I discovered something interesting today about electrolysis. The folks who recommend avoiding caffeine are right.
Last week, I only drank half my normal cup of tea at breakfast, and it made a significant difference to the pain level. This morning, we ate out for breakfast and I almost had coffee, but I remembered in time. So I had no coffee, no tea, just a glass of OJ and a glass of water. (The folks who say to stay hydrated are right, too.)
Wow, what a difference! The area of my neck with the most lidocaine cream on it was actually numb, as in zero pain, for most of the session. That never happens. And she didn't turn the phaser down to 'stun' the entire session. The areas with less cream hurt, but not badly at all, and I was able to zone out and enjoy the music in my headphones for most of the time.
We get up before 7:00 am, and my appointment was at 3:00 pm, so even with an eight-hour gap, no caffeine in the morning makes a difference.
So, young'uns, when they say no caffeine before electrolysis, take it seriously. That means no coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, anything caffeine-related, at all for at least eight hours before the session.