Numbing creams that are topical and are meant to numb fairly local areas in many cosmetic procedures have recently been linked to deaths related to irregular heartbeat and possibly other life threatening conditions (not mentioned in depth though). Numbing creams often contain things like lidocaine, which everyone thinks of as a safe topical product, right? Well, apparently there can be too much applied, and on certain individuals, if too much is applied, a toxic amount of chemicals is able to build up in the blood stream and the person can go into a coma and die, or have seizures.
The article I read on the topic used an example of two women who used a numbing cream on their legs after laser hair removal was performed on their legs. They slathered their legs with the cream as instructed, wrapped them in plastic, and proceeded to fall into a coma and both died. The women reportedly were only in their early twenties.
Apparently the more surface area covered can mean the larger risk, and individuals with pre-exisiting conditions of the heart and other organs may be at a higher risk for potential life threatening side effects. This is definitely some knowledge you want to arm yourself with if you are getting any sort of cosmetic procedure done, including laser hair removal, so that you can ask your doctor about it and express your concerns.
