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Ouch! The Cosmetic Treatment Pain Scale You Need to Know

Does That Treatment Hurt?

Ever wonder what a treatment feels like? Of course you have, it’s usually the first question that people ask–does it hurt?

And if it does hurt–is it worth the pain?

Cosmetic Dermatology treatments tend to be easier on the body than others–especially injectables.

But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be reassuring to know exactly how these treatments feel.

A quick survey of patients and doctors reveals how some of the most common treatments feel on a scale of one to five.

Super Easy

No big surprise, but Botox comes in early on the list as a painless injection.

After all, Botox is in many ways the opposite of painful: by freezing certain nerve signals, a patient is apt to feel less pain.

Some doctors even think that because it freezes frowning muscles it acts as an anti-depressant!

Surprisingly, the fairly radical procedure of CoolSculpting also rates as a 1 on the pain scale.

Most patients don’t even need painkillers!

A little more painful are the dermal filler injectables. Although most hyaluronic acid filler come stocked with lidocaine in them, often times a topical numbing agent is used before treatment.

Why? Because even though hyaluronic acid as an injectable isn’t too harsh, the lips and surround areas can be extremely sensitive.

A Little More

Once we start getting into acid and lasers and the like, it gets a bit tougher.

The pain rating for CO2 lasers–often used for acne scarring and wrinkles–goes up to a 4.

But remember, numbing agents are used for laser treatments such as Fraxel and CO2.

Almost Ouch

One technology that rates a 5 on the pain scale was Ultherapy: a way of tightening the skin.

Ultherapy gives a burning feeling that lasts a couple of seconds. Of course, that’s only if you do it without painkillers.

Doctors recommend taking a painkiller like Demerol in order to reduce the pain to something more like a 1 or a 2.

And after seeing the results of Ultherapy, you’ll definitely say it’s worth the time and effort.

If you’re interested in learning more about cosmetic treatments and how they might feel, call The West institute to schedule your appointment today.