How to limit bruising and swelling
A bruise (or contusion) happens when small blood vessels get punctured and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the skin.
A bruise can happen to anyone and usually clears up within a few days but to reduce your chances of bruising here are some things you do do (or avoid doing).
1. Avoid certain medications
The following should be avoided for at least 2 days but up to a week before treatment if you are concerned about or prone to bruising. You should check with your doctor before stopping any of these medications:
Aspirin
Coumadin (Warfarin)
Plavix
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
Naprosyn/Naproxen (Aleve)
All of these can thin the blood making bruising more likely.
Please also note that certain supplements can have the same effect, such as high-dose vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, and garlic.
2. Take bromeline and/or arnica
Bromelain supplement (pineapple extract) is available at health food shops and pharmacies and can reduce bruising and swelling. If you’re worried about bruising you can take this as instructed on the bottle for 1-2 weeks before treatment. Eating pineapple or drinking pineapple juice could also help.
Arnica tablets and/or cream can also be used to minimise bruising.
3. Avoid alcohol
At least 24 hours before and after treatment avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol dilates or widens your blood vessels meaning bruising and swelling is more likely and also dehydrates your skin.
4. Avoid exercise & heat
Vigorous exercise right before any injectable treatment is discouraged as increased blood flow to the face can increase the chance of bruising.
After treatment, you should avoid exercise for at least 2 days to limit swelling and bruising.
This is the same for excessive heat such as sunbeds and saunas. Heat can cause blood vessels to expand, leading to swelling, bruising, and faster breakdown of the hyaluronic acid in the fillers, compromising their longevity and efficacy.
Also sleeping elevated is recommended if you are concerned with swelling after treatment.
5. Apply a cold pack
As a bruise is caused by a blood vessel being damaged and blood leaking into the underlying tissue, the first thing we need to do is reduce the bleeding.
Applying pressure to the area as soon as it forms helps and after your appointment apply a cold pack or ice wrapped in a clean towel or kitchen roll to the bruised area for 15-20 mins.
This can be repeated every 2 hours for the first day or two after treatment. This slows blood flow to the injured area, which can help reduce swelling and bruising.
Be sure to wrap the ice and check the skin every 5 minutes for blueness, blotchy skin or excessive numbness – remove the ice if you experience any of these.
6. Apply heat
After 2-3 days applying cold no longer benefits as we need to clear the bruise.
Heat helps dilate the blood vessels, getting blood to the area and helping heal the damaged tissue.
You can apply a heating pad or warm compress to the injured area several times a day. Gentle warmth is fine (not hot).