Evaluating the Efficacy of Local Anesthetic Techniques During Scalp Microneedling

The study evaluated the efficacy of different local anesthetic techniques during scalp microneedling (MN) in 62 men with androgenetic alopecia. Three methods were tested: a cream with 25 mg lidocaine and 25 mg prilocaine, a 10% lidocaine spray, and cold gel compresses. Results showed that both the cream and spray significantly reduced pain compared to no anesthesia, as measured by the Verbal Analog Scale (VAS), while the gel compresses did not significantly affect pain levels. Despite this, cold gel compresses were recommended as the most effective monotherapy for MN on hairy skin due to their speed, lack of allergy risk, and non-irritating nature. The study suggests that cold gel compresses are a justified choice for pain management during MN, although they may require multiple applications and can cause discomfort at low temperatures. Future research could explore the use of vibration as a non-injectable anesthetic method.