Part of the appeal of Injection treatments is the “instant gratification” aspect.
You come in for lip enhancement, and leave with enhanced lips.
You want to erase the lines on your forehead or smooth the platysmal lines in your neck, you can come in for a 15-minute Botox treatment and leave knowing that your goals are on the way.
Especially if you know what to expect, injections are a (relatively) easy way to acheive your aesthetic goals. BUT, your results are only partially under our control, YOU have more control over your outcome than you may realize. Please read on for our thorough list of what to do and NOT do to insure the best possible results from your dermal-filler treatments in Philadelphia.
Why trust us as Injection Experts?
About Face Skin Care has a combined 40+ years of injecting experience in our office. We’ve had all the trainings, used all the products, and have gone through more vials of botulism (Botox, Jeuveau, Dysport and Daxxify, amongst others over the years) and syringes of dermal-filler (Juvederms, Restylanes, RHA, Versa, Radiesse, and all the biostimulators) than we can count. After all the exposure and experience we have, we’ve decided to share it with you!
(Also, after repeating the following list countless times throughout the day, we finally had the epiphany to share this information with everyone on the internet. Feel free to bookmark this article, this list is a work in progress and changes as we learn more tips and tricks!)
Author’s Note: Please DO NOT be intimidated by the length of this list. We tried to be as inclusive and thorough as possible to prepare you for everything your procedure.
Here are the things you should do and avoid before botox, fillers, and any other injections you might decide to get.
Do NOT do This Before Your Injection Treatment
- Do Not take blood-thinners for 2-days before your treatment. The most likely culprits are Aspirin, St. John’s wort, Fish Oil, Vitamin E, and alcoholic beverages. (These are all anti-coagulators and can increase the likelihood bleeding, and bruising.)
- Do Not schedule your treatment within 4-weeks of any big event. Anytime your skin breaks, there is a chance of bruising or swelling, your body will need time to respond to the treatment, and may need a tweak. Please make sure to give yourself plenty of healing time before a big event JUST IN CASE.
- Do Not move forward with lip injections if you’ve had recent dental work. Please wait at least two weeks between lip injections and dental work to ensure that all wounds have had time to heal and there is no risk of spreading bacteria. (The human mouth is so dirty!)
- Do Not undergo any cosmetic injections if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. (There are no studies to confirm that this is safe for Baby.)
- Try to not come to the appointment with any facial products applied. Some of the things you want to avoid before botox or other injections are makeup, moisturizer, and sunscreen. (But if you do, it’s not a huge problem, we’ll make sure your skin is properly cleansed and prepared before injecting!)
Do This Before Your Injection Treatment
- Do tell us if you have any history of cold sores or herpes break-outs. We can prescribe medication to minimize the chances and duration of a possible break-out.
- Do tell us about any important medical history; any autoimmune issues, food allergies, bleeding disorders, etc. The better we understand everything about YOU, the better we can treat you.
- Do feel free to bring a picture of your desired outcome. Our definition of “plumped,” “smoothed,” or “contoured” could vary drastically from yours. We want to make sure we are on the same page as you, and we can guide you as realistically as possible based on this.
- Do you have microbladed eyebrows? If so, please call your brow provider to see what they recommend for Botox injections with your eyebrow treatment.
- Do you know if you’re an easy bruiser? Please tell us when scheduling, and we can make suggestions for products to take beforehand to reduce the risk of bruising.
- Do you enjoy pineapple? Eating fresh pineapple a week prior to your appointment can help reduce the likelihood of bruising.
- Do try to eat a small snack before your appointment. Having food in your stomach during a dermal filler, Sculptra, Kybella, Botox, or Dysport injection will help prevent you from feeling light-headed or faintish.
- Do tell us if you’re squeamish or needle-phobic, we can do our best to help minimize your exposure to anything that might make you feel “ick”.
After Your Injection Treatment
Most of the time, people do not have any issues after their injection treatments. Side effects are rare, and satisfaction is high! But there are still a few important things you should do and avoid after fillers or any other injection treatment:
Do NOT do this after your Injection Treatment!
- Do not apply a lot of pressure to the treatment area for the rest of the day.when using a compress against your skin.
- Do not lie down for at least 4 hours after a Botox / Dysport treatment.
- Do Not: Engage in aerobic activities for 24 hours after injection treatments. Although extremely rare, you do not want any product to migrate from its injection site.
- Do Not: Sleep flat on your face (if you can help it) for 3-4 days after your treatment.
- Do Not: Touch or massage the facial area for about 6 hours after the procedure.
- Do Not: Wear glasses or hats that may press against a treatment site for 6 hours afterward.
- Do Not: Schedule a dental treatment until two weeks after your procedure.
DO this after your Injection Treatment!
- If you’re worried about bruising, do use cold compresses (like bags of frozen veggies) to help reduce bruising and swelling.
- Do remember that patience is a virtue. The immediate results you see aren’t final. It can take 14-days for your neurotoxin to fully kick in, and sometimes even longer for dermal-filler to fully integrate and settle.
- Do avoid touching the treated area for the first six hours following treatment.
- Do limit the levels of heat your skin experiences within 24 hours of your injections. (This includes sun exposure and things like heat lamps, saunas or tanning beds.)
- Do make sure to stay hydrated and drink lots of water, as this will help everything work to its full capacity.
- Do add an extra pillow under your head before going to bed (after dermal-filler treatments). The added elevation can help prevent swelling.
- Do remember to ask about follow-up appointments!
- Remember that there’s no need to rush results! We prefer a slow, building process with your injection results (when it comes to adding volume) to make sure that your results are as flattering and beneficial as possible.
- Do contact us immediately if you’re experiencing any surprising side effects after your injection appointment; fevers or chills, discolorations around areas or areas warm to the touch, and severe pains are all issues that require immediate attention.
