AFTERCARE INFORMATION

 

 

AFTERCARE: DERMAL FILLERS/ PROFHILO/SUNEKOS/MESO-THERAPY 

 

1. Redness and swelling are normal. Bruising may also be visible. 

2. You may experience some tenderness at the treatment site(s) that can last for a few hours or a few days. 

3. Depending upon the area(s) treated and product(s) used, you may feel “firmness” in the treated area(s) for 1 to 2 weeks after treatment. Over time, the area(s) will soften and “settle”. 

4. Apply an ice or cold gel pack to the area(s) treated (avoiding pressure) as this helps reduce swelling and the potential for bruising. 

5. Once you have adequately cooled/iced the area(s) as instructed and any pinpoint bleeding from the injection site(s) has subsided, you may begin wearing makeup. 

6. AVOID placing excessive pressure on the treated area(s) for the first few hours and up to 2 to 3 days; when cleansing your face or applying makeup, be very gentle. 

7. AVOID exercise or strenuous activities for the remainder of the treatment day; you may resume other normal activities/routines immediately. 

8. You may take simple analgesia if you experience any mild tenderness or discomfort if these are not contraindicated for you. 

9. AVOID extended UV exposure until any redness/swelling has subsided. You may wish to apply an SPF 50 or similar sunscreen. 

10. Wait a minimum of six weeks (or as directed by your provider) before receiving any skin care or laser treatments. 

 

AFTERCARE: CHEMICAL PEELS/MICRONEEDLING

 

Aftercare Dos:

Do treat your skin gently.

Be sure to use a very, very light touch when massaging any type of product onto your skin. No aggressive rubbing at all. Some of the flaking cells are still attached to live cells, and you don’t want to risk pulling anything off that isn’t ready.

Do be extra careful when the skin is wet.

Water melts and softens dead skin, so it’s very easy to rub off both dead and live cells when the skin is moist. This means avoid using washcloths or sonic cleansing brushes after a chemical peel or needling It’s too risky.

Do always wear sunscreen after a chemical peel and needling. 

Stating the obvious, but the skin is very vulnerable post-peel. UV light (even daylight on a cloudy day) is damaging your skin. If the skin is overly flaky and you’re being mindful of not touching it too often, consider trying an SPF-infused powder. You can dust it on for a quick and easy, rub-free reapplication.

Do limit your time outdoors.

After a chemical peel or microneedling, you want to hibernate as much as possible to keep your skin protected. The last things you want to expose your skin to are heat and UV light. It’s already in such an inflamed state, you don’t want to make it worse.

 

Do use products with soothing ingredients.

After a chemical peel or microneedling , do keep your skincare routine simple and gentle.

If you’re wondering what to put on your face after a chemical peel, we recommend following this type of regimen, in this order.

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•Wash your skin with a gentle, low-foaming, sulfate-free cleanser. Moisture Protecting Cleanser is a great gel-to-milk formula that won’t leave the skin feeling dry.

•Use an essence but mist it on the skin. This is essentially an alcohol-free toner that removes impure tap water from the skin post-cleansing. This is also serum-infused to deliver excellent hydration. This provides additional comfort to irritated and peeled skin. Normally, you’d apply a toner or essence to a cotton pad then wipe it over the skin. Since post-peel you want to minimize rubbing, instead put the product into a spray bottle and mist it on the face. If you don’t have a spray bottle, then pour into the palm of your hand and pat it on the face. Moisture Infusion Toner deeply hydrates the skin and can certainly be used year-round for skin types that need it. Like all toners, you should leave an essence damp on the skin so your serum that follows can seal in its hydration benefits.

•Apply moisturizer. If it’s during the day, you’ll want a moisturizer with sunscreen. (One with Zinc Oxide is ideal as it will be more soothing to the skin.) In the evening, you’ll want to use a non-sunscreen moisturizer for your skin type. Be sure to use a light touch when applying.

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Aftercare Don’ts:

*Don’t pick or pull at the flaky skin!

The whole purpose of a chemical peel or microneedling is to lift away surface dry, damaged cell layers and reveal younger-looking, healthy new cells. But to do this, the skin has to shed. That’s the part that people dislike the most. Picking off dry, flaky skin when it may not be ready to come off can result in scarring and unnecessary redness. You really have to leave it alone. Again, let Mother Nature her do her job.

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*Don’t use a washcloth, facial scrub or sonic cleansing brush.

As mentioned above, dead, flaky skin softens up when exposed to water. It can be very tempting to want to rub away that dryness with a washcloth, facial scrub or Clarisonic. Please don’t use any of these. Should any new cells come along with it (which they will!), you’ll wind up with scabs all over your face. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. This certainly defeats any benefits from getting the peel in the first place.

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*Don’t over-moisturize after a chemical peel or microneedling.

To compensate for post-peeling dryness, don’t over-moisturize. When the skin is peeling and flaky, it’s normal to want to continually apply a skin oil or heavy moisturizer to comfort and alleviate dryness. While you DO want to keep the skin moist because moisturizers can aid healing and you certainly don’t want the skin to crack, it’s important to know that the whole purpose of a chemical peel is to peel and with needling the skin to resurface and flake away. The less rubbing, massaging and tugging on the skin you do, the better. Just use a comforting moisturizer and let the skin do what it wants to do—shed. If you are going out and want to camouflage some of the flakiness, patting a few drops of a treatment oil on it will help it be less noticeable.

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*Don’t exfoliate with acids or enzymes.

It is so important to not remove the peeling skin before its time. You must let the skin shed naturally on its schedule, not on yours. Acids and enzymes, whether in a cleanser, toner, serum, mask or moisturizer, will only irritate the skin further and possibly burn and temporarily scar the skin. While I love exfoliation, and you’ll want to get back to that two weeks after a peel to keep up the results, this is not the time. 

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*Don’t eat highly acidic foods.

Just as you don’t want to apply topical acids to the skin, you also don’t want acidic foods getting on the skin. When things like tomato sauce, oranges and salsa touch the face, they can lower the pH of the skin to the point of causing serious irritation. I’ve seen a lot of people get burns/rashes on the sides of their mouth post-peel from eating pizza. It got all over the corners of their mouth without them even realizing it was happening! When you have a peel, your moisture barrier is in a very damaged state and acts extremely sensitive and particularly. Since the mouth area is the place where you’ll see the most amount of peeling due to facial movements from talking and yawning, this area can be very reactive.

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*Don’t sweat too much after a chemical peel.

Especially at the height of the peeling, your protective barrier is very damaged. When you sweat while working out, the salt can cause a stinging sensation which may further the irritation.

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*Don’t use any type of retinol or prescription retinoids.

These types of products work to stimulate cell turnover from deep. This is definitely great for the skin, but it’s what’s already occurring because of the peel. Like acids, you’ll want to use these once your skin heals, but not quite yet. 

 

AFTERCARE: MOLE/SKIN TAG/ REMOVAL 

 

Mole , Skin Tag or cyst removal is relatively simple and in most cases you can return to normal activities the same day.

For shave excisions we normally advise the following aftercare:

• If you have a dressing you will be told when it can be removed;

• Vaseline is normally then applied to keep the wound moist for 1 to 2 weeks until healed;

• The wound will be red for 2 to 3 weeks, which gradually settles over the next few months;

• Massaging with oils or moisturising/silicon (dermatix) creams is advisable after 2 to 3 weeks to help reduce any scarring;

• If there is any increasing pain or redness, consult your practitioner.