When you come in to see us for injectable filler treatments, we want to give you the best treatment possible. That’s why we always take the time to explain what to expect after your injections.
In this post, we’ll cover everything from how long it takes for your skin to settle down after treatment and what’s involved in the recovery process. We’ll even tell you how long you can expect the results to last and offer tips on how to get them back if they start fading sooner than expected.
Read on to learn more about What To Expect After Filler Injections
What To Expect After Filler Injections
Injectables, including Botox and dermal fillers, are powerful and safe non-surgical cosmetic treatments that can reverse the common signs of aging. There are many types of injectables, each with the ability to address different problem areas, from smoothing forehead wrinkles to correcting hollow cheeks.
While injectable treatments are fast, relatively painless, and require very little recovery time, it is always beneficial for patients to understand how these treatments work before opting for them.
PROCEDURE BASICS
While injectable procedures may differ in terms of benefits and formulations, the overall process is fairly similar with the neurotoxin (i.e. Botox) or filler being administered into a targeted area via an ultra-fine needle.
Injectable treatments are partly art and partly science. The injector must use her past experience and aesthetic eye to determine variables such as the most appropriate injectable (there are currently many to choose from), amount, and locations to create the patient’s desired end result (and prevent overuse). As such, it’s extremely important for the patient to select a skilled provider with experience using a variety of neurotoxins and fillers.
HOW SOON WILL I SEE RESULTS?
Most patients will appreciate immediate results following their filler treatment. However, it can take anywhere from 7-10 days following injection to see the “final result” (when the treatment fully settles and any procedure-related swelling or bruising fully subsides). With Botox, results are not apparent right away; it can take anywhere from 3-4 days up to 2 weeks to see the final effect.
POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS
Overall, the side effects of injectables are relatively minor (one of the reasons why injectables have become so popular). Common effects from filler include bruising, swelling, redness, or tenderness around the injection site, all of which will resolve after a few days to a week. It is recommended to allot a full week for recovery before attending any big event after filler. With neurotoxin, the patient is typically fine to attend social engagements the same day since the side effects are usually limited to 30-60 minutes of temporary swelling at the sites of injection.
BEFORE YOUR TREATMENT
Many injectors will advise patients to stop taking the following medications and supplements one week prior to their procedure and to continue abstaining from them for 3-5 days after treatment:
- Aspirin
- Ibuprofen or related NSAIDs
- St John’s Wort
- Vitamin E
- Fish Oil/Omega-3 fatty acids
- Gingko Biloba
- Ginseng
Here are some additional tips for first time injectable patients.
RECOVERY TIPS
Common side effects associated with injectables can be minimized by following these tips:
- Always follow the instructions provided by your injector, both before and after treatment.
- Remain in an upright position for 3-4 hours following injection.
- Avoid sleeping for 3-4 hours to avoid inadvertently rubbing or pressing the treatment area.
- Arnica supplements can be taken to minimize bruising.
- On the night following your treatment, sleep with your head elevated (propped up with an extra pillow) to help with swelling.
- Avoid bending over, straining, and aerobic exercise for 24 hours post procedure.
- Do not massage treated areas after treatment unless specifically instructed to by your provider.
- Limit your exposure to sun and heat until swelling/redness fully subsides.
- Address any swelling after filler by lightly applying a cold compress to the treated area for 5-10 minutes every hour.
- Tylenol can be used to address pain/tenderness.
- Avoid other treatments like facials or chemical peels for at least 24 hours following injection.
- Call your injector if you experience persistent severe pain at the injection site or blanching of the skin.
REVISIONS
Some patients may need a slight touch-up or revision to their treatment in order to achieve their desired result. Patients should wait for 1-2 weeks before any revisions can be performed to allow the results of the initial treatment to settle and fully kick in.
THINK ABOUT MAINTENANCE
While they are long-lasting, the effects of neurotoxins and dermal fillers will eventually wear off. Typically results can last anywhere from four months to three years depending on the specific product used. However there are some simple ways to make Botox and dermal fillers last longer. Keep in mind that in order to maintain your desired results periodic maintenance treatments will be necessary.
