Fillers and Botox are by far the most common procedures we do in our office. These procedures are relatively safe but they are not without side effects. The most common side effect is bruising! Although both procedures are now performed using very fine needles, there is a small possibility that these needles can go through a small blood vessel and cause a small leak. This form of bleeding is usually minimal and most of the cases doesn’t show up as a bruise. Yet, it was noted that ingestion of certain foods before or after your injection day can exacerbate this bruise and make it more noticeable. These include; Vitamin E, Ginco, Garlic, Primrose Oil, or St. John’s Wort.
These are tricky as most of our patients will disclose that they are on medications that can cause bleeding like Aspirin, Coumadin, Ibuprofen, etc. but they forget to disclose what they believe are natural harmless supplements.
Alcohol is another one that patients forget to disclose, but it’s definitely one of the most important ones to know about. Alcohol not only increases your risks of having bruising during the procedure, but also increases the chances of that bruise turning to a hematoma afterward!
It is recommended NOT to ingest any alcohol 24 hours before the procedure. Some offices go as far as stopping for a whole week before. But we noticed that our clients compliance is much higher if we give reasonable instructions to do. It’s really the last 24-48 hours that really matter, and that’s what we’ve been asking from our clients.
Alcohol is a vasodilator, this is the term used when something would cause blood vessels to relax and widen. When a blood vessel is wider, there are higher chances that the small needles we use can injure it because it occupies a larger space. Alcohol also causes fluid retention which can make the swelling in addition to the bruising look worse.
Following your Botox treatment we really want any bruising to be kept to an absolute minimum to allow you to enjoy the results of your treatment instead of worrying about when the bruising will begin to subside. For this reason, many practitioners and injectors recommend that you avoid drinking alcohol directly before and after your Botox treatment, as bruising might occur at the injection sites where your Botox injections were administered.
One of the undesirable side effects of alcohol consumption that it can cause is dry skin, especially if consumed excessively. Dry skin is likely to result in cracks forming, and if you’re scheduled for a Botox appointment then dry, cracked skin is only going to hinder the appearance of your final results. Scheduling a Botox appointment is all about improving the appearance of your skin, helping you and your skin appear fresher and younger. For sure dry skin will interrupt this goal..
There is no definite time to when you can start drinking alcohol after your treatment. But the common rule is you shouldn’t drink Alcohol for the first 6 hours after treatment, and preferably to avoid it in the first 2 days. This is really due to the exact same reasons as to why you should avoid alcohol before the treatment. Your skin and any treated areas will be healing during the hours and days immediately following your procedure. During this time, the treated areas will still be prone to bruising; and thinning the blood with alcohol consumption is likely to increase that bruising effect. If this occurs, you will experience a longer time of recovery, as the bruising will require extra time to subside.
Another problem is that Botox injections may cause side effects such as dizziness or drowsiness. These effects can worsen if you drink alcohol after you receive the injections. For this reason, it is recommended that you do not consume alcohol after getting Botox injection.
The good news is that after all this short-time of abstinence, your face will be looking younger and more youthful than ever and you will be ready to shine in any party or gathering!
Learn More about what you should do and don’ts after & before dermal fillers
