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Pain Relief Options for Dermal Fillers

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When used correctly, dermal fillers and other injectables have the power to change your appearance for the better. In a lot of cases, the pain that comes with them is minimal. However, this can vary from person to person and can depend on the injection site. If pain relief is something you're worried about, you may want to learn more about the options available to you.

Paracetamol

Over-the-counter pain relief is accessible and easy for you to control. Paracetamol is your safest bet. Try taking the dose recommended on the packet around half an hour before your filler appointment so that it has a chance to become effective. If the pain continues after your treatment, you can take it at the intervals stated on the back of the packet until it gets better. Avoid taking medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin. While they may treat the pain effectively, they can thin your blood and may impact the distribution of your injectable and any healing processes that follow. If you're already taking medication, discuss your pain relief options with a doctor.

Numbing Cream

Topical numbing creams usually contain ingredients such as lidocaine. The person providing your fillers can apply topical lidocaine to the area, and it should start to numb within 30 minutes to one hour. Once it's effective, lidocaine will disrupt some of the pain signals produced by injecting and stop them from travelling to your brain. Depending on your practitioner, they may factor the lidocaine application into your appointment time. Some prefer to give you the lidocaine to apply at home, though. If that's the case, make sure you don't apply it too early, as doing so can limit its efficacy when the injections take place.

Local Anaesthetic

An alternative to numbing creams is an injectable local anaesthetic. Again, this usually involves the use of lidocaine. But when a practitioner injects it, it kicks in faster and they achieve a more reliable distribution that blocks more of your nerves. While you may experience some pain during the injection, the effects can last for longer. This makes an injectable anaesthetic better for procedures that last a little longer, such as Russian lips or a non-surgical nose job. Before you have a local anesthetic, your practitioner may need to examine your medical history to screen for allergies to the substance they're using.

To make your cosmetic injection treatments as comfortable as possible, always discuss your pain relief options during the initial consultation. To learn more about injectables and dermal fillers, contact a cosmetic surgeon.


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