Local anesthesia is any technique to render part of the body insensitive to pain without affecting consciousness. A numbing medication is either applied to or injected into the area, sometimes with several small injections, and after a few minutes the area should be completely numb. If the area still has sensation, additional injections or applications may be given to insure total numbness. It allows patients to undergo surgical procedures such as laser liposuction and mini facelift with reduced pain and distress. It is safer than general anesthesia.

The medication used is usually lidocaine, a very popular and very safe local anesthetic.  The duration of numbing is about one hour.  For longer numbing periords, another medication called bupivacaine is usually used.

The safe dosage of the anesthesia to be used is determined by the doctor after examining you and going over your history.

A pill may also be given, such as valium, to help relax the patient during the procedure.