Woohoo! You’ve decided to go for it and take control of your aging process. Congratulations!! Now, you are worried about the needle that is about to go into your face. Don’t worry. You are not alone!! Many people have a minor “freak out” before going in for their first injection. That’s why I’ve written –
8 Easy Ways to Prepare for Filler Injections
I always tell my patients that filler injections, Botox and Dysport are medical services. That means you need a medical evaluation, including your health history and medications, ahead of time. You also need to know that bruising is a high likelihood. Even in the hands of the most skilled injector they can (and probably will) happen. It is a needle in skin after all!
What can you do reduce the possibility of bruising?
- Avoid aspirin, aleve, ibuprofen and medications like these for 5-7 days before
- Avoid any alcohol consumption the week before
- Stop non prescription supplements the week before. Things like fish oil, vitamin E, glucosamine, ginseng, ginkgo, garlic, etc can increase bruising potential
- Stop drinking or taking green tea supplements the week before
- Some say arnica Montana tablets can help reduce bruising and swelling. I recommend you start them 2-3 days before your procedure
- Other say eating 1 cup pineapple per day a couple days ahead of time helps. It can’t hurt.. especially if you like pineapple!
- If you take prescription fish oil I would recommend holding it for 5 days before your filler injections. This is not necessary for simple Botox injections
- If you are on prescription blood thinners, I review this on a case-by-case basis. This is why having an injector with the ability to prescribe and understand prescriptions is vital. Most of the time for Botox/Dysport, I won’t stop prescription blood thinners. Of course, there is a much higher likelihood of bruising. In these instances, I will take more time with injections and hold pressure longer after each injection point. For filler services where bruising is much more of a concern I usually recommend they be held. But again, this is where having an injector with medical experience is needed. You need someone who can weigh risks vs. benefits of this with you. In some instances it is not safe to withdraw blood thinners. Consultation with your cardiologist or healthcare provider is warranted.
I also suggest you just plan on having a bruise after any filler procedure. That way if you don’t get one you will be super happy and if you do it won’t be stressful.
Have good cover up ready!
There are a lot of great makeup tutorials out there on how to camouflage bruises. If you are ready ahead of time you won’t have to scramble to the drug store at the last minute. Topical arnica gel is great at helping bruises heal faster and using it 3-4 times per day is helpful and you can take the oral tablets at the same time. Don’t exercise or get over heated right after your procedure, as this increases vasodilation and can increase the possibility of bruising and will definitely increase swelling.
