Sophia Panella (@sophia.panella) is an influencer with 693,000 followers. She shared in her TikTok bio that her online presence is about “all things girlie.” And in her opinion, lidocaine, the topical anesthetic often used to numb pain, is for the girls.
Panella, in a viral TikTok video, shared that she just picked up a bottle of Aspercreme Pain Relief Dry Spray from CVS. “I don’t make the rules, OK?” she started. “Hot girls use numbing spray on their feet when they have to wear the cute shoes.”
She then addressed the intended use of lidocaine. “You really think lidocaine was created for really bad injuries? … No. Lidocaine was used for the girls and the girls only.”
@sophia.panella lidocaine is for the girls and the girls only💅🏻 #lidocaine #numbingspray #forthegirls #forthegirlsonly ♬ original sound – SOPHIA PANELLA
The TikToker shared the video on Aug. 2, and it’s been viewed 392,000 times since.
The “drug facts” portion on the back of the bottle, according to a description listed on Target, implies the spray should last six to eight hours. It also warns consumers to “use only as directed.”
However, that hasn’t stopped Panella, and some of her viewers, from using the spray to numb their feet before a night out. Viewers who have never tried this hack before were mind-blown, and viewers who had used it on some of the most important days of their lives co-signed the TikToker’s hack.
“Woahhhh I’ve never even thought of this!!” the top comment reads.
“I’ve never heard of this until now,” TikToker @_withsarah said, calling it a potentially life-changing hack.
“I used this at my wedding and I felt no pain w heels,” TikToker @essieu said.
Another viewer, @mbwelborn, who used lidocaine on her feet on her wedding day rated the hack a 10/10.
However, the hack doesn’t seem to work for everyone. TikToker @nicole143marie warned viewers to apply it on a test-patch first, saying they learned the hard way that they were allergic to lidocaine. “Test in a small area to ensure you’re not allergic. I learned when I was looking cute in cute heels, up to my neck in hives,” @nicole143marie shared.
“Sis what am i doing wrong cause this stuff doesn’t work for me when I’ve used it..” another viewer complained.
Nicole Nicolosi a medical professional who specializes in feet, ankles, and legs. She broke down in a Cleveland Clinic article whether numbing spray is safe to use on feet, with the sole purpose of wearing heels. While Nicolosi said lidocaine is generally safe to use, using it for this purpose is “not a good idea.”
“Let’s say your shoe is rubbing wrong and creating a blister,” Nicolosi said. “Normally, you’d stop what you were doing if you felt it happening. But if you numbed your foot, that signal is off — and you might end up making a small problem worse.”
Nicolosi said that repeatedly numbing feet before a night out can create long-term issues such as bunions, hammertoes, and plantar fasciitis.
Using numbing spray after a night out, however, is a different story. “If you’re sitting around after a long day or night and your feet are really hurting, a topical pain relieving cream or spray can help,” Nicolosi added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Panella via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
