Hi babes! It’s been a while since I have written a post so here you go!
Let’s talk post care for fillers! Yes, so many of you are always asking about what to do at home after fillers or if there is anything you can do to help prevent/ decrease bruising with injections and the answer is YES. I want to start off by saying bruising is possible and normal with ANY injections. Our faces are so vascular that sometimes it is just lucky if you don’t bruise, especially in areas like the lips! However, there are things you can do to help prevent or decrease bruising and some tips for fillers!
Here are some after-care DO’s and DON’TS
1. Apply ice. You should apply ice 20 minutes off and on throughout the day the first 24 hours after injections. Icing helps decrease swelling and bruising. I also recommend icing 20 minutes in the morning upon waking and at night before bed for 3 days after injections. The swelling and bruising will be at its worst the first few days following injectables
2. Arnica! The healing powers of arnica are amazing! I am obsessed. I apply gel arnica immediately after injecting my clients with fillers. I recommend going home and taking the tablets at least twice a day for one week after injections. If you are someone that tends to bruise easily, start taking the arnica 3-5 days prior to getting injectables. This helps so much! I prefer to take the tablets rather than the gel after the first 24 hours because the gel won’t be as effective.
3. Sleep on your back for 24 hours after injectables! The filler is placed exactly where its to be immediately after injections so try to avoid side sleeping the first day! I know it’s hard, I like to put pillows around my face to help me avoid sleeping on my side. Side sleeping also causes wrinkles, so this is a habit you should shoot to keep anyway.
4. If you are prone to cold sores, PLEASE inform your provider you need to be taking the appropriate antivirals (acyclovir) before and after injections or you will worsen or cause an outbreak. Just be safe! If you’re my client I am happy to get this prescription for you if needed to avoid any complications.
5. Avoid alcohol. YUP! Unfortunately, alcohol is a blood thinner, so it will increase bruising! Avoid alcohol 3 days prior to injections and at least 24 hours after injections. This is a tough one especially for wine lovers like me but trust me it’s worth the wait!
6. Avoid Ibuprofen for 3 days prior to injectables and 3 days after. Take Tylenol instead! Ibuprofen is also a blood thinner, so it will worsen bruising! Some herbal supplements are blood thinners as well like fish oil so please check with your injector and doctor and see if you should avoid taking them before injections!
7. Don’t touch your filler! Like I said before the filler is EXACTLY where it should be. If you have any small lumps you can gently massage them, typically they will go away on their own without any massage but if you must just be sure your hands are clean! You want to keep the area as clean as possible to avoid infections
8. NO makeup! If possible, you should try to avoid makeup for 24 hours after injections but at least wait one hour! You don’t want to contaminate the area so if you must just make sure anything you use is very clean!
Here you have it some aftercare tips and tricks and some advice to help decrease and prevent bruising! If you have any other questions, please comment below I am HAPPY to answer any and every question you have!
Kristen Herzog
