Biostimulators

Seven days before

• Stop over-the-counter anti-inflammatories. Ibuprofen, naproxen, fish oil, vitamin E and flaxseed oil all increase bruising.
• Stop alcohol. It increases bruising and swelling.
• Stop high-dose vitamin C above 1,000 mg a day.
• Do not stop prescribed blood thinners or anticoagulants such as aspirin taken for cardiac reasons, apixaban, rivaroxaban, warfarin or clopidogrel. Do not stop any of these without speaking to the doctor who prescribed them. Contact us instead and we will plan around them.

Two weeks before

• No dental procedures. Dental work can introduce bacteria and raises infection risk around injected material.
• No aggressive treatments on the area, including peels, microneedling and laser.

Tell us before your appointment

• Any history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring. These treatments work by driving collagen production, which can behave unpredictably in skin prone to abnormal scarring.
• Any previous filler or biostimulator: what was used, when, and anything that did not go as expected.
• Any autoimmune or connective tissue condition.
• Any known allergy, particularly to lidocaine.
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Biostimulators are not performed during pregnancy.

The day itself

• Arrive with the treatment area clean.
• Eat something beforehand.
• For Radiesse on the hands, remove rings and jewelry before you arrive.

After every Sculptra session: five minutes, five times a day, for five days.

• The massage distributes the product evenly through the tissue and substantially reduces the risk of nodules forming.
• It is not optional, and it is the main thing that determines whether the result is even.
• The technique is demonstrated before you leave the clinic.
• Set five reminders on your phone on the day of treatment. People miss sessions on day three and four, not day one.
• Massage only the areas that were treated with Sculptra. If anything else was done at the same visit, you will be told exactly which areas to leave alone.

This applies to Sculptra. Radiesse does not require it.

The first 24 to 48 hours

• Noticeable swelling and puffiness is normal. It comes from the solution the product is delivered in, not the product, and it settles within two to three days.
• Ice gently, wrapped in a cloth.
• Do not press or touch the area other than the prescribed massage.
• Avoid heat: saunas, hot showers and steam rooms.
• No strenuous exercise for 24 hours.

Days 3 to 14

• As the swelling resolves you will look close to how you looked before treatment. This is expected. It is not a sign the treatment did not work.
• Continue the massage through day five.
• Gentle skincare is fine. Avoid active treatments on the area for two weeks.
• Retinoids and other actives can resume after day seven. They support collagen production rather than interfering with it.

Hands

• Swelling and bruising for three to five days is normal. The hands can look quite puffy immediately afterwards.
• Keep hands elevated when resting for the first 24 hours.
• Wear loose gloves or keep the hands protected during any activity.
• No long baths, and no dishwashing without gloves, for 24 hours.
• Avoid strenuous hand activity for 24 hours.
• The volume improvement is visible straight away. The collagen builds over the following three to four months.

Décolletage

• Mild redness and swelling for 24 to 48 hours is normal.
• Avoid tight, abrasive or synthetic fabric over the area for 24 hours.
• SPF 50 on the chest every day from here on. This area takes more UV than people expect, and sun exposure is what undoes the result.
• The result builds over three to four months as collagen is produced.

• Collagen building starts at around four weeks. Most people notice change between four and eight weeks, in the mirror rather than in photographs.
• The full result from a three-session Sculptra series is read at six months, not before.
• Drink water consistently through the series. Sculptra performs better in well hydrated tissue.
• Daily SPF 50. UV degrades collagen, which is the entire thing you are paying to build.
• Sculptra sessions are spaced four to six weeks apart, three in the initial series, then annual maintenance.
• Radiesse is repeated every 12 to 18 months.