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After you dye your hair, you probably use products designed for color-treated tresses. Why? Because you want to keep your color looking its best and keep your hair looking its best. Skin care after a botox injection or filler is no different.
“After injections, you have a few to many tiny breaks in the skin from the needle,” she explains Dr. Ashley Magoverna Manhattan Beach dermatologist and Dermstore advisory board member. “These puncture sites leave the skin more vulnerable to irritation and infection. Gentle post-procedure products can help minimize bruising, redness and downtime.”
Can you reach for your usual skincare arsenal? Possibly, says Dr Magovern. “Post-injection skin care is designed to be extremely gentle, avoiding active substances that can sting or cause inflammation in newly treated skin. While you can usually return to your normal routine after a few days, products designed for recovery help minimize downtime and improve comfort during the healing phase.”
The key is to keep your skincare routine simple: cleanser, serum, moisturizer, eye cream, sunscreen, and a red light treatment or mask if you like. Also, Dr. Magovern recommends avoiding makeup for 24 to 48 hours “to allow the skin to fully heal.”
And what about Botox vs. fillers — should we be looking at different products depending on what’s being injected? “Most post-injectable skin care can be used for both Botox and fillers,” says Dr. Magovern. “The main goal is to soothe and protect the skin. Filler treatments sometimes cause more bruising, so I often add arnica-based products. For Botox, it’s usually about hydration and barrier support.”
Here are the distinct post-injectable products that professionals recommend to their patients for optimal results.
1. Choose a gentle face wash
“Gentle” is the key word when it comes to washing your face after injections, both in terms of how you wash and the cleanser you use. If you are a heavy scrubber or use a face cloth to clean your face, stop. After an injection, applying pressure to the site can lead to migration of the filler material or further swelling in the area. Also, avoid scrubs and anything containing acids (AHA or BHA). Instead, using lukewarm (not hot) water, wash your face with a gentle cleanser like IS Clinical Cleansing Complex ($49), which is specially formulated as a gentle, safe post-procedure option.
IS Clinical Cleansing Complex
For an option that will remove makeup and impurities but won’t irritate post-injection skin, try Bowe Glowe Cleanser by Dr. Whitney Bowe ($36). Alastin Ultra-Calm Cleansing Cream ($58) is specially formulated for post-treatment use and does not irritate the skin.
Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty Bowe Glow Cleanser
Also, if you’re having platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy and using cleansing oil, skip it for a few days after treatment. Professionals recommend avoiding oil-based products, including cleansers, after PRP because they can potentially interfere with the growth factors you are about to absorb. they can also block the pores and cause infection at the injection site.
2. Moisturize and soothe with a serum
Think of the serum as an oasis in a post-procedure desert. “After injections, the skin’s moisture is stripped from the use of alcohol and cleansing products used to prepare the skin,” explains New York City esthetician Dr. Glenicia Nosworthy. “So you want to use something that adds moisture back to the skin to prevent dryness and tightness.” Cue: serum packed with hydrating ingredients, namely hyaluronic acid. Glo by Glen Clarté Phyto Corrector ($140) has a generous dose of hyaluronic acid as well as hemp and chlorophyll, which reduce inflammation and soothe injection sites.
Another serum perfect for post-procedure care is Deinde’s new Instant-Calming Recovery Gel ($42), which features active squalane to keep skin hydrated and antioxidants to fight environmental damage. Many professionals recommend Alastin INhance Post-Injection Serum ($72). “It’s a topical type of anti-bruise recovery,” he says Dr. Sachin Shridharania Manhattan-based plastic surgeon and the Chief Medical Officer at SkinSpirit. “Hexapeptide technology allows penetration into the skin to help heal the bruise and reduce overall downtime.”
Alastin INhance Post-Injection Serum
SkinCeuticals also makes two notable post-procedure products: The brand’s HA Intensifier Multi-Glycan ($120) is specifically designed for use after fillers to improve skin firmness and hydration. And P-TIOX Anti-Wrinkle Peptide Serum ($150), which has been tested as an adjunct to neurotoxin injections, is meant to mimic what Botox or another neurotoxin does: reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
SkinCeuticals P-TIOX Anti-Wrinkle Peptide Serum
In terms of application, Dr. Shridharani says using these products “twice a day is more than adequate.” (More serum does not equal faster healing time or better results.) The same goes for moisturizer. apply morning and night after cleansing and serum.
