EMLA For Pain Relief During Electrolysis

Over the counter “numbing cream” is effective for minimizing pain during electrolysis provided you use it correctly. EMLA is the one with which I’m most familiar.

The creams is quite pricy so it’s important to you use it properly to get the maximum benefit. Here are some pointers on how to use EMLA:

• You need a tube of EMLA, saran wrap, a tensor bandage and surgical tape. Tegaderm patches are better than plastic wrap and surgical tape but both work.
• Apply a base layer 2-4 hours before your treatment time. The earlier the better though if you want to feel absolutely no pain.
• Once EMLA is applied, cover the area with plastic wrap. Leave a half inch border at the edges as the EMLA will spread to cover that area by the time your treatment begins.
• Wrap tensor bandage around the area so that the plastic wrap stays in place. You can use surgical tape in place of the tensor bandage.
• Reapply in 30min intervals until your appointment time.
• Leave the dressing in place for me to remove.

Getting from home to my office is the tough part here.  It’s a good idea to have several tensor bandages to wrap around to really secure the area while you’re in transit.

EMLA is effective for about 20 minutes after you remove it. That’s why I recommend the strips of plastic. It’s much easier to expose a small area to work on, while still leaving the rest of the area intact. (The Tegaderm patch is ideal for this because you can lift a small corner of the patch but the rest stays relatively air-tight.)

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