PRE & POST CARE INFO

PRE TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• If you have a history of diseases stimulated by heat, such as recurrent Herpes Simplex in the treatment area, you will need an antiviral prescribed by your doctor, and it will need to be taken following your doctor’s regimen before your appointment.
• You must be done with Accutane for 6 months before beginning treatment.
• Discontinue any irritant topical agents for 2-3 days prior to treatment.
• Avoid skin tanning for 3-4 weeks prior to the treatment and use at least 30 SPF sunblock during outdoor activity at daylight hours.
• Do not use tanning creams and sprays for two weeks before your appointment.
• Stop anticoagulants 7-10 days prior to treatment, if medically permitted.
• Arrive at your appointment with clean skin. The treated area should be free of lotion, makeup, perfume, powder or bath/shower oil.

POST TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• Sun block should be used for 3 weeks following your treatment.
• Moisturizer may be applied after each treatment and makeup may be applied immediately after a facial treatment.
• If you were prescribed an antiviral by your doctor, keep taking it as directed.
• Pigmented lesions will become darker for a period of 1-2 weeks before starting to lighten. Local inflammation around the lesions, manifested as some redness and swelling may accompany the response, as part of the healing process.
• Blood capillaries will clot and appear darker for 1-2 weeks before disintegration. Some redness and swelling may accompany the response, as part of the healing process.
• Some skin tightening may occur immediately, which may decline for 1-2 months, but will improve then, as new collagen fibers are produced.
• All 3 lesions: brown, red and loose skin may improve simultaneously.
• Multiple treatments may be needed.

Please do not hesitate to call our office should you have any questions or concerns regarding your treatment or aftercare.

PRE TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• If you have a history of diseases stimulated by heat, such as recurrent Herpes Simplex in the treatment area, you will need an antiviral prescribed by your doctor, and it will need to be taken following your doctor’s regimen before your appointment.
• Discontinue any irritant topical agents for 2-3 days prior to treatment.
• Avoid any tanning for 3-4 weeks prior to treatment or use at least SPF 30 sunblock.
• You must be done with Accutane for 6 months before beginning treatment.
• Stop anticoagulants 7-10 days prior to treatment, if medically permitted.
• Arrive at your appointment with clean skin. The treated area should be free of lotion, makeup, perfume, powder or bath/shower oil.
• Please shave the full treatment area 48 to 24 hours before your appointment, depending on your hair growth.

POST TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• Sun block should be used for 3 weeks following your treatment and 3 weeks preceding your next appointment
• Moisturizer may be applied after each treatment and makeup may be applied immediately after a facial treatment.
• If you were prescribed an antiviral by your doctor, keep taking it as directed.
• During the first 2 days following your treatment, care should be taken to prevent trauma to the treated area: avoid hot baths, massage, etc. The skin should be kept clean to avoid contamination or infection, any mechanical or thermal damage to the area must be avoided.
• Multiple treatments may be needed.

Please do not hesitate to call our office should you have any questions or concerns regarding your treatment or aftercare.

Pre SkinPen Guidelines

• Avoid sun exposure / burns 24 hours prior to treatment
• No use of retinoid products 24 hours prior to treatment
• If you have a history of cold sores, we recommend calling your primary care doctor and getting a prescription. Start your prescription around 5-7 days before to avoid a breakout.
• If you have an active cold sore, we will have to reschedule you until it is fully healed.
• Wait 6 months fooling oral isotretinoin / Accutane use.
• No active skin cancer in treatment areas
• Cannot be pregnant or nursing
• Avoid autoimmune (steroids, prednisone, methotrexate, etc) therapies 24 hours prior to treatment.
• 72 hours before or after Botox treatment to have a micro needling treatment done.
• 2 weeks before or after any formal filler treatments.

Post SkinPen Guidelines

• Avoid sun exposure the day of the procedure as you will not be wearing sunscreen. You may return to sunscreen use 24 hours following the procedure. Continue to minimize sun exposure for 72 hours post procedure.
• Avoid strenuous exercise or excessive perspiration 72 hours post-procedure, as excess blood flow and swear can cause discomfort and irritation to compromised skin.
• Avoid using any active skincare topical products, such as retinoids, vitamin c, etc for the first week after treatment.
• Do not use any other products besides what was given to you after your appointment for the first 24 hours. DO not use any cleanser; you may rinse with cool water as needed.
• Apply the Lift HG gel to your skin, as needed, the first 24 hours after your treatment. Ensure you are applying with clean hands.
• Apply the Premium Biocellulose Mask immediately after the treatment or within a few hours after at home.
• After 12 hours, you can use a gentle cleanser to cleanse the skin and apply the Rescue Calming Complex to help soothe and calm.

