Dermal fillers are an affordable and minimally invasive way for both men and women to correct the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and furrows. Dermal filler procedures are outpatient procedures that take about half an hour or less depending on how many areas of the face are treated. This means that they can be done on the patient’s lunch hour. Like all procedures, there are things that the patient should and shouldn’t do before and after their session for best results. Here are some do’s and don’ts for dermal fillers.

Do’s and Don’ts: Before

Make an appointment for a dermal filler session at least two weeks before a major event such as a wedding. It takes about two weeks for the face to “calm down” after the treatment.

Schedule a dermal filler appointment at least two weeks before having major surgery, a biopsy, or a trip to the dentist or tattoo parlor.

Stop taking any medicine or supplement that can thin the blood and interfere with healing at least three days before the treatment. This includes aspirin, garlic, essential fatty acids, Vitamin A or Vitamin E. The patient should discuss what medications they can or can’t use before the session with their doctor.

The patient should discontinue Retin-A or other vitamin A based skin treatments at least two days before getting a dermal filler.

Though a person doesn’t need to fast overnight before dermal filler treatment, they should avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugary, salty, or spicy foods one to two days before their session. They must stop smoking if they smoke.

If the patient is susceptible to regular cold sore outbreaks, they should be pretreated at least three days before their dermal filler session.

The patient should reschedule their appointment if they get sick or develop a rash or other skin lesion in the area that’s to be treated.

A patient who’s had treatments such as microdermabrasion, chemical peel or other cosmetic treatment on their face should wait at least two weeks before coming in for a dermal filler.

Do’s and Don’ts: After

After the treatment, the patient should not rub or massage the treatment area for at least six hours. They should try, if possible, not to touch the area at all. This can irritate the area which can lead to sores or even scarring.

Stay out of the sun and areas of high heat and humidity for at least three days after the session.

The patient should avoid strenuous exercise right after their treatment. They should wait at least three days before returning to the gym.

If patient’s had hyaluronic acid dermal filler, they should keep their head above water for a few days.

To ease swelling and bruising, the patient should place an icepack on the treatment area for 20 minutes then remove it for 20 minutes for 24 hours.

They should avoid the same anticoagulants and sugary, salty and spicy foods that they avoided before their treatment for a few days.

The patient should not use vitamin A based skin treatments for at least two days after their treatment.

They should not have any other cosmetic treatment on their face or the treatment area for at least two weeks. This includes chemical peels, microdermabrasion or facials.

The patient should not put on makeup for at least 24 hours after the treatment, since this may raise pustules.

They should call their doctor if they experience intense pain, itching, unusual swelling, redness or blistering. They don’t need to call their doctor if they notice one side of their face healing faster than the other. This is normal.

Types of Dermal Fillers

There are several types of dermal fillers to choose from. According to Filler Shop website, the most popular fillers are:

Hyaluronic acid

This is a natural product found in all living beings. It draws water to it and locks it in, which plumps out areas that are dry and wrinkled. Unfortunately, if the patient has had a surgical facelift they can’t have hyaluronic acid dermal fillers in their cheeks or their mid-face.

Collagen

This is also a natural product that keeps skin elastic.

Poly-L-lactic acid

This dermal filler stimulates the body into making more of its own collagen.

The patient’s own fat

The patient’s own fat can be collected during liposuction and reinjected into an area that needs volume.

Calcium hydroxylapatite

This dermal filler is good for correcting deep wrinkles and furrows.