Dermal Fillers

The following aftercare advice is essential to help reduce the risk of treatment complications, to improve your comfort/healing and to help achieve the best possible results from treatment.

Please follow the aftercare advice for dermal filler injections:

• Immediately after dermal filler injections the treatment area may be red, tender or swollen. The redness and tenderness should improve after 48 hours. Swelling is often worse on days 2-3 after injection, improved by day 5 and resolved by 2 weeks.
• For significant swelling contact your practitioner for advice. Swelling may be reduced by regular cold compress, anti-inflammatory medicines such as Ibuprofen (after 24 hours, if safe for you to take), antihistamines and sleeping with your head propped up on 3 pillows to help drainage of fluid overnight.
• Bruising is common following treatment; this will resolve naturally but may take up to 2 weeks to settle.
• Regular application of Arnica cream may be helpful for bruising.
• Tenderness is normal when the injected area is touched afterwards but active pain at rest is not normal. If you experience pain, you must contact your practitioner as soon as possible.
• Avoid any makeup for 24 hours after treatment as this will reduce the risk of infection.
• You may require a top up appointment if there is some mild unevenness or discrepancies noticed once the initial swelling has resolved. Top ups should not be done until 2 weeks, this is when all post-injection swelling would have resolved.
• Drink plenty of water after treatment to keep well hydrated.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, hot drinks and spicy food for 24 hours.
• Avoid medications such as aspirin or Ibuprofen for 24 hours as they are blood thinning agents and may worsen bruising (if these medications have been advised by your GP you must check with your GP before stopping them)
• Avoid supplements such as multivitamins, fish oils, glucosamine and Vitamin B or Vitamin E, which are blood thinning agents and may exacerbate bruising for 24 hours (if these supplements have been advised by your GP please check with your GP before stopping them)
• Avoid any excess sun exposure, extremes of hot/cold, saunas, swimming or strenuous exercise until the redness and swelling has settled.

• A rare complication of dermal fillers is vascular occlusion in which a blood vessel is accidentally blocked with filler. Signs and symptoms include throbbing and aching pain which can be severe, paleness, a cold feeling to the tissue and purple streaky mottling tissue changes. If you notice any of these symptoms you must contact your practitioner as soon as possible, they will guide you through how to perform a capillary refill test and then assess you fully and advise further action if required.
• You must seek medical attention and contact your practitioner if you experience any signs or symptoms of infection after treatment. Infection can present as hot, red shiny skin, there may be pus formation and you may have a fever or feel generally unwell.
• You must seek emergency medical attention if you experience any severe allergy symptoms after treatment. Symptoms may include rash, facial swelling and breathing difficulties.
• You must contact your practitioner as an emergency is you notice any visual disturbance or loss of vision after the filler injections.
• Contact your practitioner as soon as possible if you notice any other unwanted side effects.
• Results can be assessed at 2 weeks, by when any residual swelling will have settled.