Iirc Amal has said that the sterile pouches are quite fragile and the external polybag helps to protect them. I don’t remember if there was a second polybag inside protecting just the implant, but I don’t think so. Fwiw, my installer made sure to use sterile scissors to open that main polybag, so I’d personally not want to open it just to save time / space.
That really depends on your pain tolerance. Also, if it’s 5% (which it probably is) it won’t do a massive amount, even if you kept it on properly for 2-3 hours… I’m a wimp / get vasovagal reflexes so I’d use numbing gel, but I have access to the 10% stuff.
For a point of reference, I know someone who got 5 xSeries put in at once, who used 5% for about an hour and said it didn’t really do anything. He was lying down the entire time so I can’t comment on the reflex part though (installer’s recommendation from the beginning).
To see one potential flex recovery, see @Eyeux’s thread:
Have a look at each day. Note that it was kinda a rough install, and a vein was probably nicked.