Numit 5% Cream
First Aid Supplies
Numit 5% Cream is an Australian-made topical anaesthetic cream containing 5% lignocaine. It provides effective skin numbing before tattoos, waxing, laser treatments, vaccinations and minor cosmetic procedures. Available over-the-counter for adult use.
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Numit 5% Cream
Numit 5% Cream is a topical local anaesthetic that numbs intact skin before a procedure that would otherwise sting. It is made in Australia by Ego Pharmaceuticals at Braeside in Victoria, registered as AUST R 265292, and available without a doctor's prescription. It comes in a 10g tube and a 30g tube.
What is in Numit, and why the name is misleading
This trips people up constantly, so it is worth clearing up first. Numit is not a 5% lignocaine cream. It contains two local anaesthetics, lidocaine (also spelled lignocaine) and prilocaine, and the "5%" is the two of them added together, not the strength of either one. They are combined with agents that carry them through intact skin, which is what a single-anaesthetic cream generally cannot do.
That second anaesthetic is also why the dose limits further down this page matter more than they would for an ordinary cream. Prilocaine is the reason.
How to use Numit numbing cream
Three steps, and the middle one is the one people skip. Coat the skin with a thick layer without rubbing it in. Cover it with an occlusive dressing or plastic film taped down at the edges. Clean it off when the time is up. Spread thin and left open to the air, it will not numb the skin properly no matter how long you wait.
Timing depends on the procedure:
- Most procedures: apply at least one hour beforehand.
- Split skin grafting: two hours.
- Adult male genital skin: only fifteen minutes.
- Leg ulcers: 30 minutes before cleaning, and use the tube once only, then discard it.
It can be left on for several hours and still work, but there is an upper limit, and it is not unlimited time. Ego's directions give a maximum on-skin time of 5 hours for adults, 4 hours for children aged 1 to 6, and 1 hour for newborns.
Maximum amounts: the part most pages leave out
Numit is a medicine, and using more of it than directed can cause real harm rather than simply more numbness. The Consumer Medicine Information is blunt about it: exceeding the dose or the application time may be harmful, and the warning singles out procedures where larger amounts may be required, such as cosmetic hair removal. If you are numbing a large area for laser or a big tattoo, you are the person that warning is written for.
| Who | Maximum from Ego's directions |
|---|---|
| Adults, small area | 1.5g to 2g over 10 cm2 |
| Adults, larger area | Up to 60g over 600 cm2 |
| Children 1 to 6 years | Up to 10g over 100 cm2, maximum 4 hours |
| Newborns under 3 months | Maximum 1g over 10 cm2, maximum 1 hour |
Do not apply Numit to large areas of the body except on the advice of a healthcare practitioner, and do not use it on broken skin unless a doctor has told you to. Children under 3 months are at increased risk of serious harm from an overdose. If you think too much has been used, ring the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 straight away, even if nobody feels unwell.
What Numit is approved for
The registered uses are insertion of IV catheters, cleansing or debridement of leg ulcers, blood sampling, vaccination, superficial surgical procedures including split skin grafting, and minor superficial cosmetic procedures. It is also approved for topical anaesthesia of genital skin before superficial surgery or infiltration analgesia.
In practice that splits three ways. Clinical use covers blood collection, cannulation and vaccination, and it is the reason collection centres and immunisation clinics keep it on hand, particularly for needle-phobic patients and children. Minor superficial cosmetic work is the second, which is where tattooing, tattoo removal, dermal fillers and laser hair removal sit. Minor superficial surgery is the third.
Before you use it: who should check first
Do not use Numit if you are allergic to lidocaine or prilocaine or to any of the other ingredients, or if you have open wounds, with leg ulcers being the one exception.
Check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you have dermatitis, methaemoglobinaemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, or molluscum contagiosum, and if you take a sulphonamide antibiotic, amiodarone for an irregular heartbeat, or any other local anaesthetic, since those can interact with it. Tell your practitioner you are using it. It must not be used on premature babies.
Used in excess it can cause methaemoglobinaemia, where the blood cannot carry enough oxygen, or effects on the heart and lungs. The signs to know are skin turning blue, dizziness, nervousness, numbness of the mouth, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, shaky hands, or a rash somewhere the cream was never applied. Any of those is a reason to seek medical attention rather than wait and see.
