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Injectables  |  31 Aug 2023

3 things to avoid before getting injectables

It's not just aftercare you need to consider - there are a host of no-nos to bear in mind before letting a needle go anywhere near your skin

By Amerley Ollennu
While injectable treatments from muscle relaxers, and dermal fillers, to exosomes, prp and profhilo are widely available and can be performed in less than an hour, what you do in the multiple hours leading up to your treatment is more important than you probably know. Read on to discover which pre appointment no-nos to avoid in order to give the likes of bruising, swelling, excessive bleeding and more a wide birth…

Avoid anything that thins the blood 

OK, so we don’t mean any prescribed medication, but we do mean saying no to alcohol, and caffeine – at least for 48 hours. Plus, no popping ibuprofen before your appointment (muscle relaxing injections don’t hurt much at all, and for other forms of injectables numbing cream is almost always provided), and steer clear of Omega 3 supplements for two weeks before an injectable treatment. Why? Well, these all either thin the blood, or slow down the blood’s ability to clot. This means if a needle or canula breaks the small blood vessels under the skin – a common occurrence with injectables – the blood that leaks out has nowhere to go, so it remains under the skin and causes discoloration and skin tenderness. When the blood is thinner broken blood vessels leak for longer, resulting in more prominent bruising.

Skip retinoids

Tag teaming this gold standard active with muscle relaxing, skin plumping and hydration boosting needle-based treatments is certainly wise if you want to look your best all year round. However, most clinics ask patients not to use a retinoid, for a minimum of two days before having an injectable treatment. Retinoids cause localised inflammation making the skin more sensitive, team that with the skin trauma and you may end of with more sensitivity and irritation. You can resume retinoid use a few days post treatment.

Keep swelling at bay

Cut down on salt, and keep well hydrated in the lead up to your injectable treatment. Plus, avoid dental procedures, and any high-tech facial treatments like radiofrequency microneedling, ultrasound, and laser resurfacing, as these can cause swelling. The issue being that if your face is swollen it’s incredibly difficult to perform a dermal filler treatment, as your injector won’t have a clear picture of what you really look like and will inject to create contours and shape on an inaccurate ‘canvas’. Wait two weeks post any treatment that causes even mild swelling before getting dermal fillers.
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