Tips to Avoid Bruising Before Having Cosmetic Injections

Even the very best injectors can give their patient a bruise or temporary little bumps when treating them with cosmetic injectables.

Avoid planning any important work or social events for 3-7 days after treatments. If you bruise easily, you will need to allow for 2 weeks to fully heal. Most bruises can be covered fairly well with make-up and concealer,  but not all.

Dr. Hamilton has some useful tips that can help you avoid any unnecessary bruising.

Try to follow his advice as best as you can, as your pre-treatment and post-treatment actions will have a big effect on your results.

BEFORE TREATMENT:

Some prescription medications and vitamin supplements increase the possibility of you getting a bruise after cosmetic injections. The reason to stop taking certain products before having HA Dermal Fillers or Profhilo is that they make your blood less likely to clot which can cause bruising.

Prescription Anti Inflammatory Drugs

A possible side effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is bleeding. NSAIDs can cause easy bruising and bleeding because they affect how well your platelets work.  If you need ibuprofen for medical reasons – please check with your doctor first before discontinuing.

Pain Medication

If you need pain relief, paracetamol is fine to use. Avoid ibuprofen and aspirin.

Blood Thinners

If you’re on blood thinners like Warfarin, please let us know before you book in. Continue taking these medications as per your doctor’s instructions, but you will be more susceptible to bruising after your injections.

Steroids

Bruising is caused by thinning of the skin. An unfortunate side effect of taking oral steroids for long periods. If your doctor has prescribed steroids for you, it is best to complete the course and wait two weeks before having cosmetic injections.

Steroids can cause weight gain. They can make a person’s face look swollen and moon faced. These symptoms usually go away once a person stops treatment. To avoid under-correction with Dermal Fillers, best to wait until 2 weeks after you have completed your course of steroids.

Antibiotics

If you are taking antibiotics, your Anti-Wrinkle injections might not be as effective. Wait for 5-7 days after you’ve finished your antibiotics before having your injections.

Herpes Virus (HSVI)

Cosmetic injections should not be performed if an active cold sore is present close to the injection site. The herpes virus can spread and cause a more severe skin infection which can cause scarring.

PRODUCTS TO AVOID BEFORE TREATMENT:

Retinol, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid

Be extra gentle when applying skincare products and avoid retinol, glycolic acid, salicylic acid  and exfoliating agents for 24 to 48 hours before and after treatment to minimize the risk of irritation.

Waxing, Bleaching or using Hair Removal Cream

Do not wax, bleach or use hair removal cream on the areas that are going to be injected with Dermal Filler of Anti-Wrinkle injections.

Alcohol

Stop drinking alcohol 2 days prior to injections: Alcohol can thin your blood which means that there is an increased possibility of you experiencing bruising at the injection sites. No alcohol on the day or evening after your injections.

Supplements to AVOID for 7 days before treatment:

• Aspirin & Ibuprofen  (Paracetamol is fine.)
• Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamins B-6 and Vitamin E
• Folic acid
• Serums with high concentration Vitamin C for 4 days before injections.
• Omega 3 fatty acids
• Fish Oils
• Green tea
• Garlic
• Ginseng

Arnica

Take Arnica tablets 4 days prior to your procedure. Don’t take if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.

Arnica stimulates your body’s natural healing process, facilitating blood flow through the area, which helps to alleviate pain, reduce swelling, and reabsorb bruising.

Vitamin D

Without enough vitamin D, you may be more prone to increased bruising and longer bruise-repair time. Vitamin D can help the process of forming new skin & assisting in injury or wound recovery.

Vitamin B12

Folic acid (folate) and B12 help your blood clot. If you don’t get enough of these, you may bruise more easily. Try eating more citrus fruit if you’re low in vitamin C. Fruit juices, Beef and certain breakfast cereals are rich in B12.

AFTER TREATMENT

Common injection-related reactions can occur, such as swelling, bruising, redness, tenderness and itching. The intensity and duration of these effects will depend on your individual healing characteristics, but symptoms can last for 1-2 weeks.

• Apply Arnica gel or cream regularly for 3-4 days post injections.
• Avoid alcohol for 24 hours after treatment.
• Sleep on slightly inclined or raised pillows for the first night.
• If having cheeks or your nose fillers, avoid placing heavy/ large lens glasses on the injection site to prevent indentation of the filler.
• No excessive exercise for 24 hours after treatment.
• No inversions in yoga or hot yoga for 48 hours.
• Avoid rigorous exercise or lifting weights at the gym for 24 hours. Strenuous exercise increases your heart rate, blood pressure and blood flow, which can increase the extent of any bruising.
• Avoid excessive sun or heat until any initial swelling and redness have resolved.

SWELLING:

If you experience any swelling, apply a cold pack to the treatment area for 5-10 minutes every hour.

Anti Wrinkle Injections: Routinely, there is no swelling with these injections.

HA Filler injections: Peri Oral (Smoker Lines), Naso Labial and Marionette Lines may appear a little swollen on the morning following treatment. This routinely subsides after a few hours. There be very slight swelling with Cheek Fillers.

Profhilo Injections: After your treatment,you may experience mild redness & slight swelling around each injection site which should vanish after a few hours.

Lip Fillers injections – You will appear swollen on the morning following treatment which can last 5-7 days. This is totally normal and can reduced by the application of ice (NOT directly onto the skin) for 5- 10 minutes at 60 minute intervals.

DOWNTIME:

Anti Wrinkle Injections: Allow a few hours for injection marks to vanish.

HA Filler injections: Allow a down time of 1-2 days. If you bruise easily, you will need to allow for 1 week to fully heal.  Most bruises can be covered fairly well with concealer but not all.

Profhilo Injections: The treatment areas may feel tender to touch for a few days.

Face Profhilo injection marks last few hours & routinely there is no down time.

Neck Profhilo injections can require 2- 3 days downtime before the swelling subsides and the injection marks disappear. This is because the skin on your neck is very thin.

The Tyndall Effect :

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers injected very superficially can produce a greyish discolouration

If your doctor is trying to correct a crease at the corner of your mouth or Marionettes lines, they may need to inject the filler superficially in the upper dermis or just below the epidermis.

This technique can cause a slight greyish discolouration in the skin at the injection site. This is called the Tyndall effect .

In the case of HA fillers, the light penetrates the skin and is scattered by the gel, producing a bluish-grey coloration. This can happen in any location where the filler is needed to be placed superficially in the skin.

This grey hue will improve over 2-3 weeks, but it is unlikely to fully go away. Don’t worry as it is not visible when wearing make and can only seen in strong or harsh lighting situations.

Lip Fillers Injections Downtime:

Best to avoid planning any important work or social events for 3-5 days after treatments. It may take up to 2 weeks for you to become accustomed to the fullness of your new lips.

Click on the link to learn more:   Dr Mark Hamilton FAQ

To Book a treatment with Dr. Mark Hamilton  Email  drmark@hamiltonfaceclinic.com