3. Follow the serum with a creamy moisturizer
It’s important to lock in moisture with a moisturizer that has the right ingredients. “Using harsh or inappropriate products too soon can prolong healing, increase irritation and even compromise results,” explains Dr. Magovern.
Three standouts in this category are: SkinMedica HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish and Restore Hydrator ($192), which Dr. Shridharani advises his patients after injections to lock in moisture. Alastin Recovery Balm ($52), a thick moisturizer designed to soften injection sites while hydrating the skin. and Senté Dermal Repair Cream ($164), which soothes skin while adding a big dose of moisture.
Senté Skin Repair Cream
If you usually apply jade roller or gua sha stone skin care, skip it for a few days. “Facial massage tools should be avoided for at least one week after injections,” advises Dr. Magovern. “Using them too soon can displace the filler or make bruising worse. Once the skin is fully healed, they can be safely reinserted.”
4. Take care of the eye, lip and neck areas
While the neck area will benefit from any of the above serums and moisturizers, Dr. Shridharani also recommends Alastin Restorative Neck Complex ($158), “which is great for Botox injections after a facelift or using Kybella in the submental area.” (Think the neck area.) “I find that patients tend to have a faster recovery overall [with use].” For the eye area, GM Collin Eye Contour ($78) features hyaluronic acid to deliver a heavy dose of hydration to the under-eye area.
GM Collin Hyaluronic Filler Eye Contour Anti-aging eye cream
Lips often need special TLC after filler injections. Soothe and hydrate lips with Nurse Jamie NuLips Rx Moisturizing Lip Balm ($26), but skip the accompanying exfoliating brush until lips are fully healed. RescueMD Restorative Lip Treatment ($48) is also designed to treat post-procedure lips, with a cool metal tip that soothes sore lips. PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster ($50) instantly hydrates post-procedure puckers and features collagen-stimulating ingredients to help prolong injectable results.
Nurse Jamie NuLips Rx Moisturizing Lip Balm
5. Don’t forget the SPF at all
Not wearing sunscreen after a filler or neurotoxin injection is like doing a weeklong juice cleanse followed by a six-pack of beer and a bucket of KFC Why bother?
“Sunscreen is essential after injectables,” says Dr. Magovern. “UV exposure can increase redness, slow healing, and even reduce the longevity of the filler by breaking down the collagen faster.” It recommends a mineral-based sunscreen to support barrier health, meaning moisture is kept in and pollutants and harmful agents are kept out. “Without it, you risk hyperpigmentation, inflammation and less durable results.”
Two of the best available, according to professionals, are Elta MD Skin Recovery SPF 50 ($50) and Alastin SilkShield All Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 ($78). Also, avoid the sun as much as possible after injectable treatments to give the skin the best chance to heal.
Elta MD Skin Recovery SPF 50
6. Something extra: red light therapy and healing mask
Yes, you can use red light and yes, you can use a mask after injectable procedures. As mentioned above, remember to be gentle and use pro-recommended products that won’t further irritate the skin. As for light therapy, Dr. Magovern says, “Red or near-infrared light therapy can be very helpful after injections. It calms inflammation, reduces swelling, and speeds healing.” However, it does warn about blue light. “It can be very harsh and is not recommended immediately after treatment.” Try the CurrentBody Series 2 LED Face Mask ($469.99+), which also has a neck attachment if you’ve had injections for neck zones or the submental area.
CurrentBody Series 2 LED Face Mask
Viktor Michael offers one of the best post-injection masks on the market, the Ciao for Now Post-Injection Care Mask ($112). As you’d expect, this skin savior soothes the skin while locking in moisture and is especially good for sensitive skin. These products, as with all of the above, need not be limited to post-injectable use only. can be part of your daily skin care routine.
