I always advice my patients that with any injection they may bruise and ideally not to have any procedures before a special event in case.
- There are certain medications that can increase the risk of bruising such as anti inflammatories e.g aspirin and ibuprofen. Should you decide to avoid these for 48 hours prior to treatment, if prescribed by your doctor please seek advice before doing so. Some supplements can increase the chance of bruising such as fish oils, st Johns wort, Gingko Biloba, vitamin E, garlic and turmeric. This list is not exhaustive.
2. Avoiding alcohol 24 hours prior to your appointment and after is recommended. Alcohol causes the blood vessels to dilate and can increase the chance of bleeding and bruising.
3. I advice my patients that exercise will boost the circulation and encourage blood flow so it is advisable to avoid exercise on the day of the appointment and for 24 hours post procedure.
4. Some patients decide to take arnica for a few days prior to treatment, generally 5 days. Homeopathic arnica is believed to control bruising, reduce swelling and promote recovery after local trauma. It can be taken post procedure also.
5. If you are prone to bruising the area to be injected can be iced prior to injections, the cooling prior to injection may constrict the blood vessels and may reduce the bleeding from injection site. The cooling of the skin can also provide a numbing effect prior to injections.
“If you have concerns about bruising, reach out to your practitioner for advice.”
Your practitioners choice in needles/ cannula and gentle injection technique can make a difference to your experience.
Nurse Carly