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 .
Direct Comparison of EMLA versus Lidocaine for Pain Control in Nd: YAG 1,064 nm Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is an effective therapy for the treatment of hirsutism , hypertrichosis , and pseudofolliculitis barbae . Although side effects are uncommon , pain is described by most patients undergoing long-pulsed neodymium : yttrium-aluminum-garnet ( Nd : YAG ) 1,064 nm laser therapy . objectives To compare the efficacy of topical eutectic mixture of local anesthetics ( EMLA ) versus topical lidocaine ( LMX ) in pain control for Nd : YAG 1,064 nm laser hair removal . Methods Sixty-four patients were enrolled in a double-blind r and omized study over a 6-month period . Each patient had half of the treatment area covered with EMLA and the other half with LMX 30 minutes prior to treatment . Neither was applied under occlusion . Immediately following their treatment session , patients completed a visual analog pain scale . Results There was no statistically significant difference in pain control between EMLA and LMX . However , female test subjects demonstrated lower pain scores than male test subjects . Conclusions Nd : YAG 1,064 nm laser hair removal is a painful procedure . Topical anesthetics have been proven to reduce pain for laser hair removal . There is no statistically significant difference between the two most commonly used topical anesthetics for pain control in laser hair removal . Therefore , cost and minimizing potential side effects should guide the physician in selecting the appropriate anesthetic
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 .