Lidocaine Injection Provides Superior Pain Relief Compared to 10-Minute BLT Topical Numbing in Women Undergoing...

Despite the growing popularity of aesthetic procedures, procedural pain remains a major concern among patients. Topical numbing cream and local anesthetic injection are widely used to manage discomfort and reduce pain; however, their relative effectiveness in cannula-based facial treatments remains a subject of ongoing debate. The aim of the study was to compare the anesthetic efficacy of BLT cream (benzocaine 20%, lidocaine 10%, and tetracaine 4%) and 1% lidocaine local injection in patients undergoing cannula-based facial aesthetic treatments. Retrospectively, 29 females underwent 2 separate treatment sessions, each using a different anesthetic method. Pain intensity was assessed using a self-reported numerical pain rating scale, and patients were asked to indicate their preferred method upon completion of the second treatment session. Mean pain scores were compared using paired samples t-test, and patient preference was analyzed using frequency and percentage distributions. A P-value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 29 patients enrolled, 28 patients were included in the final analysis. The mean pain score with BLT cream was 5.07 ± 0.40 (95% CI, 4.24-5.90), compared with 3.04 ± 0.32 (95% CI, 2.38-3.69) with 1% lidocaine injection. The difference was statistically significant (P = .0001), with a mean difference of 2.03. Most patients reported a preference for 1% lidocaine injection over topical cream for future treatments. In this preliminary study, local injection of 1% lidocaine provides significantly better pain control than BLT cream during cannula-based facial treatments, with higher patient preference. Injectable anesthesia may be a more effective option for enhancing patient comfort in aesthetic practice. Level of Evidence: 3 (Therapeutic).