How Can I Prevent Bruising from Restylane or Juvederm?

To minimize bruising use Ocumend or another strong arnica montana containing product.  We like Ocumend patches, which are hydrogel patches containing a very high concentration of arnica.  They release higher concentrations directly where needed rather than a small amount throughout your entire body as oral versions do.  We also recommend icing the area and avoiding products that can "thin" your blood, such as aspirin, anti-inflammatory meds, coumadin, vitamin E and fish oil capsules.

It is a fact.  Any time that a needle passes through the skin, a bruise is possible. It is a fact. The face is a very vascular area of the body.  Bruising can be minimized, not eliminated.  You can minimize bruising by:1.  Holding aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, fish oil, high dose Vitamin E, and all other blood thinners for one week prior to injection.  2.  Take Arnica and Bromelain starting 2 days prior and a few days after.  3.  Use ice and elevation immediately after.  4. Avoid strenuous activity, anything that increases venous pressure, (stooping, straining, heavy lifting), especially in the first few hours after injection.  5.  Find a gentle injector.  How? Word of mouth, trial and error. Most of my patients don't have the time to do all of those things, and most do just fine!  Remember, any injection can bruise.  Most don't.  Those that do usually go away.  

I appreciate your question. When it comes to minimizing side effects like bruising after dermal filler injections, there is no substitute for choosing an experienced, board-certified injector for your procedure. There are also steps you can take before and after treatment, such as avoiding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin and ibuprofen. I recommend talking to your injector about additional steps you can take based on your specific situation. Rest assured that when bruising does occur, it is typically quite mild and temporary.

Avoid alcohol and high sodium foods and apply arnica gel before and after filler to prevent bruising.

What you do before your injections can be more important than what you do after.With more doctors using cannulas, bruising is less of an issue since you'll require fewer needle sticks. Also, the use of a vein detection device is also a great help.Blood thinners and "heart healthy" supplements can increase bruising. Always tell your dermatologist or surgeon if you are taking RX blood thinners, aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, etc.Post treatment icing when instructed by your physician can be helpful, but don't overdo it and don't put ice cubes directly on your skin. Too much cold too long can damage your skin. Many physicians use balloons filled with cold water.

Thank you for the question.  There are steps that can be taken to reduce the swelling.  
Before the treatment, it is advised that you avoid medications and substances that increase the risk of bruising.  The patient may be asked not to take aspirin or NSAIDs for at least 7 days, unless discontinuation of these poses a significant risk.  Herbal medications (such as St John’s wort, ginkgo biloba, vitamin E, garlic, ginseng, fish oil) that predispose to bleeding and bruising should be withheld.  Preoperative ingestion of some homeopathic medications such as arnica may reduce bruising, although further investigations are needed to confirm this.
It is also imperitive that you choose an experienced injector who uses a technique to minimize bruising.  This is an operator dependent procedure and so you need to be in safe hands.
After the procedure I also advise my patients to ice the area for up to 10 minutes every hour.  Reusable ice packs can be used or a bag of frozen peas can be used to mold over the area.  A short course of steroid can also accelerate the healing process.  Anectotally, Arnica forte can be used to prevent bruising, but no definitive evidence exists to suggest that is always successful. 
If you would like to learn more about injectable fillers with Restylane and Juvederm I recommend an in person consultation with a board certified dermatologist with cosmetic training.

This is a very common question from our patients. The potential of bruising with injections should always be considered when receiving a treatment.  Using Arnica, avoiding optional blood thinning medications, Turmeric, Fish Oil and Vitamin E supplements can help minimize incidence of bruising.  Also laser treatments can help shorten duration of bruising if needed. 

At our office we like to recommend patients to refrain from drinking alcohol, and abstain from medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, fish oil, Garlic, Vitamin E, and any other medication which predispose to "thinning" the blood, prior the procedure.  Again, everyone is very different and so bruising is variable. Additionally, icing immediately after for 24 hours will help your swelling. 

One of the main risks of any injectable product is the possibility of causing temporary bruising.  In order to minimize the chance of bruising, patients should remember to avoid taking any blood thinners or supplements that could inhibit the bloods clotting factors a few days before the injection including aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil etc.  Please check with your doctor if you are taking aspirin if it is safe for you to stop it.  There are some supplements that can help prevent bruising as well arnica Montana is a good one that can be obtained over the counter either in a tablet or gel/cream form.  This can be started a few days before injection and continued a few days after.  Icing the skin just prior to injection, immediately after injection and every 20 minutes after injection can be helpful as well.  However despite all the preparation and good intentions in the world, even with he best doctor and patient under the best circumstances, bruising can still happen, so plan your injectable appointment well in advance of any important event.

There are a few key things to do to decrease bruising.  You should try to avoid NSAIDS (ie aspirin, ibuprofen) and supplements (ie fish oil, ginko) for one week before your procedure.  You should also avoid things that make your face red like hot showers, alcohol and vigorous exercise for 48 hrs after.  I usually recommend icing the area before injection simply because it significantly reduces the discomfort of injection and it also helps to decrease bruising.  If you are prone to bruise easily then you can apply ice compresses for 20 min of the hour or two immediately following the injection.  We provide complementary treatment with the sciton broad band light if patients do get bruising after the procedure to help speed the rate of resolution.  If your injector takes time to properly inject the medication into all of the small area that need treatment then it is likely that you will have at least a little spot or two of bruising.  The good news is that any bruising usually clears up in a few days but the results of a great treatment will be long lasting after the bruise goes away when done by an expert injector.

Thank you for your question about how to prevent bruising from injectable fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane.  Unfortunately there isn't a way to prevent bruising, but you can significantly reduce or minimize it by trying a few methods.  Avoid alcohol consumption, fish oils, ibuprofen or aspirin a few days prior to your procedure.  These can all thin the blood and increase risk of bruising.  Also oral or topical Arnica can minimize bruising.  Lastly, coconut water with pineapple has anecdotally been shown to decrease bruising.  


To be sure, see two or more experienced, licensed and board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment.

I hope this helps.