently used for pigmentation concerns and sun damage. This treatment has less severe effects on skin peeling than more ablative CO2 lasers. The treatment can still be painful however, and a numbing cream for ActiveFX can make it much more comfortable for the patient.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) – IPL is a popular treatment for a wide range of skin conditions including acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation. There are a variety of devices that use IPL technology. While IPL may not be considered the most painful cosmetic treatment, in most cases a numbing cream will make IPL more tolerable.
Fraxel – The name Fraxel refers to the fractionated laser that it uses. Many modern lasers are fractionated in that they only damage part of the skin. This is compared to other lasers that damage the entire epidermis and dermis in the treatment area. A fractionated laser can help reduce the pain and downtime from treatments. Because it still damages the skin in order to stimulate collagen, a numbing cream for Fraxel treatments is essential.
Botox/Fillers – Botox and fillers are still some of the most common cosmetic treatments that patients ask about. Some patients do not need numbing cream for Botox and fillers. However numbing can make these in-and-out “lunchtime” treatments pain-free. Especially for patients who are needle-phobic, a numbing cream can make these injectable products an attractive introduction into cosmetic treatments.
Getting Patients to Come Back
The professionals who perform cosmetic treatments know that the best results are often obtained after multiple sessions. If the first session is too painful, the patient may not return for the second session. Even if they were told multiple sessions are needed, they may judge the procedure based on the results of their one treatment. A powerful numbing cream can help make even procedures that are somewhat painful relatively painless and easy. The better the experience is for the patient, the more likely they are to return for all of their recommended sessions.
Compounded Numbing Cream
As mentioned, over-the-counter numbing creams are widely available and often contain concentrations of lidocaine under 5%. Many professionals find that this is not sufficient to numb the treatment area for minimally invasive procedures. A compounding pharmacy can make a combination numbing cream that is more powerful than anything available over-the-counter. The most common formulation is called BLT cream and contains benzocaine, lidocaine, and tetracaine in one cream.
Here are a few possible combinations of BLT cream:
| Benzocaine | Lidocaine | Tetracaine | |
| Compound 1 | 20% | 6% | 4% |
| Compound 2 | 20% | 8% | 4% |
| Compound 3 | 20% | 10% | 4% |
| Compound 4 | 0% | 23% | 7% |
The practitioner who is using BLT cream will prescribe the cream for the procedure and have it shipped to their office for the patient’s treatment. The numbing process usually takes about 30 minutes after which the cream is completely removed. If you are a practitioner who is thinking of prescribing BLT cream take a look at these important tips before using it. BLT is a powerful topical and should be used with caution only by a trained practitioner.