Filler Injections and Returning to Work

Hi Monarch,

Most patients can have their filler treatment in the morning and return to work without too much attention. Particularly women who can use a little consealer. There may be slight redness that fades within 12 to 24 hours. There can be small surface irregularities, but those should be massaged out by the physician before leaving the office.

Now for the wild card, even in the most expert hands, that little injection needle may find a small artery or vein that bleeds a bit, and may cause a bruise. In this case you can both return to work, and use your imagination in thinking up your reason for your bruise (bumped into something, wife hit me, etc.).

Some fillers are less prone to bruising. Evolence is the filler of choice for patients who have an occasion the same day of the treatment. Radiesse should be injected only if patients can afford a possible bruise. The hollows under the eyelids should likewise only be filled if a little bruising can be tolerated.

Friday afternoon injections are always a good choice if you are very concerned.

Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

In most cases, the amount of downtime following a facial filler injection is minimal depending on the technique used. A small gauge needle used on a patient who does not meet any criteria for excessive bleeding will undoubtedly result in quick recovery.

Our office performs countless facial fillers and we advise patients to not schedule them immediately prior to a major social event. A small bruise can occur in any patient, even in the best circumstances, and thus several days of recovery is opportune.

Tips to minimize bleeding prior to facial fillers:

• Decrease consumption of aspirin, ibuprofen, or coumadin 3 weeks prior to injection. Defer to instructions set by your individual physician.
• Ask the doctor to use smaller gauge needles.
• Use Bruisestick, Sinech, or other anti-bruising agents after injection.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD www.karemd.com Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Clinic Santa Monica, CA Los Angeles, CA

Most patients can return to work the day following their treatment. The amount of swelling one may experience depends on where they had Restylane injected. Lips may become a bit more swollen than the rest of the face. Any time one places a needle in the skin, there is a risk to develop a bruise. It is advisable to avoid non steroidal anti inflammatories the week prior to your treatment.

The answer to the question depends on where the product is being injected. In most cases, when Restylane is injected in the nasolabial folds (smile lines) or marionette lines (chin), our patients will not have any downtime. When injecting the lips, there can be some significant swelling depending on how much product is injected and to which area of the lip (border vs. body). 

Finally, under eye injections for hollowness and dark circles is the most likely area for bruising. It happens infrequently for our patients, but when it does occur, you do not want to have any social engagements that evening and probably not for at least a week afterward.