Before your appointment we ask that you avoid any blood thinning medications, aspirin, ibuprofen or supplements that can increase the risk of bruising (if safe to do so).

We recommend avoiding alcohol and smoking in the few days prior to your appointment.

Please arrive at your appointment make-up free and with a clean face!

Fillers are administered with a small needle or cannula. The treatment itself is minimally invasive and relatively comfortable.

However, if you are a little apprehensive, we have various ways of numbing the skin and ensuring your comfort for the treatment. These include:

• Compounded topical anaesthetic

• Injected local anaesthetic

• Ice

• Vibration tool - neurodistraction technique.

Please also note that the fillers themselves contain local anaesthetic, which start to work once injected to numb the treatment area.

Severe complications from dermal fillers are uncommon.

Potential risks vary depending on the specific filler used and the relative permanence of the filler substance and include:

• Acne-like skin eruptions

• Asymmetry

• Bleeding from the injection site

• Bruising

• Damage to the skin that results in a wound and possible scarring

• Infection at the injection site

• Lumps

• Palpability of the filler under the surface of the skin

• Skin necrosis (ulceration or loss of skin from disruption of blood flow)

• Skin rash with itching

• Skin redness

• Swelling

• Under- or over-correction of wrinkles

In very rare cases, the filler may accidentally be injected into your blood vessels instead of under your skin. This can block blood flow. What happens if your blood flow is blocked will vary depending on where the block is. If your skin is affected, you might have skin loss or wounds. If your eye is affected, you might lose your eyesight or go blind.

These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent.

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

• Swelling

• Bruising

• Red needle puncture marks

• Asymmetry

• Tenderness

• Itching in the area

These issues above are common with dermal filler aftercare, and should resolve over the next few days to weeks.

Your final result will be seen at about 4 weeks after treatment, and you can be reviewed to see if further treatments are required to achieve the planned results.

Things to avoid:

• Do not expose the area to intense heat (eg solarium 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 for 24 hours

• Do not use AHA, Retinols/Vitamin C therapy or oil based make-up for 24 hours

• Avoid facials, facial waxing, Glycolic or AHA peels, IPL or energy based treatments and microdermabrasion for two weeks after treatment.

To help manage bruising post-treatment you can apply ice and take a supplement like arnica or Hirudoid cream available from the pharmacy.

To help with swelling we recommend using a cool compress on the day of treatment and for the 24 hours following treatment.

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 like infection or vascular occlusions, which should be reviewed immediately)

Reviewing prior to 4 weeks is not recommended 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. Symmetry should not be reviewed prior to 4 weeks.