In short. Massage, heat, exercise and the first-week rules, framed as part of the treatment rather than optional aftercare that can be skipped.
Key points
- What to do, what to avoid, for how long and in what way.
- The list is short and specific, and nobody remembers it accurately after leaving the clinic.
- A practice that treats this substance regularly will already have it written down.
The instructions that follow a session of this substance are not a list of precautions around a treatment. They are part of the treatment. How the material is distributed in the tissue over the days after it is placed is one of the things that determines how evenly the result develops, and two patients given the same substance on the same day can end up with different outcomes because of it.
Massage, where it is prescribed
Massage is sometimes prescribed for the area treated, in a specific way and for a specific period. It is intended to help distribute the material and to keep the tissue even rather than to comfort it. Where it has been prescribed, the technique and the schedule matter, and it should be demonstrated rather than described. Where it has not been prescribed, doing it anyway because it was mentioned online is a way of adding pressure to an area nobody asked you to press.
The first week
Swelling and tenderness at the injection points are expected and settle over days. Bruising is occasional. Firmness under the skin is normal at this stage and is not the same finding as a lump that develops later. Strenuous exercise, saunas, hot baths and anything else that raises blood flow to the face are usually avoided for a short period, because they increase swelling and bruising. Pressure over the treated area is avoided, and so is anything involving heat.
Ask for the rules in writing
What to do, what to avoid, for how long and in what way. The list is short and specific, and nobody remembers it accurately after leaving the clinic. A practice that treats this substance regularly will already have it written down.
What not to do in the first months
The material is integrating over weeks and months, and the result is not yet visible. That makes it a poor time to judge, and an equally poor time to intervene. Facials, facial massage, and anything involving pressure or heat over the treated area are usually avoided for a period. Adding a session early, or pressing the area to check whether anything is developing, changes nothing except the amount of pressure the tissue is under. Photographs at consistent intervals are the useful habit; the mirror between appointments is not.
Contact the clinic rather than waiting
- A firm area that is growing, is painful, or has become visible under the skin.
- Redness, warmth, increasing swelling or pain at a treated site, or any fever.
- Skin over the area that changes colour, blisters, or breaks down.
The rules are unglamorous and they are the patient’s share of the outcome. Everything that decides how a course goes is settled before the first session except this: the weeks in which the material is being integrated and the tissue is responding. Following the instructions for that period, and leaving the area alone for the rest of it, is the part of the treatment that happens at home rather than in the clinic.
Frequently asked questions
Why is massage prescribed rather than optional?
Because it is part of how the material is distributed in the tissue, not a comfort measure. Where it is prescribed, it is prescribed in a specific way and for a specific period, and doing it approximately or not at all changes how evenly the substance sits.
How long should I avoid exercise and heat?
Usually a short period, decided by the clinic rather than by a general rule. Anything that raises blood flow to the face increases swelling and bruising, and saunas and hot baths do the same. The instruction should be written down rather than remembered.
Can I wear makeup or have facial treatments afterwards?
Ask, because the answer depends on the area treated and how it settled. Facials, massage of the face and anything involving pressure or heat over the treated area are usually avoided for a period. A short written instruction sheet answers most of this better than a general guideline.
Risks & Limitations
- Irreversibility: there is no dissolving agent for this substance. A lump, an asymmetry or an over-correction is managed over time, with injected treatment, or occasionally by removal, and never switched off.
- Nodules and granulomas — firm lumps or an inflammatory reaction that can appear weeks or months after treatment and may need assessment and treatment rather than simply resolving.
- Unevenness or over-correction. This substance is placed in an area that cannot be dissolved, so over-treatment is harder to correct than under-treatment.
- Firmness under the skin in the first weeks, which is expected and usually settles, but does not always.
- Infection or inflammation at an injection site, which needs prompt assessment rather than waiting.
- Bruising, swelling, tenderness and occasional headache after treatment.
- The volume visible on the day is the carrier rather than the effect. The result develops over months and cannot be judged early, it is not permanent, and the area continues to age.
When to Seek Care
- A firm, growing or painful lump at or near an injection site, appearing weeks or months after treatment — this needs assessment even when it is not painful.
- Redness, warmth, swelling or pus at an injection site, or fever.
- Skin breakdown, blistering, or a dusky or mottled patch over a treated area — seek care immediately.
- Increasing pain, or pain out of proportion to the injection.
- Difficulty breathing, facial swelling or a widespread rash — possible severe reaction; seek emergency care immediately.
References & Further Reading
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) — injectable and skin safety information
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) — injectable treatment guidance
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — approved injectable products and safety communications
- National Medical Products Administration (NMPA, China) — approved product status
- Chongqing West District Hospital — Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics Medical Center
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and it does not cite individual studies. Discuss your own case with a qualified clinician. To arrange an assessment at Chongqing West District Hospital, see Contact & Consultation.