Fillers/Botox Technical Info | Spirit Of Man

TREATMENTS TECHNICAL INFO

If you are booking or undergoing any of the procedures below, please read the important information.

Please contact us if you have any questions, queries, or concerns.

ANTI WRINKLE TREATMENTS

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Once injected, the toxin prevents the release of a neurotransmitter from the nerve endings at the neuromuscular junction. This causes paralysis of the muscle. This is perfect to help soften lines and wrinkles and the underlying muscle is not active.

The effects of the Botulinum toxin will last approximately 3 to 6 months. As muscle action slowly returns, the lines and wrinkles begin to reappear and the area will need to be treated again. The lines and wrinkles often appear less severe with time because of muscle atrophy (muscle waste due to lack of use). There are some side effects of Botulinum toxin, these include pain and swelling at the injection point, headache or flu-like symptoms, eye dryness, and the possibility of brow droop.

Back to Anti Wrinkle

DERMAL FILLERS

Dermal fillers can have side effects, including:
Common side effects
These include swelling, bruising, redness, pain, tenderness, itching, and rash. Most of these side effects occur shortly after the injection and resolve within a few days to weeks.
Rare side effects
These include severe allergic reactions, filler migration, leakage or rupture of the filler, permanent hard nodules, and injury to the blood supply.
Other side effects
These include lumps or bumps under the skin, numbness, pimples, skin damage, and infection.
Vision problems
Unintended injection into a blood vessel can cause vision abnormalities, including blindness.
Death
Death is a rare risk associated with dermal fillers.
To reduce the risk of complications, you can:
Avoid drinking alcohol after the procedure
Avoid strenuous exercise for the first 24 hours
Avoid using makeup for 24 hours after treatment
Stick to a gentle skincare routine for a few days after the procedure
A board-certified dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon can help you choose the right type of dermal filler for your needs.

Back to Anti Wrinkle

MICRO/SKIN NEEDLING

Like all cosmetic procedures, micro/skin needling isn’t without any risk. The most common side effect is minor skin irritation immediately following the procedure. You may also experience redness for a few days after treatment. Call your aesthetics practitioner if you notice more severe side effects, such as:

bleeding
bruising
infection
peeling

If you have any of the following contra-indications, you may not be a suitable candidate for micro/skin needling if you:

are pregnant
have certain skin diseases, such as psoriasis or eczema
have open wounds
have active acne
have had radiation therapy recently
have a history of skin scars
have active cancer

After you have a Micro/Skin needling procedure, some side effects are to be expected. When you leave your appointment, your skin may be flushed or bright red, as if you have spent the entire day out in the sun and have a mild to moderate sunburn.
The redness and swelling will most likely persist for 24 hours or slightly longer. Even with careful aftercare, there isn’t much you can do to get rid of the redness immediately after Micro/Skin needling.
Covering up the redness with makeup is one of the worst things you can do, as the makeup will block the pores on your newly exposed skin and might even cause breakouts. You’ll need to have some patience as the redness subsides, but in the meantime, you can apply gentle, unscented products with natural ingredients to get some relief such as arnica or Aloe Vera gel.
Swelling and some skin peeling are all considered to be within the realm of normal up to 48 hours after the procedure. Other side effects, like bumps, breakouts, and dry skin, are also within the scope of what you may experience after Micro/Skin needling, but not everyone will experience them. Taking care of your skin with moisturiser and gentle cleansers can make your side effects as minimal as possible.

After Care Advice

Avoid exercise and sweating for 24 hours after your treatment.
Do not apply any other products to your skin for 24 hours.
Avoid makeup for 24 hours.
Avoid swimming, saunas, and spa environments for 24 hours.
No chemical peels or skin treatments for 2 weeks.
Avoid strong retinol or glycolic acid products for 5-7 days.
Avoid sun exposure for 14 days. Use sunscreen minimum spf30 for 28 days after treatment if the area treated is exposed to the sun. Failure to do this can damage your skin and result in hyperpigmentation.

Recovery

The redness that you experience from Micro/Skin needling will mostly fade within 48 hours. Other symptoms, such as peeling and breakouts, might take slightly longer to resolve. Most of the visible recovery from Micro/Skin needling happens in the first day or two after treatment, but healing will still be happening under the surface of your skin for up to 2 months afterward.
When you may need to see a doctor
Micro/Skin Needling is generally considered to be a very low-risk procedure. Occasionally, side effects can escalate and require medical attention. Symptoms to look out for include:

fever over 100.4°F (38°C)
nausea
hives
yellow or green discharge
bleeding
headache

Infections caused by micro/Skin Needling do happen, often when instruments that aren’t properly sterilized are used on your skin. Allergic reactions to the needles used for micro/Skin Needling are also possible.

