Bruising and swelling is always a potential risk when being stuck by a needle, but it can be prevented! Lets talk about pre and post procedure must-do’s to avoid bruising and have minimal swelling. Typically, 9/10 people will have no bruising and minimal swelling, but if you’re usually the 1/10 that does, follow these 6 tips to avoid them all together.
1. Research research research! Be thorough about choosing who will inject you. Make sure they are a licensed professional with experience and knowledge in the field. Do not be hesitant to ask questions and voice your concerns. Please do not be fooled by offices who price their injectables for a questionably lower price than the rest of the market! That either means you run the risk that their products are not purchased from FDA approved companies such as Allergan, Galderma, Merz, etc.. or they may not be a legitimate medical spa. Some places promoting these odd sales may be injecting foreign product into your body that can cause potential permanent damages. Our office is always available to talk through all your questions and concerns!
2. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol thins your blood which is a big risk for bruising and swelling which leads us to the next point.
3. Avoid blood thinning medications. Aspirin, ibuprofen and anticoagulants such as heparin, prevent blood from clotting and cause potential bruising. Avoid taking any medications such as these a week before your procedure and a couple days after. Always ask your doctor if getting off your blood thinning medication for this amount of time is safe for you.
4. Take arnica. Start taking arnica a week or so before your procedure. Arnica is an over the counter homeopathic medicine found at your local pharmacy or at your nearest Wholefoods or Trader Joes. It is made from leopards bane or most commonly known as Daisies. These cute yellow flowers have shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune stimulating effects that promoting healing. You can get it in pill form or topical gel/cream.
5. Use the holy grail of arnica, Regenerating Skin Nectar from Alastin. Skin Nectar is a product made by Alastin specifically for pre and post procedures. It has 100 times the power of arnica in the bottle while also supporting healthy elasticity and collagen. Double whammy! We recommend using it 2 weeks before & after, 1 pump day and night to start help clearing damage and debris in the extracellular matrix.(space between our skin cells that creates collagen) Its high antioxidant activity is designed to calm the skin and reduce the appearance of redness. Alastin is one of the only skin care companies that are science grade and are only available for sale through medical practitioners. You can call our office and order yours today or stop by any time to pick one up.
6. No touching! We love to touch our face but often times, we can pick up bacteria from touching unclean surfaces (doorhandles, phones/tablets etc..) Touching your face post procedure can also add trauma to the blood vessels and manipulate the Botox or filler. Wash your hands thoroughly before touching any area of the face to avoid breakouts.
These tips can all together diminish possibility of bruising and swelling and you can always have a cold compress ready to help sooth the area. Apply lightly and for a couple minutes at a time. Again if your that 1/10 that bruises and swells no matter what, these tips can help lessen the swelling and diminish bruise longevity. Hope this helps and we will see you at your next appointment!