Cosmetic treatments can be associated with a varying degree of discomfort, and while overlooked, proper pain management proves to be essential in clinical practice.
The simple fact is that for most people, cosmetic medical and surgical procedures are not a necessity but rather, a choice. Therefore, it is imperative to make the experience as pain-free as possible.
I always tell my team members to make sure that we develop trust and build a sound rapport with all new patients. New clients are often nervous and can easily get intimidated in an unfamiliar clinical environment. Even a small amount of anxiety can be counterproductive and may contribute to an overall negative experience.
Our clinicians pay particular attention to this, having developed and refined individual injection and anaesthesia techniques to make common cosmetic procedures as pain-free as possible. We use:
- Specially formulated, high strength topical anesthetic creams
- Distraction therapy
- Ice packs and Zimmer Cool Air
- Vibrational anaesthesia device
- Inhalation anaesthesia gas (where required) and
- Local infiltration anaesthesia for the majority of our treatments.
The pain scale
On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents 'No pain', and 10 is 'Excruciating pain', here is how most of our patients typically rate their pain when treated by our doctors for common cosmetic procedures:
- Anti-wrinkle injection: 1-2 out of 10
- Dermal filler (lips): 2-3 out of 10
- Dermal filler (cheeks): 2 out of 10
- Chemical peel: 2 out of 10
- Fractional laser: 3 out of 10
Dental Nerve Blocks and Dermal Fillers:
From a technical perspective, I am not a fan of any facial nerve blocks. The use of big needles and awkward injecting techniques associated with dental blocks often inflict more pain and anxiety than the treatment itself!
Ultimately, it is the fundamental responsibility of every clinician to undergo proper training and develop the clinical skill and experience necessary to identify and appreciate different layers of facial tissues.
When treatments are done in the right tissue plane using a gentle injecting technique, there will be minimal discomfort or bleeding/bruising.
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