Here in Canada about the only thing we can use for discomfort control is a topical anesthethic. We arent permitted to admister Local Anesthetic as some may be able to in the US or other places.
For topical anesthetic, there has been a lot of electrologists recommending a product called Zensa, which is a 5% topical Lidocaine topical product. HOW it is used however makes a huge difference.
First, a safety warning , NEVER cover an area larger that an A4 sized piece of paper. We cant treat that large an area in a single sessioon for electrolysis anyway. Know that there has been 1 recorded death from misuse of the topical cream EMLA which resulted in Death. So be forewarned and head this advice carefully ,
It is also best to avoid completely areas with numerous mucous membranes such as the genital region which may hasten absorbtion, and perform small test patch somewhere innoculous to check for adverse reactions with asmall amountof product, before using a whole bunch of the stuff somewhere.
Having accomplished a test patch, spread the lidocaine fairly thickly over the area to be treated, 1-2 mm thick on top of your skin is not too much. This must be done 2 HOURS or more before your treatment and refreshed as needed. Cover the area in a plastic wrap, this prevents the cream from coming off onto hair or clothes. I tend to recommend Glad Press N Seal as it has a mild adhesive and is economical so the wrap sticks to uncovered areas. You may also search for “Tegaderm” adhesive wrap or it’s equivelent on amazon to use for this purpose.
Remember that the more product applied for longer period will determine how long the numbing will last . In some cases it makes sense to uncover and prepare only a small area at a time to continue to let other areas get numb before working on them.
Zensa comes in a gold and white box containing a 30 gram tube . While it can be found sometimes on Amazon, I have also seen fake Zensa product on there so be careful if sourcing from Amazon.
If you are in the US, you may want to keep an eye out of the Transgender Electrolysis Resource List when it’s posted. There are one or two clinics who have indicated they offer injectible local anesthetic that is not available to us in Canada.
