Many of us want to keep our beauty secrets to ourselves; no one needs to know what we do to keep ourselves looking young and fabulous. Unfortunately, bruising is a possible outcome when getting injectables, such as BOTOX®, dermal fillers, or skin lifting treatments like Ultherapy®. So what’s a girl to do? Go without? Ha! That is not even a consideration for most. So short of a good bar fight story, what can we do? Prevention and preparation are key:
Several days before an appointment:
- Avoid blood thinners found in pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen. Avoid certain supplements known to thin the blood such as fish oils, Vitamin E, Ginko and Garlic Supplements. Also avoid alcohol.
- Take arnica (Arnica montana ) supplements. Studies have shown arnica to be more beneficial when taken prior to injury or treatment.
- Take Bromelain supplements. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme derived from pineapple. Bromelain is thought to decrease bruising by breaking down proteins that trap fluids in the tissues after an injury.
- If you tend to bruise easy in general, consider increasing your intake of Vitamin C. It helps thicken the walls of your blood vessels, making them less prone to breaking and creating bruises.
If you get a bruise, or think you will, do the following to speed healing:
- Apply a cold compress as soon as possible, and keep reapplying for the first 24 hours.
- Keep the bruised area elevated.
- Purchase our Auriderm post op gel. It has Vitamin K oxide which minimizes bruises to improve the appearance of skin and Vitamin E speeds up cell regeneration to keep skin soft and radiant.
- Camouflage the bruise. A peachy to orange color corrector (similar to a concealer) will counteract the bluish and purple color of the bruise. A color corrector is also a great way to camouflage dark under-eye circles. Bobby Brown cosmetics has some great correctors.
A bruise is a temporary problem that can easily be dealt with. Also ask about having your injectables administered with a Microcannula – a flexible, bendable needle that greatly reduces the trauma and bruising some patients experience. But if worse comes to worse, we will gladly back you up on your “You should see the other guy” bar fight story.
