What Can Numbing Cream Be Used For?
Staff WriterKey Takeaways
- Numbing creams work by blocking the sodium channels nerves use to send pain signals, so the treated area feels less pain.
- Most numbing creams use a local anesthetic from the "-caine" family, most often lidocaine. Over-the-counter creams contain a limited amount.
- OTC numbing creams are safe when used as directed. Always follow the Drug Facts label for where, how much, and how often to apply.
- OTC numbing creams like Hempvana’s are made for minor muscle and joint aches, not for broken skin or numbing before procedures.
- Massaging the cream in helps it absorb and can ease discomfort in the area on its own.
Numbing cream is one of those things that many people don’t realize they need until it’s too late. It’s an extremely valuable and underutilized tool that makes so many everyday discomforts a thing of the past.
It’s handy to keep a jar in the medicine cabinet. Over-the-counter lidocaine creams offer temporary relief from minor aches and pains, right where you need it. Here’s how they work and how to use them safely.
How Does Numbing Cream Work?
Your skin is full of nerves and receptors that constantly relay messages to your brain. Your brain uses these messages to interpret your environment and help you make decisions. When these nerves relay a pain signal, you experience discomfort. Your brain tells you to stop doing what you’re doing.
Numbing creams block your sodium channels, which are the travel route of these signals. Your nerves can’t send them as effectively, and as a result, many people experience a reduction in pain when they use numbing creams.
What Ingredients Make Skin Numb?
When people refer to numbing treatments or numbing creams, they’re usually referring to a topical or local anesthetic in the “-caine” family.
Lidocaine is the most common local anesthetic. Dentists use lidocaine shots to numb the mouth prior to filling a cavity or removing a tooth. People remain awake and alert for these procedures because lidocaine prevents them from feeling the discomfort they cause. Instead, people may feel light pressure similar to being poked firmly with a finger.
Prescription injectable lidocaine works much more dramatically than the topical lidocaine used in skin-numbing creams, but the principle is still the same.
Lidocaine significantly inhibits nerves and hinders their ability to relay the sensation of pain.
Are Skin Numbing Creams Safe?
Over-the-counter numbing creams can contain up to 4% lidocaine, which is considered safe when used as directed. Mild redness or irritation can still happen.
The packaging tells you how to apply the cream, where it can be applied, and how often to reapply it.
Numbing Before Tattoos, Waxing and Cosmetic Procedures
Clinics and studios that offer numbing usually use products chosen for the specific procedure, sometimes at prescription strength. If you’d like to numb the area beforehand, ask your provider or artist what they recommend. Over-the-counter creams like Hempvana’s are labeled for minor aches and pains, not pre-procedure numbing.
What About Itching, Sunburn or Burns?
Lidocaine pain relief creams shouldn’t go on broken or irritated skin, including rashes, scratched bug bites, sunburn and burns. For itching, use a product made for it, like an anti-itch cream or an antihistamine. For burns, follow standard first aid and ask a pharmacist what to use while the skin heals.
Using Numbing Cream To Treat Pain From the Surface of the Skin
Numbing cream is often used to help temporarily treat pain from the surface of the skin. Achy muscles and joints can cause a major life disruption. It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep or wash the dishes when your joint or muscle aches prevent you from comfortably moving around.
Since lidocaine cream allows you to target specific areas, you don’t need to rely on oral pain relievers that impact your whole body. You can experience numbing relief in only the places where you need it most.
How To Apply Numbing Cream
Follow the Drug Facts label for how much to use and how often.
- Apply a thin layer to clean, dry, unbroken skin and massage it in until absorbed. Massage also helps ease discomfort on its own.
- Don’t cover the area with plastic wrap or a tight bandage, or apply heat.
- Wash your hands afterwards, unless you’re treating your hands.
Hempvana Can Numb Your Aches and Pains
Hempvana Ultra Strength Pain Relief Cream with Lidocaine is formulated with 4% lidocaine. Unlike similar numbing temporary pain relief creams, ours is completely odor-free. You won’t walk around drenched in that gross and unpleasant medicine smell that many temporary topical pain relievers leave behind.
Use it for sore muscles and achy joints, as directed on the label. A two-pack keeps your medicine cabinet stocked.
Frequently Asked Questions About Numbing Cream
What's the Difference Between OTC and Prescription Numbing Cream?
Over-the-counter numbing creams contain up to 4% lidocaine and are sold for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains. Prescription numbing products, such as 5% lidocaine or lidocaine-prilocaine cream, are stronger and are used under a healthcare provider's direction, for example before certain medical or cosmetic procedures.
Can You Use Numbing Cream With Other Pain Relievers?
Don't use it at the same time as other topical pain relievers or numbing products on the same area. Interactions with oral medicines aren't expected, but tell your pharmacist or doctor about everything you take, especially if you have heart disease or another ongoing health condition.
What Are the Side Effects of Numbing Cream?
The most common side effects are mild redness, dryness or irritation where you applied it. Stop using it and get medical help right away if you notice signs of an allergic reaction, like hives or swelling of the face, lips or throat, or signs that too much was absorbed, like a fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, shortness of breath or bluish lips. Because the area is numb, take care not to injure it without noticing.
Can Children Use Numbing Cream?
It depends on the product and the child's age. Hempvana Ultra Strength Pain Relief Cream with 4% lidocaine is labeled for adults and children 2 years and older, applied no more than 3 to 4 times a day; for children under 2, ask a doctor. It's a good idea to check with your child's doctor before using any numbing cream, use the smallest amount that works, and keep it out of reach of children.
Sources:
