Let’s Talk About Bruising with Fillers

Most people tell us they don’t want a bruise with their injectable treatment. The likelihood of hitting a blood vessel is common, especially when you consider we are made up of a matrix of vessels and capillaries when the skin is penetrated, often multiple times, by injectables. Although considered a minor side effect, some won’t experience bruising, while others will always bleed lots and bruise more. Different skin types, lifestyle, age, and pre-existing medical conditions can all impact on bruising. How much you’ll bruise or how significant it will be is entirely individual. Luckily, we’ve come a long way over the last 25 years in managing and minimising discomfort and bruising associated with injectables. 

Here’s what we’ve learnt…

We offer a full consultation with your clinician before any injectable treatment. The consult isn’t just to work out what filler to use and where. We need to assess your health and skin to assess the risks of side effects and monitor and manage these. You may decide that you need a few weeks before booking in to have your filler, mainly if you think you’ll need a few extra days before returning to work or planning around your social calendar, just in case!  

We often don’t realise that certain medications, vitamins, or activities make us more susceptible to bleed and bruise more. For example, blood-thinning medications can prolong our clotting time, which in turn leaks more blood into our tissues, creating bruising. If medically possible, cease blood-thinning medications at least 1-4 weeks beforehand:

On the day, a potent topical anaesthetic cream is applied half an hour prior to the treatment to ensure your comfort. We also use icy poles during your treatment. Ice not only numbs your skin further, applying a firm pressure can stop a vessel from bleeding. If it looks like you may bruise, we make good use of Arnica or bruising cream. Regular application of Arnica cream will draw up any bruising and fade even the worst of bruises within 2-10 days. In addition, we sell a Dermatology formulated anti-bruising soothing cream in the clinic for your convenience. And for those who do or want to further hasten the disappearance of bruising, we have an LED Healite. The Healite rapidly disperses and dissolves bruising while it heals the skin and gives your skin a collagen boost! Healite for bruising can be added to your treatment for $40 per session. 

After your treatment, we recommend strict hygiene to not introduce an infection. We strongly suggest leaving exercising and applying powerful active lotions or cover makeup till the next day – let it heal and settle! To avoid inflaming or irritating a bruise or the filler at the injection sites, do not have any facials, facial waxing, peels, dry ice, laser, or other injectable treatments for 10-14 days after your filler treatment.

If bruising occurs during your treatment, your clinician will provide post-treatment instructions on managing this once home. The most important thing to remember is that bruising will resolve and fade quickly. We encourage all clients to contact us if they have concerns after their treatment. If you are worried about a bruise that is changing colour, getting bigger, or more painful, we want you to contact us immediately. We offer an after-hours service; you can contact us on our social media messenger or email. Our clinicians and staff monitor all contact and promptly get back to you with advice on aftercare and book you in for a review with your clinician for peace of mind. We are all about safety in hastening your recovery and giving you beautiful results!