---
title: "Nitronox™"
---
Some people put off a treatment for years, not because of the cost or the recovery, but because of the twenty minutes in the chair. Nitronox exists for exactly that.
You breathe it through a mask during the treatment you are already having. Within a minute or two the edge comes off, both the discomfort and the nerves that make the discomfort worse. You do not go under. You stay awake, you know where you are, you can talk to us the whole time and you can tell us to stop. When the treatment finishes you stop breathing it and it is gone within five to ten minutes.
It is not an anesthetic and it does not replace numbing cream, which still goes on where it is needed. It takes a treatment you have been dreading and makes it something you get through without dreading the next one.
**What Nitronox is good for**
- Getting through a treatment you have been putting off because of nerves
- Taking the edge off microneedling, which people find sharper than they expect
- Making filler injections easier if needles are the part you hate
- Scalp injections), which are more sensitive than face work
- Longer sessions of laser hair reduction where the discomfort adds up
- Anyone whose blood pressure goes up the moment they sit in a treatment chair
Nobody books Nitronox. People book a treatment and then ask whether there is anything for the part they are worried about. Here is where it comes up most.
If this is the treatmentWhat people sayWhy Nitronox helpsMicroneedlingSharper than expected, especially around the forehead and upper lipNumbing cream handles the surface; this handles the rest and the anticipationFiller injectionsIt is not the pain, it is the needleTakes the edge off the anticipation, which is usually the real problemScalp injections)The scalp is more sensitive than the faceMakes a longer scalp session comfortable enough to keep going with the courseLaser hair reductionFine for two minutes, less fine for twentyThe discomfort is cumulative, and this stops it buildingAnything, for someone who dreads appointmentsI have been putting this off for two yearsFear of the chair is a real reason people go untreated, and it is a solvable one
If any of those sound like you, mention it when you book rather than the day of your appointment. It is easier to have it ready than to arrange it while you are sitting there.
Plenty of people have been meaning to deal with something for years and have not, because of twenty minutes they do not want to sit through. That is a real reason and we treat it as one. Offering this at all is a decision about how we would like appointments here to go.
Two honest things about it. It is not enough for everyone, and some people find it takes the edge off rather than removes it, which is exactly why you stay awake and in charge and can stop at any point. And it is not right for everybody: pregnancy, certain vitamin and breathing problems, recent eye surgery and a short list of other situations rule it out, which is why we ask about your history first rather than handing you a mask. If it is not the right call for you, we will say so and we will find another way to make your appointment bearable.
**Nitronox is probably a good fit if:**
- You have been putting off a treatment because of nerves rather than cost
- Needles or the sound of a device bother you more than the actual sensation does
- You want to stay awake, aware and able to talk to us throughout
- You want something that is gone by the time you walk out
- You have a longer session booked and the discomfort tends to build
**We will steer you somewhere else if:**
- You are pregnant, or think you might be
- You have low vitamin B12 or a known problem processing it
- You have a breathing problem, a blocked nose or sinuses, or a middle-ear problem
- You have had recent eye surgery where gas was placed in the eye
- You have a blocked bowel or trapped gas after abdominal surgery
- Your medication list includes something that does not sit well with it, which is why we ask
Tell us your full medical history and everything you take before your appointment. That conversation is the whole screening, and it takes two minutes.
Most people feel warm, floaty and noticeably less bothered, and then feel completely normal within five to ten minutes of the mask coming off. Some people feel briefly lightheaded, a little queasy, tingly in the hands, or get a short headache. All of it usually settles within minutes of stopping.
**Do**
- Tell us your full medical history and medication list before the appointment
- Eat lightly beforehand rather than arriving on an empty stomach
- Tell us right away if you feel queasy, so we can stop
- Sit for a few minutes afterward if you would rather not get straight up
**Don't**
- Assume it replaces numbing cream, because it does not and you still get both
- Stay quiet about feeling odd, at any point
- Book it as a treatment on its own, because it is added to something else
- Skip mentioning a supplement or medication because it seemed irrelevant
Tell us about anything that does not settle within a few minutes of stopping. We would far rather hear from you.
Nitronox carries its own charge on top of the treatment you are having, because it is an added service rather than part of the price of the procedure. We tell you the amount when you book so it is not a surprise at checkout.
If cost is the reason you are hesitating, say so. Numbing cream, a slower pace and a shorter session are all free, and sometimes they are enough.
**Q: Will I be asleep?**
No. This is not sedation and it is not general anesthetic. You stay awake, you know where you are, you can talk to us and you can ask us to stop. That is the point of it rather than a limitation.
**Q: Is it the same gas the dentist uses?**
Yes, the same idea. If you have had it at a dental appointment you already know what to expect, and if you have not, the description most people give is warm, light and much less bothered.
**Q: Does it get rid of the pain completely?**
Not always, and we would rather say so. For most people it takes the edge off enough to get comfortably through a treatment they were dreading. Numbing cream still goes on where it is needed, and if it is not doing enough for you, we can stop and rethink the plan rather than push on.
**Q: How long until it wears off?**
Five to ten minutes after you stop breathing it. It does not hang around for the rest of the day, which is the main reason people choose it over anything stronger.
**Q: Can I have it with any treatment?**
It is most often added to microneedling, injections, scalp treatments and longer laser sessions. Ask when you book and we will tell you whether it makes sense for what you have scheduled.
**Q: Does it cost extra?**
Yes. It is a separate charge on top of the treatment, and we tell you what it is when you book rather than at checkout.
Offered in San Luis Obispo. Not yet available in Santa Maria.
Content on this page is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Nitronox™ is a trademark of its owner. This is a comfort option added to another treatment and is not a standalone service, and it carries a separate cost. It is not sedation and not general anesthesia. Lightheadedness, nausea, tingling and a brief headache are the commonly reported effects and usually settle within minutes of stopping. It is generally avoided during pregnancy, in people with low vitamin B12 or a known problem processing it, with breathing problems, with middle ear or sinus blockage, after recent eye surgery where gas was placed in the eye, with a blocked bowel or trapped gas after abdominal surgery, and alongside certain medications. Tell us your full medical history and medication list before your appointment. Individual experiences vary.
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