One of the most frequent questions we get in our office is “When should I have ______ treatment done?” Here are a few helpful tips to help guide you in scheduling your next amazing treatment and the following downtime.
Let’s start with the most popular… Botox
A common misconception is that Botox treatment is immediately effective. Botox actually takes 2-12 days before it is in full effect. Therefore, we recommend allowing at least 2 weeks before a social event if you have had botox before and perhaps 4 weeks before an event if it’s your first-time. That way if a touch up is needed, we can add a few more units around day 14 so you can be looking your best for the event.
Dermal Fillers
Filler appointments should be done at least 4-6 weeks prior to any major social appearances in case of any lingering bruising or swelling. Many whom have had filler several times in the past without any incident often forget that it can occur with any treatment, so be sure to plan ahead. Swelling differs from patient to patient and sometimes can last for several weeks. It’s important to avoid taking medications that can make bruising or swelling worse, which we will detail later. Also, taking arnica by mouth for 2-3 days prior to your injectable appointment will help alleviate potential bruising and swelling.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Also known as a Photofacial, IPL should be done 2-4 weeks prior to expecting the full results to be apparent. After your treatment, you will begin to see darkening of pigmentation and slight redness. A few days later, the pigmentation will begin to slough away leaving you with a more even complexion. This sloughing process typically takes 3-5 days to complete, but can take up to several weeks to fully dissipate. If you want an added glow after your IPL treatment, you may want to get a DermaSweep two weeks after… it will aide in the cell turnover and you wont regret it!
VI Peel
For any intense chemical peel, such as VI Peel, you should allow at least 10 days for the complete peeling process to occur. Around day 3 you should be peeling significantly and by day 7-10 you are glowing with fresh baby skin. Though the downtime appearance can be a bit alarming, this is a fantastic treatment for acne and hyper pigmentation.
Kybella
Downtime with Kybella treatment can be a bit daunting but the results are well worth it. You can expect around 3 days of major swelling under the chin. You may feel a bit like a bullfrog! The good news is that inflammation typically indicates a good treatment. For up to around 14 days you will likely continue to have minor swelling… you will know but probably nobody else will notice. Pinpoint bruising is also likely as there can be up to 50 injection sites in a treatment.
Microneedling
With minimal down time, you can expect redness and slight swelling right after Microneedling treatment but it will subside within a couple of days. Though most patients are barely pink the next morning, 12 hours after your treatment you can apply makeup as desired. Complete healing can take around 2 weeks so it is best to plan accordingly.
No-Downtime Treatments
There are many treatments that have virtually no downtime and can certainly be done the day of an event:
- CoolSculpting– though there may be some tenderness or discomfort, patients may experience no downtime after treatment. Treating areas not hidden by clothing, such as the chin or arms, will require a few days of downtime for any swelling or redness to completely dissipate.
- DermaSweep– the only non-invasive treatment that will completely remove the stratum corneum (top layer of skin) will have you looking great immediately after treatment… even when receiving a PeelFusion!
- Epionce Refresh Peel- a light “lunchtime” peel that will have you out the door and looking great right away.
- b|A Signature Facial– gentle yet effective cleansing, exfoliation and toning designed specifically for your skin’s needs.
Reducing Downtime
If you would like to reduce risk of bruising and swelling here are a few rules to follow:
- Stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Aspirin, and Excedrin around 5-7 days prior to any injections.
- Avoid fish oil, ginseng, and vitamins A and E around 5-7 days prior to any injections.
- You may take Arnica, which is a homeopathic medicine that is used to treat and reduce signs of inflammation and bruising, before and after any injectables.
- Apply ice to the treatment area for 48 hours after any injectables.
- Sun protection is always a must!
There are other aesthetic treatments performed in different practices that are more invasive and have greater downtime. At Beyond Aesthetics, we have chosen to focus on treatments that offer what we feel are the best downtime-to-results ratios. Though downtime can never be 100% predicted accurately, a lot of experience with many different types of patients will help a practitioner foresee any potential major issues.
Treatment downtime is sometimes part of the price of getting great results. It is important to remember that treatment downtime is temporary and is usually less severe than we think when looking in the mirror. If we change our mindset to think of this downtime as proof that we did something to better ourselves, perhaps we can accept and even enjoy the recovery process!
