Orajel for Electrolysis pain

[Guest Risu]

I don't know if there is a thread about this here or not but I figured I'd make one just in case.

When I first started Electrolysis back on Feb 22 2011 the pain was very tolerable. Over the course of the last year however it has reached a point where it is mostly unbearable for me 20 minutes into my 1 hour long sessions.

My electrolysis seems to think my pain tolerance is unusual. She has women who sleep through their appointments, or so she claims. Regardless, I didn't want to temporarily stop having treatment because I know this is a time consuming thing and I want to be done with it ASAP so I began exploring methods of relieving or reducing the pain during treatment.

my Electrolysist recommended taking some aspirin before my appointment. I haven't tried this yet but I plan to do so soon. I highly doubt Aspirin will be enough to make the pain bearable especially since she has only recently started treating the areas around my mouth.

I noticed that I tolerate the pain a little better on a full stomach and for me going to an appointment after a good night's sleep helps too. When I go and I'm really tired it may be easier to relax more, but I seem to feel the pain less when I am well rested.

I do have a prescription lidocaine cream that my HRT doctor prescribed but I haven't used it yet. It's an hour long drive to my appointment practically and I really don't want to be seen driving around with plastic on my face. There is also the problem that EMLA and other Lidocaine creams can kill you due to the pain relieving drugs getting into the blood stream and causing heart issues so I continued to look elsewhere.

After an evening of furious google searching I came across topics on other forums about people who use Orajel to help with the pain. Orajel comes in cream, Gel and liquid forms. I buy the gel because it's cheaper but from what I have read you can use all 3 types but make sure you test a small area on from your cheek to your jawline and onto your neck to make sure you won't have a negative reaction to it.

I put some on my chin, under my chin and around my lower lip before my last appointment since that is one of the most nightmarish areas she works on and I pretty much felt nothing unless she was zapping hairs near where I didn't put anything on it. For my next treatment I plan to put some on my whole face and see how it feels. The only reason I didn't before my last session was because the little tube we had didn't have much in it. My electrolysist generally works all over my face instead of concentrating on a single area, half of my face and neck for half of the session and then the other side for the last half of the session.

The good thing about Orajel though, at least for me, is that Benzocaine works almost immediately. Just make sure to apply it 10-15 minutes before your appointment so that it has time to dry completely and I wouldn't recommend anything that may make your face sticky. My electrolysist hates that and I'm sure she has her good reasons why.

Like EMLA or Lidocaine products for pain relief, products containing Benzocaine can be toxic, but normally don't result in sudden death like overuse or misuse of EMLA. If you're considering trying Orajel or another pain relieving product be sure to do your research on the risks.

For specific info on Benzocaine toxicity be sure to read this page:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/475046-benzocaine-toxicity/

Ever since I read that Orajel can be used for electrolysis pain my grandmother began using it for her arthritis on her most painful areas and even she was impressed with how much it has helped her.

I hope someone else out there is able to benefit from this info. Remember to be safe, test out your reaction and do your research!

~Jade.

[Guest Donna Jean]

.

Orajel is actually a topical pain reliever for toothache.....

It's applied inside the mouth ...to the gum It's a numbing agent....

I know about this product first hand because I've recently had a bad tooth that was killing and using both ibuprofen and Orajel, I was able to wait for a dentist appointment....

I really see no harm using it externally, especially if it helps.....

Good Luck

Dee Jay

[Guest Krisina]

If it's similar to Emla and it helps people that's great.

Right now I use Emla for laser. I'm not worried about the plastic wrap on my face driving to my appointment or worried about my health using it. It's quite safe stuff.

Also the advice for using Aspirin that probably wouldn't help with the pain on the face. It's not for that type of pain. I was told or laser treatment specifically not to use Aspirin. I take a couple Tylenol extra strength tablets an hour before my session. Where I live I don't need a prescription for Tylenol Extra Strength. Laser and electrolysis are very painful, it's normal to be feeling a lot of pain. I know of one person who would fall asleep during electrolysis but she has MS.

Krisina