Dr. Weiner’s “Superficial Skin Block” to Numb The Face for Aesthetic Procedures – Infini and Laser Resurfacing

[wpvideo A3HJ45b4]

Some of the fastest growing and most popular procedures in the Aesthetic Industry are radiofrequency and laser procedures. The most sighted obstacle for patients doing these procedures is pain. Dr. Weiner has develop and perfected a method to numb the face fairly thoroughly that is fairly quick and simple. The “Superficial Skin Block” takes about 3 minutes to administer for the entire face. It requires no knowledge of neural anatomy and is less invasive/more comfortable than nerve blocks. The anesthesia kicks in within minutes and will last at least a couple hours. It is ideal for improving comfort when undergoing the Infini, CO2, Erbium, or Fraxel laser resurfacing. Dr. Weiner’s mixture for injection is:

1. Lidocaine 1% with 1:100,000 Epinephrine (Standard premixed from most medical suppliers)- 5cc
2. Bacteriostatic 0.9% Sodium Chloride with Preservative – 5cc
3. 8.4% Sodium Bicarbonate – 1cc
4. All this is drawn up in a 10cc syringe

The “Superficial Skin Block” starts with placement of topical numbing cream. Dr. Weiner uses “Lipothene” from Central Avenue Pharmacy which contains 23% Lidocaine and 7% Tetracaine. It is left on the face for at least 1 hour. Do not place on face and neck simultaneously. This is too large a surface area for the topical. The neck doesn’t require this strong a topical in Dr. Weiner’s experience.

The injection requires a mesotherapy apparatus from Mesoram.com. The exact device used is found at: Dr. Weiner’s Preferred Mesoram Needles .  The needles are 4mm, 30g and the plate is circular with 7 needle connectors. Plates can also be purchased without needles and 32g needles can be purchased from the site and attached manually.

The topical is wiped off and the face is cleaned with alcohol and hibiclens. The injection is started on the cheeks with 0.5 ml aliquots placed in each injection. The areas injected are slightly overlapped. A small amount of the mixture is placed above the upper lip with a needle that is removed from the device. A few minutes are allowed before starting the procedure to allow for the small blebs to diffuse into the skin tissues. You will notice areas injected become pale and this is the epinephrine effect. This helps in controlling bleeding and bruising.

Dr. Weiner’s Superficial Skin Block has been used by multiple practitioners with great success. It’s effectiveness, ease of use, and limited downside make it perfect for many aesthetic procedures, particularly Infini and laser resurfacing.