Ice or cream? study tests cheaper pain relief for laser hair removal
NCT ID NCT02318654
First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Jul 01, 2026
Summary
This study compares two ways to reduce pain during laser hair removal of the armpits: a simple ice pack or a numbing cream called EMLA. Thirty women will have one armpit treated with ice and the other with EMLA before laser treatment. The goal is to see which method works better for pain control.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Ice pack and EMLA cream (lidocaine/prilocaine)
What this could lead to
If ice works as well as EMLA, it could offer a cheaper, faster, and needle-free way to ease pain during laser hair removal.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 30 women, so results may not apply to everyone. EMLA can cause skin reactions, and ice may not numb deeply enough.
Disclaimer
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States