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Curious about microneedling but afraid of the pain?
Or did it once and realized your pain tolerance wasn’t quite what you thought it was?
This post has absolutely everything you need to know about pain relief and local anesthetic for microneedling.
What is microneedling?
Microneedling is a cosmetic treatment for skin and hair that can improve the health of your appearance. Basically, using either a roller or a microneedling device, small needles go into your skin and create small punctures that your body fills in with fresh, new collagen.
It’s a great way to improve a ton of different skin conditions including stretch marks, acne scars, sun damage, aging skin texture, and the appearance of fine lines. It can also help with hair regrowth.
Microneedling has become one of the most common dermatological procedures, and many people choose to go see a skincare professional in a dermatology office, but you can reasonably safely do microneedling at home as long as you take some basic hygiene precautions. (That’s what basically this whole blog is about!)
Even if you choose to do it in-office, microneedling is cheaper than other cosmetic procedures like laster therapy or dermal fillers. And if you do it at home, you save a ton of money while still enjoying the skin cell renewal!
Is microneedling worth it?
I have done in-office microneedling, home microneedling, and laser procedures in a medspa. I did three rounds of Clear and Brilliant for laser resurfacing and skin clarity, and I thought it was very effective for what I used it for (rosacea, which can’t be treated with microneedling).
I’m glad I did it! But for what it cost ($1200 for that package deal) it’s not attainable to most people.
I have a whole post lined up about what microneedling actually costs. But compared to medical procedures like laser procedures, where you have to wait up to a week to go back to your normal activities…microneedling is effective, inexpensive, and far less invasive than other aesthetic treatments.
If you’re curious about a specific usage of microneedling, you can check out my protocols page to see a treatment plan, needle depths, and any recent study I could find.
Okay, but does microneedling hurt?
You’re going to experience some discomfort no matter what! They are all small needles, but even with the shortest needle lengths, you will feel some minimal discomfort.
If you’re looking to minimize pain:
- Treatments like .25 and even .5 are barely noticeable, and can still be very helpful to give skincare products better skin penetration that improves the effectiveness of those products. (I use this strategy with Vitamin C to keep fine lines in check as I age!)
- Treatment area matters too: longer needles (like for pitted acne scars) will bother you a lot less on your cheeks than your forehead. The bonier the area, the more likely it is to hurt.
- Method of treatment: a microneedling pen hurts less than at-home derma rollers do. Nearly everybody starts with dermarollers as their first microneedling devices, but they do hurt more. A couple years ago I invested in a Derminator and I experience so much less pain than I used to. Other people have had good experiences with the Dr. Pen to minimize pain.
No products found.
Do I need a numbing agent?
No.
I don’t usually use a numbing agent anymore, because it requires more prep work and I have mom brain, and to me the pain is not so bad that I can’t go ahead without pain relief. I would not say I have either a high or low pain tolerance.
(People always ask, so I will say that I did have an epidural when I had each of my children.)
But with that said — if you went to an aesthetician or health care provider, you’d get a topical numbing agent for almost any of the skin procedures. I don’t think they’re using any more powerful topical anesthetics than you have access to in over the counter products. There is no reason for you to get an injectible anesthetic for microneedling, and if you go in-office I would encourage you not to let someone give you one.
If you’re getting microneedling at home, you have a decent choice of topical anesthetics to choose from, with a couple different active anesthetic ingredients. We’ll go into those in a second.
It’s not a bad idea to pick one up if you have been putting off the idea of microneedling for fear of the pain. You might just end up using it only on very sensitive areas. (Mine isn’t going to waste — I use it when I thread my upper lip, which to me is the worst pain there is!)
What’s in a numbing agent?
So, we’re looking at all topical anaesthetics here.
“Topical” means it sits on the skin rather than getting taken or injected like medicine. There’s less room for accidents that way.
“Anesthesia” means numbing; any medicine that removes pain or sensation.
The most popular active ingredients in almost any local anesthetics is going to be lidocaine. Almost every over-the-counter available topical anesthetic will be lidocaine-based. Beyond that, the only significant differences will be in what has lower or higher concentrations and the texture of the product.
Hybrid products are generally prescription — there’s a product called “BLT cream” (sounds like it should be mayonnaise but it isn’t) that is three different kinds of topical numbing creams blended together, but that’s a prescription product, and honestly quite a bit stronger than you are likely to need.
How do I safely use a numbing cream?
The same thing I always say on this blog! Patch test.
It’s important to test out a numbing product on some area of your body, especially if you are planning to apply it to large areas. Topical products still get in your bloodstream and could cause allergic reactions.