Taking care of your skin after micro/Skin Needling can make a huge difference in the outcome of your treatment. Not only will proper aftercare soothe your symptoms, but you’ll also be protecting your skin from damage as it heals.

Back to Skin Needling

SKIN PEELING

There are risks to chemical peels, but however infrequent these may be, there can be complications. These include:

Scarring
Infection
Permanent or temporary changes in skin and tone. These can include Hyperpigmentation (a darkening of the skin which can be treated with bleaching techniques) and Hypopigmentation (a lightening of the skin which can be more difficult to treat)
Cold sores or recurring blisters and cold sores like herpes. An antiviral medication taken before treatment will help prevent a breakout.

You should not have a chemical peel if you:

Continue to have excessive sun/sunbed exposure
Have active Herpes Simplex, Warts or a history of Keloid scarring
Undergone any type of recent facial surgical procedures
Pregnant or Lactating
Used Accutane (a medication for severe acne) in the last year which will increase the chances of excessive scarring.
Are taking a high dose B5 supplement
Have any autoimmune diseases
Have had any recent Chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments
Have broken skin, sunburn, or have recently had waxing treatments

Skin Peel Aftercare

Avoid exercise and sweating for 24 hours after your treatment.
Do not apply any other products to your skin for 24 hours.
Avoid makeup for 7 days.
Avoid swimming, saunas, and spa environments for 72 hours.
No chemical peels or skin treatments for 4 weeks.
Avoid strong retinol or glycolic acid products for 4 weeks.

Because a chemical peel performs a controlled wounding and chemical exfoliation on your skin, it's important you use the right aftercare to help along with your skin’s healing and results. This isn’t a major wounding, though, but more encouragement for the body to shed the dead skin cells it has been carrying. Nevertheless, you can help your results along and protect your skin with chemical peel aftercare.

Do not touch the treated area

It is inadvisable to pick at or scratch the treatment area because of the peeling skin. What a chemical peel does is it works to damage the very surface level of the skin, encouraging the body to shed the damaged cells as dry skin. This dry skin can appear as large flakes of drying, darkened skin that may be itchy. Even light chemical peels will cause some skin peeling, but it’s really important you don’t pick at the flaking skin. If it hasn’t shed naturally yet, it means the skin beneath it is not ready to come to the surface yet. It could also mean that the damaged skin isn’t ready to be shed yet, which might sting if you try to remove it. This can significantly impair healing, cause an infection from the oil and dirt on your fingers, and develop pigmentation if you pick at the area.

Use a broad-spectrum sun protection

As your chemical peel results develop, it's important you protect your skin from the sun. Because your treatment forcibly exfoliates the top layer of skin, the one residing beneath it won’t be immediately ready to come to the surface and will therefore be vulnerable to sun damage. Sun damage at this crucial stage could not only lead to burning because of skin sensitivity but also to the development of irregular pigmentation due to UV exposure. Use broad-spectrum sun protection at SPF 50 for at least 28 days after treatment.

Use a lighter facial cleanser

Avoid harsh, strong cleansers, because of blemishes or oil production, you need to take a break from these for about a week. The skin developing beneath your immediate first layer is sensitive, and you should also take a break from using an exfoliating product because your skin is already in the process of shedding dead cells that have been chemically exfoliated. Not only will this not help your results, but it will irritate your skin.

Take a break from makeup
If you are inclined to wear makeup, take a break from oily, perfumed, or chemical-based products for a few days post-peel. Your pores, follicles, and oils are being purged and your impurities are drawn out, so introducing more oils to the skin at this stage could hinder your cleansing. Mineral makeup or tinted sun protection might be a good choice for you if you’d still like to wear makeup, but particularly heavy makeup is wise to avoid for the first week.
Chemical peel aftercare is all about letting it heal. You might appear a bit pink, flaky, and blemished for a few days, but this is a sign that your skin peel is drawing out spots and impurities.

Taking care of your skin after a skin peel can make a huge difference in the outcome of your treatment. Not only will proper aftercare soothe your symptoms, but you’ll also be protecting your skin from damage as it heals.

Back to Skin Peels

SKIN BOOSTERS

While skin boosters are quite safe, its use is not indicated for patients who are:

Pregnant
Breast Feeding
Allergy
Immunocompromised

Are the skin booster injections painful?

Skin boosters is injected with a very fine needle and cause minimal discomfort.

Do skin boosters Cause Swelling?

When skin boosters are injected correctly in the suggested injection layer and the suggested area there is usually minimal swelling. However, there is always a risk of swelling, bruising, and allergic reactions with any injected medicine. You will have little blebs or bumps at the injection sites for 24 hours after treatment, but these will disperse as the product disperses.

We recommend not having treatment if you have an important event in the next 2 weeks should any bruising or swelling be unacceptable.

What Should I Tell My Practitioner Before Having Skin Boosters?