Brow lift recovery headache
“Beauty is pain,” as the saying goes — but modern cosmetics experts are proving that beauty can relieve pain rather than causing it. Surgeons have found that brow lifts can alleviate migraines, thanks to a few key elements of the surgery. Migraine headaches affect millions of Americans each year, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, and up to 90% of migraine sufferers experience pain severe enough to affect normal functions like driving, working or conversing. In addition, migraines are a chronic illness; that is, they don’t simply strike once fleetingly, but those who struggle with migraines experience them on a recurring basis and even for days at a time. There is also no known cure for migraine headaches. While there are some preventive measures as well as medications that can help manage the pain of a migraine flare-up, many people struggle to find a solution to keep their headaches at bay.
WHAT IS BROW LIFT SURGERY?
Brow lifts, sometimes called forehead lifts or upper facelifts, focus on diminishing the appearance of wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. These surgeries can address horizontal forehead lines, worry lines between the brows and crow’s feet. They are also commonly combined with eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, to correct sagging or drooping eyelids. Depending on the extent of your lines and wrinkles, your surgeon can perform brow lift surgery using one of three techniques: an endoscopic brow lift, a temporal brow lift or a coronal brow lift.
Endoscopic brow lifts have become increasingly popular in recent years because they are the least invasive option. Your surgeon uses small incisions through which they insert a thin, flexible tool with a small camera attached — they can view and manipulate the tissues underlying the skin of your brow without lifting the skin completely.
Temporal brow lifts involve slightly larger incisions than endoscopic lifts, positioned at the edges of the temples. This type of lift is the current industry standard for clients who require more work than an endoscopic lift can accomplish, and is usually the type of brow lift performed when a client is interested in an eyelid surgery as well.
Coronal brow lifts are the most invasive, using an incision that spans the full length of the brow from temple to temple along the hairline. This technique is somewhat outmoded and is currently only used in special cases.
No matter which type of brow lift is right for you, there is one distinguishing factor — unlike full facelifts, which often focus on removing stretched or excess skin causing an aged appearance, brow lifts focus on facial muscles. The main cause of forehead wrinkles is overworked facial muscles; when you make a certain facial expression particularly often, your muscles will become somewhat stuck in their tensed position, leaving behind the furrows or crinkles of a worried look or squint. During a brow lift, your surgeon removes and repositions some of your brow muscles to release this tension and smooth your brow to a more youthful, relaxed position.
UNDERSTANDING MIGRAINES
Migraines aren’t like the headaches you get when you’re tired or dehydrated. They are characterized by intense, throbbing pain that often results in nausea; sensitivity to sounds, smells and light; dizziness and even temporary sight impairment. While the pulsing pain initially led doctors to believe that migraines were caused by dysfunctional blood vessels, today’s understanding is that migraines are primarily neurological. The sensory effects of migraine attacks suggest that the headaches stem from the brain and nerves, and indeed, the most common and often effective medications for migraines treat the headaches using this principle.
Brain scans of patients experiencing migraines show a burst of activity in parts of the brainstem, an area known for processing mood and pain. In addition, a network of neurons responsible for transmitting pain around the eyes, teeth, forehead and sinuses are particularly active during a migraine. Scientists also believe that this particular network of nerves releases inflammatory chemicals as a response to specific stimuli, which contributes to the throbbing and puts even more sensory pressure around areas already sensitive from a migraine.
HOW A BROW LIFT CAN HELP
The nerves associated with migraines are located in the same areas as the muscles that cause forehead wrinkles. The added tension in the forehead not only makes migraine pressure worse but can even start to pinch some of the facial nerves and trigger migraines more frequently. When your surgeon uses a brow lift to release or remove these tensed muscles and open up more space in the tissues of the forehead, the nerves in the area are also freed from constriction and are less likely to cause shooting migraine pain.
Research also shows that minor muscle tension in the brow can cause non-migraine headaches or generalized forehead and temple pain, only serving to worsen the symptoms of migraines. Restoring relaxation to your upper face with a brow lift can go a long way toward relieving that daily dull ache as well as the debilitating discomfort of a migraine. The brow lift’s effectiveness at smoothing unwanted lines and wrinkles combined with its tension-relief benefits gives this cosmetic surgery the ability to improve your life in more ways than one — the confidence of a reflection you love and the relief of reduced head pain and tension.
