Anti-Wrinkle Injections: Aftercare & Recovery
In an ideal world, no beauty treatment would involve any downtime at all. When we’re investing time and money into looking (and, more importantly, feeling) our very best, facing a few days, weeks – or, in the case of more invasive surgical options, months – of R&R, patience, and squinting in the mirror to see signs of improvement is, well, not ideal.
Add into the mix a little of that recovery anxiety – am I healing right? Am I keeping the area clean enough? – and the prospect of aftercare can feel a little daunting.
That’s one of the great things about anti-wrinkle injections: aftercare and recovery is generally fast, straightforward, and relatively comfortable. Unlike some of the alternative treatments like the traditional facelift, anti-wrinkle injections won’t sap your energy – or your immune system. What’s more, you’ll start to see those results very soon after your treatment, although it’ll take some time to see the full effect.
At Look Lovely London, dispelling any worries you might have – and letting you know exactly what to expect, and when – is our priority. Here’s everything you need to know and understand about recovering from anti-wrinkle injections, and looking after yourself as you go.
First, How Invasive Are These Injections?
As with any treatment like this, the more invasive the procedure, the longer you can expect recovery to last – generally speaking! This is not just because tissue recovery and skin rejuvenation take longer, but because more invasive procedures trigger a more significant immune response, which can impact how you feel within yourself.
Anti-wrinkle injections are considered minimally invasive, which means they result in very little tissue damage. This is particularly true at Look Lovely London, where we invest more into microneedles that cause far less ‘trauma’ to the skin and soft tissue. We do this not just to help keep our more needle-averse patients comfortable, but to minimise recovery time.
Then again, there’s no getting around the fact that even a single needle injection is invasive to some extent, but why?
When the skin is punctured, an immune response is triggered within the body. Why? Because that needle, however small, is a ‘foreign object’, and the body feels invaded by it. This is why even something as simple as giving blood or getting a vaccination can leave your arm feeling sore, swollen, and maybe a little bruised – because immune reactions cause inflammation, increased blood flow, and minor tissue injury.
This is an immune response on a very small scale, which is why we refer to anti-wrinkle injections as minimally invasive.
The Stages of Aftercare and Recovery for Anti-Wrinkle Injections
Whether you’ve got those pre-treatment nerves or not, it can help to break things down into stages…
The Immediate Side Effects
If you’d rather breeze through your treatment without any discomfort, you can request a topical numbing cream to be applied to the area a few minutes before we make the injections. If not, the first ‘side effect’ you will experience is a small scratch – no worse than giving blood – as the needle is inserted.
After that, it’s very normal to experience some (or even all) of the following:
- Swelling & redness
As we mentioned above, this is a normal result of the body ‘reacting’ to an unknown intruder. It will typically go down within a few hours of treatment, though it can take a day or two for some people. Major swelling should prompt a visit to the doctor, but this is incredibly rare. - Bruising
While some minor bruising is normal, the use of microneedles reduces the chances of noticeable bruising significantly. Still, if you’re prone to bruising or notice a small amount of discolouration the next day, it’s nothing to worry about. A good way to minimise the risk of bruising is to avoid blood thinners – for instance, aspirin – within 48 hours of your treatment. - Itching
When the immune response is triggered, certain histamines are released in the affected area, and these can cause an itching sensation. Also, while small, the injection site still needs to ‘heal’, and the regeneration of new skin cells can make us feel a bit itchy. - Temporary tingling/numbness
At times, this can be a psychosomatic effect – something more commonly experienced by patients who are having anti-wrinkle injections for the first time. Either way, a temporary change in sensation is normal, and often a result of increased sensitivity due to minor swelling. - Soreness
If you’re feeling a little swollen and bruised after your injections, don’t worry. Be gentle on yourself,
Whether or not you feel these side effects – and to what degree – will depend on many different factors. While the injector’s technique plays a small role, your immediate reaction will largely be a result of your age, pain threshold, and your health on the day of your treatment. At certain times of the month, women in particular are slightly more sensitive to pain than they are at others, and other factors like smoking and alcohol can also impact our body’s reaction to injections.
At Look Lovely London, we pride ourselves on our follow-up care. We offer a same-day call back service, so a member of the team can answer any queries or concerns you might have, and also invite patients to return to the clinic 2 weeks after their appointment to check-in on their progress.
Looking After Yourself
Anti-wrinkle injections are so simple and low-risk that patients can happily go back to their usual routine straight after treatment. Many of our patients will come to us during their lunch break, or during a shopping trip in London. While some people do prefer to carve out a larger chunk of time for some R&R afterwards, it’s better to see that time as extra self-care rather than bed rest!
That said, in the hours following your appointment, you’ll want to be very careful to ensure the injection site stays clean and healthy. Don’t disrupt your entire skincare regime – just avoid applying any harsh chemical peels or retinol to the treatment area for 24 hours.
In terms of exercise, a minimum of 4 hours after your treatment is recommended – although we’d encourage you to avoid heavy, intense exercise for at least 48 hours, as the injections settle under your skin.
You can apply makeup the next day as usual, just taking care to not be too rough on your face – not least of all because it may be a little sore! Generally speaking, you should avoid rubbing or massaging the area for a few days to avoid spreading the injections to other parts of the face.
Maximizing Results
Aftercare isn’t just about looking after yourself 2-3 days after your appointment – but between one appointment and the next. Anti-wrinkle injections can have a very powerful effect on wrinkles and unwanted skin texture – while still producing very natural results – but, in some people, those results will last longer than they do in others.
There are plenty of things you can do to look after your skin and make your anti-wrinkle injections last as long as possible before your next ‘top-up’ appointment…
- Don’t get another treatment too soon
Of course, this one is on the clinic as much as the patient, and Look Lovely London is highly committed to working out the best possible treatment plan for each patient – not getting you back in for as many treatments as possible. If you feel you need more, talk to us – don’t hop over to another injector for extra (and possibly unnecessary) treatments. Anti-wrinkle injections can be used in tandem with other treatments, so it may be that you need something else to reach your goal. - Avoid sun exposure
Remember: the sun is arguably one of the biggest exacerbating factors behind those signs of ageing. Even with anti-wrinkle injections, if you’re not looking after your skin, you’ll start to spot those tell-tale signs of ageing again. - Avoid drinking and smoking
Two of your skin’s natural enemies. Smoking restricts blood flow and accelerates the breakdown of collagen, which will age us faster. Alcohol dehydrates us and, like smoking, can cause systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, which is very bad for your skin and particularly bad for anti-ageing.
In general, maximising the results of your anti-wrinkle injections is a case of looking after your own skin. The faster we age, the more often we’ll feel the need to go for those subsequent top-ups. If you can take steps to slow down that process and take care of the skin you’re in, you won’t need so many boosts at the clinic.
What About Allergic Reactions?
Allergic reactions to anti-wrinkle injections are rare, and we’ll always check that patients don’t have any known allergies to ingredients in our treatments. However, they can happen, and signs include significant swelling, difficulty breathing, persistent itching (even beyond the injection site), along with fever and chills.
If this happens, it’s very important that you see a doctor quickly for treatment. However, remember that a small amount of swelling, itching, and pain is normal.
If you’re at all worried, remember we offer a same-day call-back service to all patients. If you need to speak us simply call 020 3900 2756 or email the practice manager
