How To Calm The Skin And Face After Cosmetic Procedures
Taking care of the skin and face after cosmetic procedures can be challenging. Often, you aren’t sure what to do or what works.
Fortunately, that’s where this article comes into the frame. It explores some of the tactics you can use to get rid of swelling, whether you’ve had a facial, peel, microneedling, piercing, or some other intervention.
In this post you'll find:
Stay Hydrated
While it might sound obvious, staying hydrated is one of the most powerful things you can do to calm the skin and face after cosmetic procedures. Ensuring you get plenty of water is critical.
Staying hydrated is an excellent way to support the skin from within and maintain the natural moisture it contains. If you get a headache, it may mean that you aren’t hydrated enough and the body can’t respond properly to whatever treatment you’ve received.
Skip Makeup
During the recovery phase, spend a couple of months skipping makeup (if possible). While it can be challenging, it will often help the healing process and allow the skin to breathe.
If you do use makeup, don’t leave it on the skin for long. Take it off after a couple of hours.
Avoid Direct Sun Exposure
At the same time, you’ll want to avoid direct sun exposure. Spending too much time in UV after a procedure can undo its positive effects and make your skin worse.
Remember, most interventions weaken the skin barrier, making it more susceptible to UV light. Furthermore, many of these interventions expose the deeper layers of the skin, meaning any damage could be even worse and harder to get at in the future.
Therefore, wear sunscreen and don’t go outside during the middle of the day. Check the UV forecast if you know you are going to be outside, and wear a wide-brimmed hat if possible.
Incorporate Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients
You also want to incorporate anti-inflammatory ingredients into your skincare routine in the days following the procedure. For example, you can use things like Centella asiatica (gotu kola) and aloe vera to soothe and nourish the skin. These formulations with medicinal plants can be helpful and leave your skin feeling smooth and calm.
If you choose any products, make sure they are non-comedogenic. Don’t use anything with an irritating element as this could make the inflammation worse and cause the skin to take longer to recover.
Be Patient
Next, you’ll want to be patient. After a treatment, it can take several weeks for the skin to recover, depending on how deep the treatment went and how intense it was.
Learning how to care for your medusa piercing is also critical if you have one. You want to ensure that you are preventing any foreign bodies from getting into the hole that could cause an immune reaction.
Always remember that it takes time to heal from facial cosmetic procedures. It isn’t something that will happen overnight.
Use Skincare Minimally
Of course, when it comes to skincare, you want to avoid the temptation to go mad. Using too many ingredients at once could worsen any inflammation and redness, making it take longer to get better.
Usually, plain moisturizer is okay, but you’ll want to avoid any that mix multiple ingredients you don’t recognise. Many of these can sting vulnerable skin and create more damage.
For example, steer clear of AHA and BHAs (acids) as they can strip the skin of its protective layer and cause it to take longer to get better. You also want to steer clear of retinoids, as these can also add to the irritation, even if you had previously acclimated to them. Don’t take risks.
Sleep With Your Head Elevated
Another pro tip is to sleep with your head elevated. Propping it up allows any fluids to drain, speeding up recovery during sleep.
Fluid retention can be an issue after some procedures and surgery. However, sitting up slightly while you sleep can be beneficial in this respect.
Use Cold Compresses
Cold compresses are another strategy you can use after cosmetic procedures. Applying these to the face and affected areas periodically can reduce swelling and enable healing to take place faster.
Cold compresses should be cool, not icy. If they are too cold, you risk destroying the delicate fat under the skin, which is something you want to avoid.
Make sure that the compress is soft and only apply it to the skin for 10 to 15 minutes. This should be enough to reduce inflammation while protecting the underlying tissue, preventing it from being damaged by the low temperatures.
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