THE DAYS AFTER
A treatment does not end when you leave
The Days After
Most of what follows a treatment is ordinary and expected. This page is here so you know what is normal, what is not, and when to reach us, so that a quiet question never has to become a worry. It does not replace the specific instructions you are given after your visit. In a medical emergency, call 911.
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Treat the area gently and follow the specific instructions you were given. Keep it clean, avoid unnecessary touching or pressure, and postpone makeup, strenuous exercise, alcohol, and excessive heat for at least 24 hours, or as instructed.
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Your treatment involved needles to the face, an area rich in blood vessels. Mild redness, swelling, tenderness, bruising, pinpoint bleeding, or small bumps may occur, depending on what was done. After microneedling, the skin may also feel tight or warm, like a mild sunburn. These usually ease over the next few days.
By Treatment
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Swelling and inflammation can last up to two weeks. Firmness and small lumps or bumps are also normal — a product was just placed beneath the skin. Allow about a month for it to integrate fully, and for the area to feel softer and look more natural. Treat it gently; avoid touching, pressure, or massage unless we direct otherwise.
By product:
Hyaluronic acid fillers: swelling and firmness as above, settling over roughly two weeks to a month.
Calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse®): for the first 24 hours, avoid significant movement or massage of the area, makeup, and extended sun or heat. Do not massage unless directed. It may feel noticeable to the touch at first, then gradually feel like the surrounding tissue.
Poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra®): follow the 5-5-5 rule — massage the treated areas five minutes, five times a day, for five days. Avoid strenuous exercise, sun, tanning, and extreme temperatures for the first 24 hours. Early fullness settles; collagen-building results develop over the following weeks to months.
Increasing or unusual pain, new numbness, or skin that appears white, gray, blue, dusky, or mottled may indicate a vascular occlusion — a rare emergency. Contact us immediately. For vision changes or signs of a stroke, call 911.
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Injection sites may look slightly raised or red at first. Mild tenderness, swelling, or bruising can occur and usually settles within a few hours to several days. A mild, temporary headache is possible, especially after a first treatment. Stay upright and avoid lying down for at least four hours; do not rub, massage, or press on the treated areas. Effects begin within 24 hours to seven days and keep developing — allow at least two weeks before judging symmetry or requesting adjustments.
Contact us about unexpected or worsening symptoms. Seek immediate care for difficulty swallowing, speaking, or breathing; generalized muscle weakness; or significant vision changes.
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Tightness, warmth, redness, dryness, and mild sensitivity are expected. Light flaking, peeling, or small scabs may appear as the skin heals — do not pick, scratch, or exfoliate. For the first 72 hours, avoid makeup and sunscreen unless directed otherwise; avoid sun and use a hat or shade. A hyaluronic acid serum and gentle moisturizer that we have approved may be used as needed.
Contact us for worsening pain, redness, warmth, or swelling; blistering; pus-like drainage; fever; a cold-sore outbreak; or unexpected changes in skin color.
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Mild redness, swelling, tenderness, bruising, or sensitivity may occur where the product was injected or applied. Keep the area clean, avoid unnecessary touching, and use only products we have approved. Regenerative changes develop gradually over weeks to months, and a series may be recommended.
Contact us for increasing pain, redness, warmth, or swelling; pus-like drainage; fever; a spreading rash; or other worsening or unexpected symptoms.
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Tightness, redness, dryness, sensitivity, darkening, flaking, or peeling may occur, depending on the strength of the peel. Do not pull, pick, or scrub peeling skin. Use only the gentle cleanser and moisturizer we recommend, and avoid exfoliants, retinoids, acids, and other actives until cleared. Minimize sun exposure and begin sunscreen when instructed.
Contact us for severe or increasing pain, excessive swelling, blistering, pus-like drainage, fever, persistent redness, or unexpected changes in skin color.
When to Reach Us
Reach out promptly if you develop increasing pain, redness, warmth, or swelling; pus-like drainage; fever; new numbness or changes in sensation; or anything that feels unusual or continues to worsen. Unusual pain, or skin that appears white, gray, blue, dusky, or mottled, calls for immediate contact.
For vision changes, signs of a stroke, difficulty swallowing, speaking, or breathing, or generalized muscle weakness, call 911.
How to Reach Us
Before you leave, we go over when to call the aftercare number below. Please read What Is Normal first: most of what happens in the early days is expected.
For vision changes, trouble breathing/speaking/swallowing, or stroke signs, call 911.
Aftercare Number
619-289-8311