The Effect of Ablation of Epidermal Nerve Fibers Using Capsaicin Cream

This is a study of epidermal (the outer most layer) nerve fibers (ENFs) in the skin of the body; counts of which are used to determine a disease of nerves called "small nerve fiber neuropathy." Capsaicin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pain relief. Since 0.1% capsaicin is known to cause ablation (removal) of ENFs, this study will test whether such ablation results in relief of spontaneous pain, touch, or heat-pain.