Restylane Downtime and Recovery

The estimated 'downtime' varies from patient to patient and also is based on the injection technique, and somewhat depends on the type of filler used.
The short answer is this: with any hyaluronic filler (Perlane, Restylane, Juvederm, Prevelle and Elevess) you can expect the following
1. redness and swelling immediately after injection for 24-36 hours. This is usually minimal, and most people have no problems interacting socially immediately after injection
2. some mild bruising (which again depends on patient, product and injector) which subsides over 4-5 days. Many patients experience no bruising at all.
3. The final cosmetic result is achieved once swelling subsides after 5-7 days.
4. sleeping with head slightly elevated helps with swelling after injection
5. gentle icing immediately after injection helps with swelling and bruising
Most kindly,
Scott Sattler MD FACS

Thank you for your question. It really depends on what area you are treating and how much product is being  injected. Usually, you can expect swelling to last a couple days, in some cases longer. Bruising is also different for everybody. Some people don't even bruise at all, but it is expected. Over all, recovery can be from a few days to a week. Best of luck!Dhaval M. Patel Double board certified Plastic surgeon Hoffman Estates Barrington Oakbrook Chicago 

The vast majority of plastic surgeons allow patients to
resume normal activities immediately following Restylane injections.In the case of strenuous activities patients
are asked to wait at least 24 hours before restarting exercise routines.Strenuous
activities can elevate blood pressure and cause bleeding at the injection
site.It’s therefore important to avoid
massage and drugs that are associated with bleeding.These include Ibuprofen, Aleve, Motrin and
Aspirin to name a few.Although
bleeding won’t affect the ultimate aesthetic result from this procedure, it can
cause bruising.For this reason,
patients shouldn’t schedule Restylane injections prior to important social
events.In your
case it’s possible to have a Restylane injection in the morning and return to
work later that day.Unfortunately
there’s always the risk of bruising.When bruising does occur it may be hard to hide even with concealing
make-up.

When undergoing Restylane injections, downtime should be quite minimal.  There can be swelling which lasts a day or so, depending on where the product is injected.  If an area like the lip is injected, it can take up to a few days for swelling to resolve. Other areas may show little or no swelling. However, it is always possible to develop a bruise, especially if you are using NSAIDs (aspirin, motrin, etc) or blood thinners, and a bruise can often take several days to resolve.  

I normally encourage people to have a filler done at the end of their day so they can go home and not be self conscious of the small temporary red bumps that form for a few hours. There can be slight bruising, and very rarely significant bruising, so you shouldn't do it within a few days to even a week of an important social function or business meeting if the discoloration of a bruise would be a problem. The right makeup, or makeup applied by a specialist can hide brusing, but it shouldn't be applied immediately after the injections.

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.

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.

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

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

This is a good question. Ideally, you will not have any bruising or swelling. However, realistically, most people have mild swelling and about 1/3 of people develop very mild bruising. You probably should not return to work the same day, but you will likely be fine to go back the next day. If you are worried, have the procedure on a Friday and you will be fine by Monday for work. Good Luck.
David Shafer, MD