Pre-Peel Guidelines

• For optimum results, skin may be acclimated to Skinbetter Science skincare products one to two weeks prior to first peel treatment. Consult with your Healthcare Professional to determine which products are suitable for use.
• Avoid clay masks, scrubs, or additional exfoliators that contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic and lactic acid and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) such as salicylic acid for at least 48 hours prior to each peel treatment.
• Do not use AlphaRet products, Retin-A, or any other Vitamin A product, including products that contain a retinoid or retinal for at least 48 hours prior to each peel treatment.
• Do not use self tanning agents for at least 48 hours prior to each peel treatment.
• If you have a history of cold sores, the AlphaRet Professional Peel should not be performed if active cold sores, fever blisters, or herpes are present anywhere on your face prior to treatment. If you are prone to or have a history of cold sores or fever blisters, speak to your Healthcare Professional as they may consider treatment with antiviral medications prior to receiving treatment with an AlphaRet Professional Peel.
• The AlphaRet Professional Peel should not be performed on sunburned or windburned skin.
• Do not have facial hair waxed / layered 48 hours prior to each peel treatment. Avoid facial hair shaving 8 hours before each peel treatment.
• If you have recently undergone any other facial treatment procedures, such as microdermabrasion, micro needling, derma planing, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, botox, dermal fillers, facial plastic surgery, etc skin must be completely healed and normalized prior to receiving an AlphaRet Professional Peel.
• Please talk to your Healthcare Professional if you have had any recent procedures to confirm suitability of treatment.

Post Peel Guidelines

• Generally, non-comedogenic (non-pore clogging) makeup may be applied after each AlphaRet Professional Peel treatment.
• Avoid exercise (sweating) for at least a few hours after each peel treatment.
• Avoid direct sun exposure, wear protective clothing (i.e. wide-brimmed hat) and use a mineral sunscreen (containing titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide) with an SPF 30 or higher, daily.
• Do not use retinoid- or retinol- containing products such as Tretinoin, AlphaRet Overnight Cream, or other Vitamin A derivatives for 5 days after an AlphaRet Professional Peel treatment, unless otherwise directed by your Healthcare Provider.
• Do not use other potentially irritating ingredients such as harsh exfoliating products that contain alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acids (AHAs [i.e. glycolic and lactic acids] or BHAs [i.e. salicylic acid]) for 5 days after an AlphaRet Professional Peel treatment, unless otherwise directed by your Healthcare Professional.
• If irritation occurs, stop or do not resume use of products until the skin has normalized.
• Facial hair should not be waxed for 48 hours after an AlphaRet Professional Peel treatment. You may resume facial shaving the day after each peel or when the skin has normalized.
• Avoid the use of heat sources such as steam, saunas, professional or home hairdryers for 8 hours following an AlphaRet Professional Peel treatment.

It is important to follow instructions about dermal filler aftercare.

Immediately after your filler treatment may notice a few of the following things:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Red needle puncture marks
• Asymmetry
• Tenderness
• Itching in the area

These issues above are after filler treatment, and should resolve over the next few days to weeks. Your final result will be seen at about 4 weeks after treatment, at which time you may choose to be reviewed to see if further treatments are required to achieve optimal results.

You should not touch your face for 6 hours. After this you may clean your skin with water and a gentle cleanser if you wish.  It is ideal to avoid applying makeup the entire day of the procedure.

Things to avoid:

• Do not expose the area to intense heat (i.e. use of jacuzzi or sauna)
• Avoid pressure on the treated areas for the first few nights (i.e. sleep on back of possible)
• Avoid strenuous exercise for 24 hours.
• Avoid alcohol ideally 24 hours before as well as 24 hours after treatment
• Do not use AHA, Retinols/Retin A for 24 hours

Pain relief

Pain is usually mild and occasionally moderate after filler injections. There are areas which tend to be more painful like the chin and the lips. Pain relievers such as Tylenol can be taken if necessary.

Swelling relief

Apply a cool compress for 10 minutes every hour on the day of treatment (do not apply ice directly on your skin). A cool compress applied regularly for the first 24 hours after injections may help to reduce the amount of swelling.

Bruising relief

Patients on aspirin, fish oil or other drugs associated with increased bruising may find their risk increased. Some patients use arnica both before and after treatment to reduce bruising.

Massage

Massage of the filler areas is not advised unless otherwise instructed.

Cold sores and dermal filler

There may be a small chance that a treatment may induce an outbreak of facial cold sores in patients with a previous history.