Choosing between the 10g and the 30g tube
The formulation is identical, so this is purely a quantity decision. The 10g tube suits a single procedure or occasional use at home. The 30g tube is the clinic size and works out better per application if you are treating repeatedly or covering larger areas. A 5g tube exists on the register but is not currently marketed in Australia.
Numit specifications
| Brand | Numit, by Ego Pharmaceuticals |
| Active ingredients | Lidocaine (lignocaine) and prilocaine, 5% combined |
| Type | Topical local anaesthetic cream |
| Pack sizes | 10g tube and 30g tube |
| Application | Thick layer under an occlusive dressing |
| Standard timing | At least 1 hour before the procedure |
| Maximum on skin | 5 hours adults, 4 hours children 1 to 6, 1 hour newborns |
| Availability | Available without a prescription |
| Registration | AUST R 265292 |
| Made in | Australia, Braeside Victoria |
Numit sits within our first aid supplies and the wider medical supplies range.
Numit numbing cream FAQs
How long before a tattoo or laser session should I apply numbing cream?
At least one hour beforehand, under an occlusive dressing or taped plastic film, and it can go on earlier and be left for up to five hours in an adult. The part worth repeating is the dose rather than the timing: large-area work is exactly the situation the Consumer Medicine Information warns about, and applying to large areas of the body needs the advice of a healthcare practitioner. Talk to your artist or technician about how much to use over the area they are working on.
How long does the numbness last?
Effective skin anaesthesia lasts at least two hours after the occlusive dressing comes off, which covers most sittings and minor procedures. For longer work, discuss it with the practitioner doing the procedure rather than adding more cream yourself.
Do I really need to cover it with plastic wrap?
Yes, and it is the step most often skipped. Apply a thick layer without rubbing it in, then cover with an occlusive dressing or plastic film secured with tape. Make sure the dressing is firmly fixed, particularly on young children, who can otherwise dislodge it or transfer cream toward their eyes.
Is Numit the same as 5% lignocaine cream?
No. Numit contains two anaesthetics, lidocaine (which is the same substance as lignocaine) and prilocaine, and the 5% is the combined total rather than the strength of either. The combination with skin-penetrating agents is what allows it to work on intact skin.
Can Numit be used on children or babies?
It is used clinically before blood tests and vaccinations in children, with dose limits that are lower and strictly by age: up to 10g over 100 cm2 for a maximum of 4 hours in children aged 1 to 6, and a maximum of 1g over 10 cm2 for 1 hour in newborns under 3 months. It must not be used on premature babies, and children under 3 months carry an increased risk of serious effects from an overdose. Take the plan through with a pharmacist, nurse or doctor first.
Can I use Numit while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Check with your doctor or pharmacist. The Consumer Medicine Information notes the ingredients have been used for many years with no ill effects shown in pregnancy, and that only very small amounts reach the blood so problems from breastfeeding are unlikely. That is reassuring rather than a green light, and the decision should be made with someone who knows your circumstances.
Can I put it on broken skin, a cut or a graze?
No. Numit must not be used where there are open wounds, with leg ulcers the single exception, and it should not be used on broken skin unless a doctor has told you to. Damaged skin changes how much of the anaesthetic is absorbed, which is the reason for the restriction.
What happens if too much is used?
Using more than directed can cause methaemoglobinaemia, a condition where the blood cannot carry enough oxygen, or effects on the heart and lungs. Warning signs include skin turning blue, dizziness, nervousness, numbness of the mouth, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, shaky hands, or a rash somewhere the cream was not applied. Phone the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, contact a doctor, or go to your nearest emergency department, and do that even if nobody has symptoms yet.
How should it be stored, and what about an old tube?
Store below 30 degrees in a cool dry place, away from moisture, heat and sunlight, so not in the bathroom, the car or on a windowsill, and out of reach of children. Do not let it freeze. Cream squeezed out of the tube should be discarded rather than put back. Take anything out of date to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
Sources. Ingredients, approved uses, timings, contraindications, interactions, overdose signs and storage are from the Australian Consumer Medicine Information for Numit 5% cream, published at medsinfo.com.au. Maximum amounts and maximum application times are from Ego Pharmaceuticals' own directions. Last reviewed 17 September 2026.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use. This information is a general guide and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Do not use if you are allergic to local anaesthetics or to adhesive dressings, avoid contact with the eyes, and seek advice before use on children, on broken skin, or over large areas. For poisoning advice in Australia, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.
| Brand | Numit |
|---|