Do you think it’s ok to use ice before an appointment to numb the area so you dont’ feel the electrolysis? I get the area numb right now from a lidocaine shot but it takes alot os shots and now that the area is becoming so sparce the shots are not worth it…some people say that when getting thermolysis that you shouldn’t use ice before hand. What do you think? Thanks. Oh yeah and emla doesn’t work for me. I get a huge histamine reaction which is worse than the electrolysis. 
How is it possible to get lidocaine shots? Can one buy them?
My electrolysis lady uses a machine called a madajet(SP?) It is like a fast needle that shoots into the skin and then retracts just as quickly. It costs me $10 for the first filling of the machine which i think lasts about 12 shots approx. and then each refill costs $5. Each shot numbs about 3/4 square inch of skin.(i was having 3.5 hour appointments and it was costing me $20 for the madajet shots, cheaper than emla and more effective for me)(this is canadian dollars) The shots are not a walk in the park but way better than feeling every prick of the electrolysis. I dont’ know of any other person in my city doing it but my electrolygist use to be a nurse so she knows how to do injections properly. Sometimes I end up with some bruising and scabs but not much anymore. Before I started going to this electrolygist I went to another lady and I would put ice on the area before I got to her so that it was numb. But my electrolygist now says that because thermolysis is heat she prefers I don’t use the ice so that the thermolysis is the most effective. But I was wondering what James thought about the ice thing too for a second opinion…
Ice should never be applied directly to the skin. It should always be wrapped in plastic, and then wrapped in a towel. One would not want the skin wet from the ice while working in thermolysis
I understand that the ice should not touch the skin directly and that the skin shouldn’t be wet but what about the ice cold effect when the thermolysis works but heat. Would that part be bad…would the thermolysis not be as effective?