Despite the apparent benefits, opinions are mixed amongst plastic surgeons, as well as The American Board of Plastic Surgery. For those reasons, we do not perform brow lifts to help treat migraines, but your primary physician can provide you with more comprehensive information about if this procedure has the potential to help you.
Endoscopic brow lift complications
A brow lift is usually performed by a plastic surgeon.
A brow lift is an aesthetic surgical procedure to correct the loss of soft tissue elasticity in the upper third of the face. Excess sagging skin around the forehead causing drooping (ptosis) of the brows and wrinkling of the forehead is removed by repositioning the underlying muscle and tissue. It creates a more refreshed, youthful appearance in the upper third area of the face. It can also be combined with a facelift. A brow lift is usually performed by a plastic surgeon.
Endoscopy is the insertion through a surgical incision of a flexible tube with a lighted camera and surgical instruments. The endoscope is now used in a variety of reconstructive and cosmetic surgical procedures. Endoscopic brow lift surgery has gained widespread acceptance, is minimally invasive, and heals faster than traditional brow lift surgery.
Why do people seek endoscopic brow lift surgery?
Aesthetically, the face is divided into three equal parts, of which the forehead (from the top of the eyebrow to the anterior hairline) occupies the upper third. In males this area averages 7 cm and in females it averages 5 cm.
The male eyebrow is less arched than the female eyebrow. The top of the eyebrow lies approximately 2.5 cm from the mid pupil. With aging, these parameters may shift. A lesser distance denotes eyebrow drooping (ptosis).
Loss of forehead skin elasticity from genetics, sun damage, and gravity causes eyebrow drooping, with resultant upper eyelid drooping and dissatisfaction with the appearance.
Aging causes depletion of the subcutaneous fat. This leads to forehead wrinkling, the direction of which depends upon the underlying muscle.
Why is endoscopic brow lift surgery done?
- Aged appearance: Patients may worry they have a tired, surprised, worried, or an annoyed look, appearing older than their actual age
- Eyebrow drooping: Patients may feel an uncomfortable weight of tissue on their eyes
- Forehead wrinkling
- Eyebrow elevation
- Improve eyebrow symmetry
- Change eyebrow shape
- Decrease the function of muscles causing brow wrinkling
When should endoscopic brow lift surgery be avoided?
Endoscopic brow lift surgery should be avoided with:
- Conditions causing dry eyes
- Excessive brow elevation after upper eyelid surgery
- A tendency for keloids or thick scarring
- Psychological instability
- Unrealistic cosmetic expectations
- Poor general health and systemic conditions
What happens during the endoscopic brow lift procedure?
Before the procedure
- Routine blood and radiological investigations will be done.
- Patients may be advised to shampoo their hair with antibacterial soap/shampoo the night before or morning of surgery.
- Hair does not need to be shaved.
During the procedure
- An endoscopic brow lift is performed under general anesthesia or with intravenous (IV) sedation and local anesthesia.
- Multiple small incisions are made just behind the hairline (most surgeons make 3- to 5-cm incisions), through which the endoscope and instruments are inserted.
- Brow tissue is gently released and elevated.
- Excess tissue is removed.
- The muscles are elevated, pulled up and anchored to the bone using anchors made of titanium which look like small screws of 2 mm width. They may be temporary or permanent and do not cause permanent damage.
- The incisions are sutured and dressed.
- A small surgical drain may be inserted — a clear tube is inserted through a small incision below the main incision.
After the procedure
- Post-operative pain can be managed with painkillers.
- Antibiotics may be necessary.
- Patients are advised to rest with their head elevated for two weeks.
- Patients are usually discharged the same day or 24 hours after surgery.
- The drain may be removed after 24 hours.
- The dressing may be removed after 48 hours.
- Patients can shower and wash their hair after 48 hours, using mild shampoos prescribed by the surgeon.
- The surgeon may prescribe medicated ointments to apply to the wounds.
- Patients should not use any hair products for at least seven days.
- Depending on the type of suture used, the surg