Variations in pain perception during the menstrual cycle: implications for esthetic procedures

Abstract

Variations in pain perception have long been studied in the medical literature, especially for women in regards to their menstrual cycle. Anecdotally, women can be more sensitive to painful stimuli from cosmetic procedures during their menses; however, no studies have thoroughly examined variations in pain perception for women in esthetic medicine. In an effort to look into this phenomenon, we review the current literature on this topic by examining studies from other medical subspecialties and also discuss implications for clinical practice.