It is highly recommended that you tell your practitioner about all your medical conditions, including if you:

Have a disease that affects your muscles and nerves
Have or have had a breathing problem, such as asthma or emphysema.
Have or have had swallowing problems
Have or have had bleeding problems.
Have plans to have surgery.
Had surgery on your face.
Have weakness of your forehead muscles, such as trouble raising your eyebrows.
Have drooping eyelids.
Have any other changes in the way your face normally looks?
Treated areas shouldn’t be reinjected within 2 weeks of the initial procedure.

Guidelines for timing with other treatments.

Botulinum toxin: two weeks prior.
Microdermabrasion, chemical peel, IPL: 1–2 weeks pre or post-treatment
Fractional resurfacing 3–4 weeks distant
Treatment should not be undertaken in the immediate period following other routine medical procedures (including vaccination).
Dental procedures: at least 2 weeks pre or post-treatment
Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant? It is not known if skin boosters can harm your unborn baby.
Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed? It is not known if skin boosters pass into breast milk.

Are there any side effects?

Some undesired effects which may appear at the injection site are pain, the sensation of heat, and reddening or swelling (as listed in the package insert). These generally disappear in a short period.
The injection point on the zygomatic protrusion(cheek) may disappear more slowly than the others (up to 1-2 weeks).

Contraindications for skin boosters

Please do not use skin boosters in these cases:

Allergies to product ingredients
Allergies to Gram +ve bacterial proteins or lidocaine.
Infected skin area e.g. cold sores, acne

Cautioned use is advised when taking anticoagulants due to the increased risk of bruising.

Post-skin Booster Treatment Recommendations

To ensure that your treatment is successful, and you get all of its benefits, please follow these recommendations:

• Use a cold pack to reduce swelling and/or redness.
• Do not apply makeup or creams on the day of treatment, then after 24 hours, you can use makeup to cover any redness or bruising.

Eating fresh pineapple or arnica tablets can be consumed to help reduce bruising or apply arnica gel.
Regular antihistamines for the first 24-48 hours

Things to avoid:

Physical strain and sports on the first day after the treatment

Further cosmetic therapies for the first 2 days after treatment.
Sauna, steam bath, icy temperatures, or, UV radiation by the sun or a solarium for two weeks after the treatment.
Try to stay hydrated (1.5-2.0 litres of water per day)

The face is a complex structure of nerves, blood vessels, and veins. The practitioner must be knowledgeable regarding the facial structures. A signed consultation form is required before any treatments can commence. It is vitally important that we discuss the possible side effects of all treatment with clients so they can make a well-informed choice.

Back to Skin boosters

BODY CONTOURING INJECTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Not all treatments are for everyone. Please check our contraindications list to make sure you avoid disappointment.

You need to be generally healthy and don’t have any skin diseases or infections in the area treated, there are a few medical reasons why you should not undergo this treatment. However, Aqualyx is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding; patients with auto-immune disease, diabetics, and patients who have had severe anaphylactic reactions and allergies. It is also not recommended for those people who have been diagnosed with lipodystrophy or any pathological conditions.

Before Your Treatment

Many clients are concerned with having visible signs following Aqualyx treatment. There are a few key steps you can take to help you both minimise, visible bruising and swelling and recover as quickly as possible. The more closely you follow these steps, the faster you will recover and the fewer signs will be visible:

Avoid any blood thinners (e.g. alcohol, aspirin, Vitamin E, some herbal preparations and supplements) for 2 days prior before and 2 days after treatment. Thin blood results in an increased risk of bruising, so help minimise bruising risk by avoiding anything that can thin your blood.
Take arnica tablets as follows: 2 tablets every 2 hours for 5 days before the treatment. The 30c potency is best.
You may wish to purchase the products mentioned in the next section before your treatment so you don’t need to visit the chemist after treatment.

Protocol for resolving bruising and swelling

Hot compress: very hot water, soak the clean cloth, wring out very tight, lay over the face so that the heat and steam go to the face. Repeat several times, ideally every 2 hours if possible.
Arnica cream: Will help with bruising. Apply generously before going to bed, This will help minimise bruising.

After Care Advice

Immediately after treatment, there may be slight redness, swelling, tenderness, and an itching sensation in the treated area. This is a normal result of the injections. The inconvenience is temporary and generally disappears in a few days. If it continues or if other reactions occur, please call us. The results directly after the treatment should not be seen as the final result.

Avoid touching the treatment area 6 hours after the treatment. After that, the area can be gently washed with soap and water, and light make-up can be applied in the case of the neck/jaw area after 24 hours.

Until the initial swelling has resolved, do not expose the treated area to intense heat (e.g. solarium and sunbathing) or extreme cold.

If you are using aspirin or any similar medication, be aware that these may increase the bruising and bleeding at the injection site.

Side effects of fat dissolving injections are rare.

Back to Body Contouring