In general , active non-invasive anaesthetic methods seemed to provide favourable results compared to placebo or no anaesthesia , and topical anaesthetic drugs and PSF seemed to result in a better pain reduction than skin cooling .
However , the current evidence is insufficient to provide recommendations for daily clinical practice .
Future studies should also evaluate sex differences in pain perception , have uniformity with regard to vali date d pain measurement scales and address clinical ly significant differences in pain reduction besides statistically significant differences
Pain is a common side-effect of dermatological laser procedures .
Non-invasive anaesthetic drugs and anaesthetic procedures can be used to provide pain relief and increase patient satisfaction and treatment efficacy .
However , it remains unclear which method provides the best pain relief .
The objective of this systematic review was therefore to assess the efficacy and safety of non-invasive anaesthetic methods during dermatological laser procedures .
A clinical comparison of topical piroxicam and EMLA cream for pain relief and inflammation in laser hair removal
The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of topical piroxicam and EMLA cream on pain control and subsequent inflammation in neodymium : yttrium – aluminum – garnet ( Nd : YAG ) 1,064 nm laser hair removal in female volunteers . Fifty female volunteers were enrolled in this prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , clinical study over a 6-month period . Patients were r and omly assigned to receive topical piroxicam as group Piroxicam or EMLA cream as group EMLA . Topical analgesics were applied to the treatment sites for 60 min . The pain scores [ on a visual analog scale ( VAS ) ] and side effects were recorded before the hair removal , during the hair removal , at the end of the hair removal , and 1 h , 2 h and 24 h after the hair removal . Patients ’ characteristics and the treatment setting s of the Nd : YAG 1,064 nm laser were similar in the two groups . The pain scores ( VAS ) were similar , and satisfaction was high in both groups after the hair removal . The number of blanching and erythema episodes were significantly higher in group E than in group P ( P < 0.001 ) . Inflammatory side effects were less frequent in group P than in group E after the procedure ( P < 0.001 ) . This study showed that topical piroxicam and EMLA provided adequate and similar pain relief after Nd : YAG 1,064 nm laser hair removal in female volunteers . Topical piroxicam was associated with fewer inflammatory side effects than was EMLA cream , because of its anti-inflammatory effect after the procedure
In general , active non-invasive anaesthetic methods seemed to provide favourable results compared to placebo or no anaesthesia , and topical anaesthetic drugs and PSF seemed to result in a better pain reduction than skin cooling .
However , the current evidence is insufficient to provide recommendations for daily clinical practice .
Future studies should also evaluate sex differences in pain perception , have uniformity with regard to vali date d pain measurement scales and address clinical ly significant differences in pain reduction besides statistically significant differences
Pain is a common side-effect of dermatological laser procedures .
Non-invasive anaesthetic drugs and anaesthetic procedures can be used to provide pain relief and increase patient satisfaction and treatment efficacy .
However , it remains unclear which method provides the best pain relief .
The objective of this systematic review was therefore to assess the efficacy and safety of non-invasive anaesthetic methods during dermatological laser procedures .