This is very rare! But the rare, strongest adverse effects, like difficulty breathing, are too serious to risk. Especially if you have other allergies or another medical condition, be sure to patch test the numbing product by putting on your skin, washing it off after 30 minutes, and then watching your skin for 48 hours to ensure you don’t react to the product.
Even after you patch test: the first time you microneedle, do a small area. There’s some research showing that some people have unusually high absorption of lidocaine and “feel it” more than others (which is bad if you cover a lot of your body in it!) So maybe do just your cheeks and forehead for post-acne scarring, not your face AND your belly AND your hips AND your neck. Just for the first time, while you get a feel for how you react.
How do I use a numbing agent?
Don’t microneedle your skin with then numbing agent on. You have to wash it off before you microneedle!!!
That’s the most important part.
Now, the full directions:
- Wash the area you’re planning to treat with a mild soap.
- Apply the numbing cream. Depending on where it is, some people like to put plastic wrap over it so it doesn’t get disturbed or smeared.
- After the amount of time it says on the label, WASH IT OFF and wash the area again with soap. The area should be numb and feel weird.
- Clean the area again with 70% isopropyl alcohol before beginning your procedure.
What are the best numbing agents for microneedling?
Well, if you want a painkiller, you do want a cream. Those lidocaine sprays for sunscreen aren’t going to help too much since they are much lighter.
Most of these lidocaine cream options are more or less the same, so I’ll start with my favorite.
- TOPICAL PAIN RELIEF: 3-ounce tube of Bengay Lidocaine Topical Pain Relief Cream with a tropical jasmine scent for temporary relief of muscle and joint pain with numbing power to desensitize nerves
- POWERFUL LIDOCAINE CREAM: Bengay pain relief cream is made with maximum strength OTC 4% lidocaine HCI as an active ingredient to work to desensitize nerves and deliver numbing relief for muscle pain and joint pain
- DESENSITIZE NERVES: This soothing pain relief cream is formulated with a non-greasy formula, so it won't leave behind any residue. It can be used to help combat upper & lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, elbow pain, & joint pain
- LIGHT, PLEASANT SCENT: Bengay topical analgesic is formulated with a light tropical jasmine scent. Pack this convenient tube of lidocaine in your gym back or suitcase for relief of pain receptor nerves & muscle aches on the go
- MAXIMUM STRENGTH LIDOCAINE WITHOUT PRESCRIPTION FOR RELIEF: Adults and children 12 years and older, apply topical lidocaine numbing cream to the affected area no more than 3-4 times a day to help desensitize nerves and relieve muscle aches
I use the Bengay 4% lidocaine cream when I do my forehead sometimes, and it’s the best numbing cream I’ve used so far. (I actually use the other scent, the citrus ginger, but I linked this one because I know ginger is polarizing, lol.)
This cream is effective! If you read the Amazon reviews, people complain about the stickiness, but for microneedling you want the cream to be sticky, because otherwise you might forget that you have it on and needle it into your skin! So it’s a good thing for our purpose.
- 4-ounce tube of non-greasy Bengay Ultra Strength Topical Pain Relief Cream with three powerful ingredients to ease backaches, minor arthritis, muscle, and joint pain
- Topical analgesic cream provides relief from muscle aches and joint pain. It contains three pain-relieving ingredients for powerful relief at the site of pain: 4% camphor, 10% menthol, and 30% methyl salicylate
- Pain relief cream provides temporary relief from minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with simple backaches, minor arthritis pains, strains, bruises, and muscle sprains
- Bengay, a physician-recommended OTC topical analgesic brand, contains more pain-relieving ingredients than any other Bengay product. Adults and children 12 years and older, apply to the affected area no more than three to four times daily
- Pack the topical pain relief analgesic in a convenient tube in your gym bag or suitcase for port-able & on-the-go relief from aches, minor arthritis, joint, and back pain
If you’re looking in your grocery or drugstore, you’ll probably find this one and it’s pretty good as well, and a little cheaper. I used it before I used the scented Bengay. I just didn’t like the smell, but it was effective, and the brand is reliable. I do think the smell is really unpleasant.
What about this one I found on Amazon?
Google the name of the brand + pharmeceutical. There’s a lidocaine product on Amazon right now that is far cheaper than the alternatives, but when I googled it I saw that it was not a US brand–it has the same name as a US nonprofit, and if you didn’t look carefully you might not realize.
For something that is going into your bloodstream — stick to familiar brands. If money is the issue, either wait to buy it, or microneedle without it.
If you’re going to pick up a lidocaine cream, pin this post to come back to it when it arrives!
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