Pre-treatment instructions
- Discontinue NSAIDS (Acetaminophen, Naproxen Sodium, Ibuprofen, etc.), Aspirin or Aspirin containing products (Excedrin, BC/Goody powders), for 10 days prior to your treatment.
- Discontinue St. John’s Wort, Vitamin E, Fish Oil and Garlic supplements for 3 days prior to treatment.
- Arrive with no makeup or products on your neck and chin area.
- If you are prone to bruising or bleeding, you may take Arnica pills starting 3 days prior to treatment (3 to 5 pills, 3 times a day). You can find them at Whole Foods, Weaver Street Market Co-Op, and supplement stores.
- Men may shave the day of treatment. However, it is not required.
Post-treatment instructions
Your treatment involves multiple injections designed to induce an inflammatory reaction around the treatment area. For that reason, you can commonly expect the following:
- Discomfort described as mild to moderate in 75% of individuals, which will peak during treatment and taper off the evening of the treatment. Pain is most commonly described as "tender" (on average this can last 7 days) However, some patients may experience complete numbness for 7-14 days.
- Swelling/Induration (a hard or heavy feeling, like a "hockey puck") is expected, and on average can last 10-14 days. However, up to 20% of those treated experience swelling that can last up to 30 days.
- Bruising or hematoma at the injection sites can be common and would be expected to resolve as any other bruise you may have had in the past.
- Numbness in the treated area is common and can take up to 30 days to resolve.
- Approximately 1.9% of those treated during clinical studies experienced some difficulty swallowing following treatment for double chin, which is attributable to the sensation of fullness in the treated area from the volume of liquid injected and/or swelling/edema. On average this resolved in 3-5 days for most individuals.
- Should you experience asymmetry in your smile (a risk when treating the chin or jawline) notify Medical Day Spa of Chapel Hill as this may represent a transient paralysis of the Marginal Mandibular Nerve. In the clinical trials, all cases have resolved without additional interventions needed with a median duration of 44 days (Range 1-298 days).
- Additional comfort post treatment can be obtained by using ice on the treated area for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours.
- Continued use of Arnica pills for 3-5 days post-treatment can be helpful if bruising is present.
- You may restart any supplements stopped prior to treatment after 3 days.