Some patients take preventative Lysine or antivirals to help reduce the risk of cold sores. If you get cold sores after a treatment, you should see your doctor.

Aesthetic review

Reviewing the results of dermal filler should be performed at 4 weeks (except for cosmetic emergencies, which should be reviewed immediately)

Reviewing prior to 4 weeks is not useful as there is often a small amount of swelling still present, so the results cannot be judged until this has resolved. This is particularly important with regards to symmetry.

Retreatment

Retreatment should occur at any time between 1-6 months after a first treatment. Once peak filler has been achieved, and the patient is on maintenance injections, they might have filler once per year.

Complications

Cosmetic complications include vascular occlusion and infection. Vascular occlusions mostly occur in the treatment chair, and injectors are are able to see that they are happening and treat them.

Early infections may occur after a few days after the treatment. The patient might notice increasing redness, tenderness, swelling, pain, heat, nodules or pus. Patients should see their doctor if this occurs.

Lip filler after care

When the lips are injected, the upper lip tends to swell much more than the lower lip and often patients think that their upper lip has had too much filler injected into it. Once the swelling calms down, they realise this is not the case.

Concerns after filler treatment

If you are concerned post-treatment, please call. If you are unable to contact your injector and you are concerned that it is an emergency, please visit the emergency department of your local hospital.

Please carefully read and follow these instructions after your Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment. There are minimal restrictions after your PRP injections allowing you to return to your daily activities almost immediately.

DO NOT touch, press, rub or manipulate the treated area(s) for at least 8 hours after your treatment.

• Avoid NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Naprosyn, Aspirin)—Tylenol is okay to use in its place for pain for 1 week.
• Avoid Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Gingko Biloba, Garlic, Flax Oil, Cod Liver, Essential Fatty Acids (EPA, DHA), for at least 1 week prior to and 2 weeks after your treatment.
• Avoid Systemic Steroids (prednisone, dexamethasone) for 1 week.
• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes 3 days after treatment. Smokers do not heal well and problems recur earlier and results may take longer.

Remember, our goal is to create inflammation. These listed medications will limit or prevent inflammation, which can diminish your results. If you must take Aspirin for cardiac reasons, you certainly may do so, but this may limit your results.

It is normal to experience bruising, redness, itching, swelling and/or soreness that may last from 2-5 days following your procedure. If you experience any pain or discomfort you may take Tylenol or other Acetaminophen-containing products as directed.

We would prefer if you could refrain from applying ice to the injected area as ice acts as an anti-inflammatory.

• Do not use any hair products for at least 6 hours after your treatment.
• AVOID saunas, steam rooms, swimming for 2 days after your treatment.
• AVOID vigorous exercise, sun and heat exposure for at least 2 days after your treatment.
• AVOID resuming Minoxidil (Formula 82M, Rogaine®) or hair coloring or straightening for 3 days. Continue increased water intake the first week after your treatment.

Please do not hesitate to call our office should you have any questions or concerns regarding your PRP treatment or aftercare.

BEFORE CARE:

1. For 7 days prior to treatment, avoid taking aspirin, fish oil, vitamin E, and any NSAID’s (Non steroidal anti inflammatory agents such as Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Ibuprophen). This allows natural healing mechanisms to take place in the body.
2. Avoid alcohol consumption for 48 hours before your treatment.
3. If you have places to go after treatment and think you may feel self conscious, you may find it beneficial to wear a turtleneck or scarf to your appointment to help hide the swelling.
4. Plan your appointment at least a couple weeks in advance of any parties, weddings, or large events.

AFTER CARE:

1. On the day of your procedure, apply ice for 10 minutes of every hour.
2. Do not massage or manipulate the swollen area.
3. You can take 2 pills of Extra Strength Tylenol if significant discomfort occurs.
4. Sleep with your head slightly elevated if possible for 2-3 nights.
5. You may shower, wash your face, apply moisturizers and sunscreens as you regularly do the day after your treatment.
6. You may apply arnica cream/gel to expedite the bruising process.
7. Avoid exercise for 3 days as it is known to worsen swelling.

It is normal to have significant swelling, numbness, hardness, lumpiness, tingling, redness, tenderness, and bruising. Some men may see areas of no hair growth afterwards, which should return to normal in 4-6 weeks. Most swelling occurs immediately and the day following treatment, and will start improving by day 5.

If you have any concerns not listed, please call our office at (208)292-8315. If you have difficulty breathing or swallowing please visit the emergency department of your local hospital.

If you plan to have another Kybella treatment, this may be done 4 weeks from your last.