Understanding Local Anesthesia

Local anesthesia is a commonly used way to temporarily numb an area of the body while allowing the patient to remain fully conscious in the process. More than likely, you’ve received local anesthesia at least once in your life such as at the dentist when you had a cavity filled. However, local anesthesia has many uses beyond the dentist chair; it can also be used in many cosmetic surgery procedures, such as facelifts, brow lifts, and more.

Local anesthesia is offered by Dr. Kevin Sadati for many of the cosmetic procedures available in his office that serves the Orange County and Newport Beach areas.

Topical Anesthesia

There are a few different methods for using local anesthesia, with topical anesthesia being among the most common. Typically, this type of sedation is utilized in dentist’s offices for minor procedures and in doctor’s offices (such as prior to giving a child a vaccination). Specifically, topical anesthesia comes in a liquid or gel form and is applied directly to the skin.

Local Anesthesia Injections

If you have a cosmetic procedure done, you’ll most likely receive a local anesthesia injection, which can numb much more effectively than a topical solution. When injected into the skin, local anesthesia can inhibit or disable muscle movement (temporarily) while also ensuring that you do not feel any pain during the procedure itself.

Specifically, a doctor or surgeon will inject the anesthesia into the area of the skin that needs to be numbed. Usually, the effects of the anesthesia will wear off within a few hours of the surgery’s completion. Receiving anesthesia is a relatively simple and pain-free process; you may feel a small prick in the skin during the first injection, but the agent acts quickly, so even if you need additional injections, you shouldn’t feel much after the first one.

Now that you have a better understanding of local anesthesia and how it’s used, consider scheduling your consultation with our cosmetic surgery office to determine which procedure or procedures will be best for helping you to achieve the appearance and confidence that you have always wanted.