When it comes to scheduling appointments to do aesthetic treatments such as: laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, injections, microneedling, IPL and Ultherapy- there's something you should know if you're a woman. Your hormones and where you are in the course of your menstrual cycle can affect your perception of pain. Yup, you weren't imagining it if you felt more discomfort while receiving a laser hair removal treatment during your cycle or just before it began. The fact is, we DO feel more pain during the latter half of the menstrual cycle, especially right before the period begins or during the period.
Why is this? Our bodies, the glorious and sophisticated machines that they are, were built this way for a reason. It comes down to how our bodies are equipped to potentially become pregnant, maintain a pregnancy, and tolerate (miraculously!) the pain of childbirth. The primary hormones involved in a woman's cycle are estrogen and progesterone (although we also make testosterone). During the first half of the cycle (the "follicular phase" or days 1-14), estrogen is the dominant hormone being produced by the ovaries. Around day 14, normally the "LH surge" occurs to signal the ovary to release an egg, and then the second half of the cycle ("the luteal phase") begins, in which the predominant hormone produced is progesterone. Next the progesterone levels will steadily increase (in preparation to support a possible implantation), peak, and then drop off to much lower levels if no implantation occurs. The drop of or "withdrawal" of progesterone is one factor that initiates the shedding of the uterine lining or "the period".
Progesterone levels, when higher (as in the early and mid-luteal phase of our cycle), actually help us to feel less pain. Progesterone has many physiological effects, including relaxation of smooth muscle, improvement in sleep quality, and a feeling of well-being or calmness. Progesterone levels remain high during pregnancy and delivery, and this is thought to be one of the reasons why a pregnant woman's tolerance to pain is much greater than when she is not pregnant.
So what is the take-home point? You should try to schedule any treatments that may cause discomfort during days 5 to 20 of your cycle, and try to avoid doing them right before or during your cycle. Of course, in a perfect world we would all have a textbook 28-day cycle and have a day off of work to pamper ourselves in the spa on day 19. In the real world, it's not always possible to make our schedules fit around our cycles and other obligations. Just be aware that there may be some times when you really want to make sure you left the numbing cream on as instructed by the technician, and that you practice some slow breathing when receiving a treatment, as certainly our minds can help us to get through a "spicier" treatment too! Most of the above-mentioned treatments do involve application of a topical numbing cream before the treatment begins, and this helps a lot.
I hope this helps you plan to pamper yourself in the most comfortable way, and enjoy a little "me time" in the near future.
Cheers to your health,
Dr. B
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