Topical anesthesia is needed for common procedures such as tattoo removal, suturing, wound cleaning, injection administration, cosmetic and laser procedures, tattooing, etc. The ideal topical anesthetic would provide complete anesthesia following a simple pain-free application, not contain narcotics or controlled substances, and be safe to use. The most popular local anesthetics used include: Lignocaine (lidocaine), benzocaine, tetracaine (amethocaine) and prilocaine.
PLT – is a very effective triple combination of Prilocaine, Lidocaine and Tetracaine. This is one of the most effective local anesthetics we supply. It also has one of the fastest onset of action which is usually 20-30 minutes and does not require any occulsion.
LET Gel – is another local anesthetic contains an effective combination of local anesthetics being lidocaine and tetracaine. In addition it also contains epinephrine which is a vasoconstrictor used to control bleeding and thus is preferred for treating lacerations or regular tattooing where the skin may be broken and bleeding is expected. The onset of action is usually 20 to 30 minutes after being applied and it requires no occulsion. Due to the epinephrine being less stable this product needs to be stored in the fridge and it has a shorted used by date.
BLT – A triple-anesthetic gel containing benzocaine, lidocaine, and tetracaine (BLT Gel) has also been reported to be effective when applied prior to laser procedures. Convenience of application without need for occlusion is an advantage of this topical anesthetic gel. It has a slower onset compared to our PLT cream and due to the increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia (altered haemoglobin) with benzocaine when applied to large areas we usually recommend the PLT or LT gels instead as they are considered safer.
These over the counter creams available over the counter from our lab. To order you must register for an online consultation which is free or alternatively contact us.
PRESCRIPTION RANGE
All these combinations above can be made stronger with a valid doctors prescription. Contact us for details.
References
(1) Cosmetic Dermatology 2003 Apr;16(4):35-7
Topical Triple-Anesthetic Gel Compared With 3 Topical Anesthetics
Lee MWC
Department of Dermatologic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco.
