Hyaluronic Acid Filler Care Instructions

Hyaluronic acid filler for lips, cheeks, chin, jawline and folds. Everything you need to know before and after your treatment.

This page is for hyaluronic acid filler — Juvéderm, Restylane, RHA, Belotero and similar. Fillers are not interchangeable and the aftercare genuinely differs between them — if you were treated with something else, ask us for the right sheet rather than following this one.

Before your treatment

Most of the preparation here is about bruising, which is the single most common thing clients want to avoid. Nearly all of it comes down to what is in your system on the day.

One week before

  • Avoid NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and Advil, fish oil, Gingko Biloba, St John's Wort and high-dose vitamin E — all of them increase the risk of bruising.
  • Never stop a prescribed medication without your physician's approval.

Two weeks before

  • Avoid dental appointments — and leave two weeks clear afterwards as well.

Three days before

  • Pause Retin-A, Tretinoin and other retinoids.

Twenty-four hours before

  • No alcohol.

On the day

  • Arrive with clean, makeup-free skin so we can assess the area properly.
  • If you bruise easily, arnica tablets the day before can help — check with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.

Please tell us before we begin

  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • A history of cold sores, if we are treating your lips
  • A previous reaction to hyaluronic acid filler or to lidocaine
  • Blood thinners or a bleeding disorder
  • Autoimmune conditions or immunosuppressant therapy
  • Active infection or inflamed skin at the injection site
  • Dental work planned in the next two weeks

Clients who are pregnant or nursing are not eligible for dermal filler treatment. If you have a history of cold sores and we are treating your lips, tell us before the day — a short course of antiviral medication beforehand can prevent an outbreak.

Plan your downtime. Results are visible immediately and keep improving for two to three weeks as the filler settles and integrates. Redness, swelling, bruising and tenderness at the injection sites are common, usually mild, and generally resolve within a few days — so leave a few days clear before any important event. Depending on the filler and the area, results last six to twenty-four months.

After your treatment

For the first four hours

  • Do not lie down. Staying upright helps keep the filler where we placed it.
  • No makeup straight after treatment — it raises the risk of infection.

For twenty-four hours

  • Do not touch your face, unless you are applying something we have specifically asked you to.
  • No strenuous exercise. Light walking is fine.
  • Avoid extreme heat or cold, which can affect the filler.

For twenty-four to forty-eight hours

  • Sleep on your back to maintain the placement.

For two weeks

  • No facials or massage on the treated areas.
  • No dental appointments.

Lips only, for two weeks

  • No straws, smoking, heavy kissing or other oral activity.

Rare, but treat it as an emergency: severe or steadily increasing pain, skin that turns white, blotchy or dusky, or any change in your vision. Call us immediately on (949) 998-5501 — phone, not text — or go straight to an emergency room. Caught early this is manageable — caught late it is not.

Call or text us right away if

  • swelling or bruising is getting worse rather than settling after forty-eight hours.
  • you develop spreading redness, warmth, pus or a fever — these are signs of infection.
  • a lump or firm area has not settled after two weeks.
  • you develop a cold sore after lip filler.

General guidance only; it does not replace the advice your practitioner gives you. If you are unsure about a health condition or medication, speak to your physician. For any isolated adverse reaction, seek medical assistance.

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Aurora MD Aesthetics & Head Spa
21224 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(949) 998-5501 — call or text · hello@auroramdspa.com

Questions or concerns at any point in your recovery? Call or text us on (949) 998-5501 — we would always rather hear from you early.