What Vitamins and Herbs Could Cause Excess Bruising or Bleeding with Restylane Injections?

As you can see, there are numerous over the counter supplements that may lead to excessive bruising/bleeding with injection treatments.  We also recommend that our patients avoid alcohol 24 hours prior (red wine seems to be a culprit especially) with the fish oil/omega supplements also being problematic.  

Realistically, most patients forget to stop these daily regimens in time to make enough of an impact on potential bruising.  Planning ahead will help if this is a significant concern for you.  You may also ask your practitioner for a list of recommendations pre-treatment.

Because bruising is always a potential even with the best technique or avoidance of the above supplements, you may ask about a options to clear the bruise much quicker.  For example, we use a pulsed dye laser to treat bruises which helps clear the bruise within 24-48 hours (generally) if done at the right time.

 

 

It is simple to avoid unnecessary bruising with Restylane or Juvederm injections ! The  best way to minimize bruising
- especially for sensitive areas like lips or under the eyes, is to avoid
medications such as aspirin, Ibuprofen ( Motrin and Advil) and non-steroidal
anti-inflammatories such as Alleve or Naprosyn that might be taken for sports
injuries . Other culprits of bleeding and bruising tendencies are green tea,
flax seed oil, Omega -3s, garlic supplements and alcohol or caffeine intake the day before
your treatment!
Arnica oral tablets are an easy remedy to reduce
the degree and length of time of bruising and can be taken 3 -5 days following
the treatment.#bruisingwithinjections   #Restylanesideeffects  #avoidingbruising

Thanks for the question. It is such a problem and we all have issues with bruising and fillers. The key is trying to prevent it. I've recently wrote an editorial discussing research into this area. Perhaps it would be of help? There are so many things out there that are misunderstood. I hope this article helps clearify some confusion with respect to what can and can not cause/help bruising. I go over alot of information so hopefully it helps in the future!James P. Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSCHead and Neck Surgerypracticing in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryAssistant Professor, University of OttawaOttawa, Ontario, Canada

There are many medications, vitamins and supplements that can put you at an increased risk of bruising and/or bleeding during injectable procedures.  A comprehensive list can be obtained through your doctor, but some of the more common ones are Vitamin E, fish oil/omega3 fatty acids, ginkgo biloba, and garlic.  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen also place you at an increased risk.

There are some injection techniques that can be done to minimize bruising if that is a big concern for you.  Your injector could add a little bit of lidocaine with epinephrine to the filler. The epinephrine will tend to constrict blood vessels and reduce bruising.  Also, the filler could be injected through a blunt cannula rather than through a sharp needle, which reduces the risk that the needle will lacerate a blood vessel and cause a bruise.  Finally, I like to use a topical anesthetic ointment which contains lidocaine and prilocaine.  The prilocaine will cause some vasoconstriction/blanching of the skin prior to treatment which may help to reduce the risk of bruising. 

Greetings~

Great question!  The list can be long, but here are some of the most common things that we find that patients take on a regular basis that contribute to bleeding and bruising:

Ibuprofen(Advil, Motrin), Naproxen (Aleve), other NSAIDs, Aspirin, Fish Oil, Omega 3's, Flax Seed Oil, Vitamin E, Gingko Biloba, Licorice, COQ10, cayenne, ginger. 

Always mention any vitamins, herbs, supplements and medications to your provider prior to any procedure, especially if you have concerns about excessive bruising or lessening your chances of a bruise.

Good luck~

Dr. Grant Stevens

High dose vitamin E and Omega-3 Fatty Acids are the the ones more likely to worsen bruising than any others.  However, many patients continue their supplements with no problems whatsoever.  Aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Aleve and medicines similar to these are much more likely to worsen bruising than supplements.

There are certain things people take that increases your bruising. Aspirin, Anti- inflammatories such as Motrin , Vitamin E, and gingko increase your chance of bruising . these products affect your platelets . You should avoid these products for 10 days prior to your treatment if possible.

LOTS that are known, and undoubtedly many more that are not.

Increased bruising and bleeding from any invasive medical treatment or surgical procedure can be troublesome.  In a case such as Restylane injections it can lead to increased bleeding, bruising and swelling (with more significant surgery the complication can, correspondingly, be more substantial).

Preparations and products that can have these effects include aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, ginger, gingko biloba, garlic, cayenne pepper and, probably, MANY more supplements.  It's almost impossible to avoid this completely but it may be a good idea to stop or cut back any vitamins and supplements for about 10-14 days before undergoing such procedures.  That may be being overly cautious but...since you asked...

I hope that this helps, and good luck,

Dr. E

Many medications, vitamins, and herbs are associated with excess bruising from filler injections such as Restylane. Those to avoid for at least 10 days prior to injection include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve), aspirin, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), licorice, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, and other herbal supplements. The degree of bruising from filler injections may also be affected by injection techniques such as fan like injections, higher injection volumes, and more rapid injection times.