As cosmetic laser treatments and injectables such as Botox and fillers have become more popular so has the use of topical anesthesia by dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and other doctors. Topical numbing creams like BLT cream make the experience of having an injectable or laser procedure more comfortable. When the patient finds that getting their injection or laser treatment is easy and painless, they are more likely to come back to the office for another treatment. This makes the patient happier since they can improve their appearance and maintain their results without having to deal with too much discomfort.  Decreasing the pain of injections and lasers can result in better outcomes by making the procedure easier for the doctor as well.

What is BLT Cream?

BLT cream is compounded at our pharmacy with three active ingredients:  benzocaine, lidocaine, and tetracaine. This effective triple-anesthetic cream numbs the skin quickly (as early as 15 minutes after application) to dull the pain of a needle or laser. Dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and doctors frequently use this cream for a variety of minor cosmetic procedures because it is effective and well-tolerated by patients. Botox and fillers involve needles, which not every patient tolerates well. Even if the patient is able to tolerate a needle without numbing it can be beneficial for the doctor performing the treatment to use a numbing cream. For example if a doctor is performing a filler treatment and the patient flinches while the syringe is being injected, this could lead to a less than optimal outcome.

BLT cream is the best numbing cream for these minor cosmetic treatments:

Botox: Botox is still one of the most popular cosmetic treatments performed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Using a numbing cream for Botox helps with the pain that comes from multiple injections in the glabellar region and forehead. Careful application of anesthesia is important when it is being applied around the eyes, like when treating crow’s feet.

Dermal Fillers: Dermal fillers, which are used for adding volume to the lips, cheeks, and other areas of the face, can be made easier with a topical anesthesia like BLT cream. Some newer fillers have lidocaine included in the injection as well, but this doesn’t help with patients who are especially uncomfortable with needles. Doctors will still sometimes use topical numbing cream even with lidocaine included in the filler. Here is a great account by a writer at Allure who had numbing cream before her lip injection.

Laser hair removal: Patients often describe the feeling of having laser hair removal as similar to a rubber band snapping across the skin. For those who are more sensitive to the laser, a numbing cream can be helpful. BLT cream is a great choice for numbing the skin for laser hair removal including on the legs, arms, back, chest, and face.

Laser skin resurfacing: There are a variety of laser skin resurfacing devices and techniques used to treat dermatological conditions and to improve complexion. Brown spots, rosacea, and acne are all treated with laser skin resurfacing. A range of intensities exist in laser treatments to resurface the skin. Some are very mild and treat the skin superficially while others are deep and require a longer recovery time. BLT cream will make a laser skin resurfacing treatment more comfortable for the patient. This may increase the likelihood they will return for another session. Most laser skin resurfacing treatments require multiple sessions to achieve optimal results, so patient comfort during the first session is important.

Laser tattoo removal: Much like laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal often is described as a snapping sensation on the skin. Laser tattoo removal often requires multiple sessions depending on the size and color of the tattoo. A topical anesthesia like BLT cream can make these sessions much more tolerable for the patient.

Why use a compounded topical numbing cream?

At Park Compounding Pharmacy we ensure premium quality for our compounded BLT cream and all of our aesthetic products. We can offer this topical numbing product with multiple strengths of lidocaine (6%, 8%, 10%) and in different sizes depending on the needs of your patients.