There is always a risk of bleeding and bruising with all cosmetic injections, as we are inserting a sharp needle into the skin, multiple times. There are higher risk areas for bruising, such as around the eye area and the lips. These areas are quite vascular and more often than not, a patient will bruise. Cheeks seem to be a lower risk area, but we can never 100% be sure you won’t, as the face is full of blood vessels. In particular areas of the face, I may use a “cannula”. This is a long, blunt-tip needle. It is often used with one entry point per side of the face with a sharp needle. So even though the cannula reduces the risk of piercing through vessels, there is also a risk with the introducer needle of bleeding and bruising.
To minimise the risk of bleeding and bruising, I recommend my clients to stop taking blood-thinning medications, if NOT under the direct care and prescription of their GP, 2 weeks before having filler. You may also wish to purchase Arnica cream, or tablets, which prmotes healing and brings bruising out quickly. It is up to you, to make the decision, if you think Arnica will help. Applying ice post treatment will also cause vaso-constriction, helping the bruise to prevent bleeding into the tissue.
With regards to how long the bruise will last – everyone is different. You might not bruise at all, you might bruise a little, or you might bruise badly. Generally, a bruise will last around 3-5 days, but we allow 2 weeks for bruising and swelling post filler and not to have treatment within 1 month of a special event, due to this risk.