After you have your JUVEDERM treatment, you'll need to make sure that you follow all of the aftercare instructions that your doctor gives you. Some of these post treatment guidelines are meant to help the product settle into your face in the optimum way and recover from your JUVEDERM treatment with the most minimal side effects. Other guidelines are meant to help you maintain the appearance of the JUVEDERM treatment as long as possible. The post-JUVEDERM lifestyle and maintenance tips that you are given by your doctor are very important and need to be followed strictly. These will usually include the following post treatment guidelines.
Avoid Extended Sun Exposure
After you have JUVEDERM injections, it's best to avoid extended sun exposure for at least 24 hours, or ideally for 48 hours following treatment. Normal sun exposure will not cause you any harm, and it's fine to go about your daily life. However, laying out in the sun or staying outside in direct sunlight for any period longer than a few minutes may cause you to have excessive redness, itching and swelling at the sites of injection.
Avoid Heavy Exercise
After your JUVEDERM treatment, your doctor will probably recommend that you avoid exercise for a couple of days. Strenuous exercise can cause your injection sites to become inflamed and cause itching and additional swelling. Moderate exercise is fine, and you can return to your regular exercise routine about 48 hours after your JUVEDERM treatment.
Use Ice Packs to Reduce Swelling
After your JUVEDERM treatment you will often experience redness, bruising and swelling for the first day or two. This is completely normal and will subside on its own, but you can help to reduce the swelling even more quickly with the application of ice packs. You can simply place some crushed ice in a plastic bag, cover it with a piece of cloth and apply to the areas where you had JUVEDERM injected. Apply the ice packs for brief periods of 10 minutes or less at a time, and use light pressure for the best results.
Avoid Drinking Alcohol
Your doctor may tell you to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages for at least 24 hours following your JUVEDERM treatment. Alcohol may cause you to have excess flushing of the skin, especially the areas where you had your JUVEDERM injections, and could therefore bring you some discomfort. You can typically have alcohol again after a day or two.
Watch for Changes to Your Face
For the first few days after you have your JUVEDERM treatment, your face could be swollen at the injection sites, and might not reflect the actual look you will get long term. About a week after your JUVEDERM treatment, make note of how your face looks, and begin to monitor it for changes. Since JUVEDERM typically lasts up to 9 months, you are unlikely to see the product start to dissipate for a long time. However, when you start to notice a loss of volume, it may be time for a touch up treatment. When JUVEDERM is used consistently, it lasts longer each time, especially if you don't allow your face to return to its previous levels of total depletion. Monitoring your JUVEDERM injection sites will help you know when to get new treatments, and allow you to maintain your desired look consistently.
