Preparations for Injectable Treatments

Preparations for Injectable Treatments

Injectable treatments are used to treat lines, wrinkles, restore fullness and volume to the face. The use of cosmetic injectable fillers, also known as soft tissue augmentation, can plump thin lips, enhance shallow facial contours, soften facial creases and wrinkles or improve the appearance of recessed scars.

Injectable treatments are popular not only for their uses but they are less invasive, cheaper in cost and have a short recovery time compared to laser or surgery options.

There are two main types of injectable treatments. Botulinum toxin Type A that is available in Australia as Anti-wrinkle injections and Anti-wrinkle injections or the other is dermal fillers. There are also some other cosmetic treatments that fall under the injectable treatments category such as platelet rich plasma treatment (see our article on PRP here) and Mesotherapy. Mesotherapy involves micro-injections of conventional or homeopathic medicines, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Tiny “medicinal bullets” that are delivered directly into the mesoderm (middle layer of skin) that is highly specific to the condition being treated.

So you can prepare for injectable treatments we have put together a few things for you to consider;

It is important to remember that some injectable treatments do not use local anaesthetic, as the needles that are utilised are so small that there is minimal discomfort.

Some bruising is a common side effect in Botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, Mesotherapy and PRP. Although it is fair to assume there may be no bruising for these procedures it is also a good idea to leave some time after the treatment to heal from the bruising.

7 days before treatment avoid the following:

  • Aspirin
  • Warfarin
  • Anti-Inflammatories
  • Garlic, ginger, ginseng, fish oil, flaxseed oil (or any supplements containing the omega oils)
  • Vitamins A,B,C and E
  • Glucosamine
  • Green Tea, Echinacea, St. John’s Wort

For 5-7 days before your treatment it is recommended that you take Arnica tablets. These are available from your local health food shops, naturopath or pharmacy. Follow the instructions on the package. Arnica works by stimulating the flow of white blood cells, which processes congested blood and by dispersing trapped fluids from joints, muscles and bruised tissues.

For PRP treatments it is recommended that your water intake is upped and your alcohol and fat intake is decreased 5-7 days leading up to your PRP treatment.

Of course the best thing to do is follow your Doctor’s advice and if you have any questions at all contact them straight away.