After your facial procedure, it is time to focus on healing. However, your doctor may advise you to stay away from skin products and skip portions of your facial routine. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give attention to your skin. While some facial routines can be overly harsh for skin that needs to heal, there are ways you can care for your skin so that it heals as quickly as possible and smoothly.
What to Avoid After Facial Cosmetic Surgery
Everyone has their perfect skin care routine, but while it may be suitable for healthy skin, you may want to put it on pause after cosmetic surgery. Even facial procedures that don’t leave wounds that need healing, like microdermabrasion, will leave skin needing a little rest. After your procedure, your doctor will give you tips to help your skin. However, if you are ever unsure if a portion of your normal routine should be temporarily stopped, be sure to ask your doctor. Common skin care practices that should be avoided for a few weeks after a cosmetic facial procedure include:
- Abrasive facial scrubs
- Heavy facial masks
- Stringent cleansers or those with heavy fragrance
- Scrubbing pads
- Alcohol-based cleansers
While there is plenty of treatments to avoid, your skin will still benefit from regular care after a cosmetic facial procedure.
Caring For Your Skin After Cosmetic Facial Procedures
The key to caring for post-procedure skin is to treat it like you would a baby’s skin. It needs to rest so it can heal, but it also needs certain nourishment.
Cleanse Gently and Moisturize
When cleaning your face after a procedure, you want to avoid heavily scented soaps and alcohol-based cleansers to avoid overly drying out your skin. Instead, you want to use gentle and fragrance-free products like baby soap. This removes dangerous bacteria and environmental pollutants without overly stripping your skin of moisture and oil. You will also want to add in a facial moisturizer as well. During the cleaning and moisturizing process, do not scrub roughly and use a soft cloth like gauze.
Be Diligent With Sun Protection
For the first few days after a procedure, you should be avoiding direct sunlight. However, if you do need to go out after that, don’t forget your sunscreen. Aim for a sunscreen around 30 SPF. While you may think stronger is better, the higher SPF products are more likely to clog pores.
Skip Makeup
For the first week, you want to keep makeup off your face. You want to avoid anything that can potentially cause irritation to your skin, and unfortunately even lightweight mineral makeup can do that. It is also worth noting that some makeup palettes can be a haven for bacteria. It is best to avoid it for as long as you can.
Scar Prevention
If your cosmetic facial procedure involved incisions, it should be given its due attention to prevent a scar. You will want to keep the incision both clean and moisturized so it can heal effectively. You will want to gently clean it during your facial care ritual with a Q-tip and peroxide. Afterwards, you will want to apply an antibiotic ointment or cover it with a thin layer of Vaseline to stop it from drying out. Later in your healing process, you may also add a vitamin E or scar gel into your routine to see that it completely disappears.
If you have recently undergone a facial procedure or have one on the horizon, but have questions about your skincare routine, contact us today. Dr. Apesos can help you feel confident that you are making the right moves to help your cosmetic procedure have the best results.