Patient comfort during non-surgical treatment is of paramount importance. Pain control during procedures can lead to increased rates of acceptance and the likelihood of undergoing further treatments without the fear and anxiety associated with injections. There are a plethora of techniques using pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic methods to ensure patient comfort when providing non-surgical rejuvenation treatments. The selection of technique is based around the experience, skill and knowledge of the clinician. This article will focus on the science and common strategies available to today’s aesthetic practitioner.
Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Nociception (pain) involves the ‘sensory detection of a noxious event or potentially harmful environmental stimulus’.1
Skin pain receptors (cutaneous nociceptors) activate two different types of nerve fibres:
