Although wrinkle relaxers and dermal fillers have been used for many years and are generally well tolerated, there is still a chance that slight redness, bruising, swelling and tenderness may occur at the injection site that should subside within a few days. We have compiled a list of pre care and after care tips that will help minimise these symptoms and ensure the best possible results.
Before your treatment
- Hydration from within is key, so drink litres of
water pre and post treatment.
- Avoid Asprin the week before treatment, this thins the blood thus increasing the risk of bruising.
- Avoid alcohol for two days before. Alcohol also thins the blood and increases the risk of bruising, especially around the mouth area if you are having dermal fillers.
- Avoid harsh laser treatments, microdermabrasion or cosmetic tattooing that will irritate the skin.
Aftercare – for the next 12 hours
- Do your facial exercises every 5 minutes for 2 hours so the medicine seeps to the intended muscles. Muscles are made up thousands of different fibres and for wrinkle relaxers to be active they need to be at a particular part of the neuromuscular junction of the cell. The exercises promote blood flow to activate the wrinkle relaxer.
- Do not touch the treated area with force or pressure. Avoid rubbing makeup onto your face or massaging the area.
- Do not consume alcohol. Alcohol thins the blood that would promote bruising and the more intoxicated you become, the more likely you are to touch the treated area.
- Do not sleep face down that night. Wrinkle relaxer migration to the eyelid muscle has been reported for up to two weeks after injections to the frown area, so avoid any position that would compress the face. We suggest sleeping with an extra cushion so you face is slightly elevated after dermal fillers to decrease swelling.
- Do not work out. Strenuous physical exercise increases cardiac output and systemic blood flow. This increased circulation can increase the risk that the wrinkle relaxer will be taken away from the injection zone before it is fully absorbed into the neuromuscular junction. The risk of ball sports is self explanatory!
Aftercare – for the next 2 weeks
- Do not have any waxing treatment on the area.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, UV light or extremely cold temperatures.
- Do not have microdermabrasion, cosmetic tattooing, skin needling or other invasive skin treatments.
Medical procedures come with risk, they always have and they always will. Luckily you are at the hands of medically trained Doctor Dennis Millard who understands the anatomy of the face and can advise on how to alleviate any side effects.
If you have questions about your treatment, call Steff on 1300 311 755 who is a wealth of knowledge on Utopian’s treatments.