Cosmetic or surgical procedures can leave your skin raw, bruised or red and everyday make-up may not be suitable. Heather Stephen looks at the products professionals recommend.
You have cosmetic or surgical procedures to look more beautiful but straight afterwards your skin may be red and raw or you may have some bruising or wounds that need covering – but which products are safe to use on skin that’s healing? Even injection sites from botox and fillers should be treated with care as applying the lipstick or make-up you usually use is literally akin to putting bacteria onto an open wound.
So what can you use and if you’ve had a procedure such as a non-surgical eye lift or a peel that’s left the skin visibly damaged for a short period, are there some products that can cover and help the healing? The answer is yes. The right kind of makeup can help you face the world a little sooner and could even help you heal along the way.
After Lip Fillers
Lip fillers can leave your lips feeling swollen, dry and flakey, but it is not recommended to use lipstick or lip balm for at least 12 hours after a lip filler treatment as you could risk transferring bacteria to this vulnerable area.
So to tackle these issues aesthetic nurse, Caroline Gwilliam, has developed Lipfit – a vitamin infused lip product designed to soothe and aid healing.
“Working in aesthetic sales for 10 years I was often asked if I knew of a product people could use after lip fillers. There wasn’t one so I decided to develop one myself.
“After fillers the lips can feel tight and uncomfortable and there may be dryness and cracking. This product is lighter than lip balm – with a texture in between fluid and a gel – has an application wand which can be cleaned after each use and the vitamins help the healing process.”
Caroline says Lipfit is also suitable for everyday use, keeping the lips well hydrated.
Price £29.00 Order via Harley Street Emporium: myorders@harleystreetemporium.com
After Facial Fillers or Botox
Aesthetic specialist Dr Tatiana Lapa says: “Bruises are a common side-effect of injectable cosmetic treatments such as botulinum toxin injections or dermal filler injections.
In most cases this is unavoidable but there are measures that can be taken to minimise bruising or promote recovery. These include avoiding anti-platelet medication like aspirin for 5 days prior to treatment, using cooling techniques to reduce blood vessel size, taking arnica tablets pre- and post-treatment etc.
“If a patient does bruise, I suggest using camouflage make-up such as a foundation from the Oxygenetix range. This has a thick texture with high SPF and is non-occlusive, promoting healing of the skin.”
Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation SPF 25 is a breathable makeup that comes in 14 blendable shades. It’s made with Ceravitae, an advanced complex that attracts oxygen to the skin. Oxygen is vital for healing and healthy, vibrant skin.
The Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation helps accelerate healing and help reduce scarring. It also encourages collagen production so skin not only looks smoother, but improves in texture and fine lines are reduced. It is also great for concealing red and inflamed skin and because it contains antioxidants and anti-bacterial ingredients it helps reduce inflammation so is also ideal for people with acne.
After a Peel
After a chemical peel, your skin may be dry, irritated and peeling, so it is important to care for your skin to provide optimum conditions for skin healing.
Tunbridge Wells aesthetic practitioner Dr Christine Or says: “I advise all clients to use a gentle bland cleanser – not containing acids or exfoliating particles- after a peel and to avoid using flannels.”
Her other tips include avoiding the sun for up to 14 days, using an SPF 50 daily and avoiding exfoliation, retinoids and tretinoin for a week after the skin has healed.
“It is fine to wear makeup the next day and and Oxygenetix is the only post procedure make up with healing properties that I know of so that is what I advise.”
After Plexr (eg non-surgical eye lift), Radiofrequency, Laser treatments or Micro-needling
Dr Shirin Lakhani, founder of the Elite Aesthetics clinic in Kent, agrees the Oxygenetix makeup range is fantastic at camouflaging effects of treatment, protecting the skin and accelerating healing.
“After most procedures there is some kind of downtime – like redness and crusting. For some this can go on for a few weeks and if this could not be covered people would find it difficult to bear.
“I recommend Oxygenetix makeup after most treatments. It is essential patients use it after Plexr plasma for sagging eyelids as it offers complete protection from the sun, helps the crust created by the treatment to fall off more quickly and gives good coverage.”
Interestingly, even if people aren’t going out but are spending time indoors in front of screens Dr Lakhani says it advisable to wear the special foundation as skin treated by plasma can be susceptible to pigmentation problems caused by the LED light emitted from computer and TV screens.
She also recommends Oxygenetix after Fractora intradermal radiofrequency which can leave the skin red and scratched for up to two weeks. It can also be used after fractional laser treatment and micro-needling.
“The range is safe to use straight after treatment,” she says. “It is cooling and soothing for the skin and lots of patients like it so much they start to use it all the time.”
After facial surgery
Plastic surgeon Naveen Cavale says his preference is for nothing to be applied to wound area until its dry and there are no scabs. After that his recommendation is to ensure that any products are from a reputable source, not a market or unknown source. His concern is that products bought from markets may be counterfeit and could contain impurities that could damage the skin.
The same goes for purchasing products online. If the price sounds too good to be true then it probably is too good to be true and the chances are you’re buying a fake that has not undergone the rigorous testing required for selling in the EU.
