Before getting dermal fillers, there are several things you should stop or avoid in the days and weeks leading up to your appointment. Most of these precautions center on one goal: reducing your risk of bruising, swelling, and complications at the injection site. Here’s a clear breakdown of what to skip and when.
Blood-Thinning Medications
The biggest category to watch is anything that thins your blood. NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and aspirin are the most common culprits. These reduce your blood’s ability to clot at the injection site, which means more bruising and potentially longer recovery. Most providers recommend stopping these at least a week before your appointment if it’s medically safe to do so.
If you take a prescription blood thinner for a heart condition, stroke prevention, or another medical reason, do not stop it on your own. Talk to the prescribing doctor first. The bruising risk from fillers is cosmetic and temporary, but stopping a necessary medication can be dangerous. Your injector needs to know about any blood thinners you’re on so they can plan accordingly.
Supplements That Increase Bruising
Several popular supplements affect how easily you bruise, and they’re easy to overlook because people don’t always think of them as “medications.” The three with the strongest evidence for increasing bleeding and bruising are high-dose vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, and garlic supplements. Many practitioners recommend stopping these two weeks before any injectable procedure.
Fish oil and omega-3 supplements also have mild blood-thinning properties and are worth pausing on the same timeline. If you take a daily multivitamin with a standard amount of vitamin E, that’s generally less of a concern than a standalone high-dose vitamin E capsule, but mention it to your provider to be safe.
Alcohol
Alcohol thins the blood and dilates blood vessels, both of which increase bruising. Stanford Medicine’s pre-treatment guidelines recommend avoiding alcoholic beverages for at least 24 hours before your filler appointment. Some providers suggest a longer window of 48 to 72 hours, especially if you tend to bruise easily. Even a glass of wine the night before can make a noticeable difference in how much bruising shows up the next day.
Certain Skincare Products
Strong active ingredients in your skincare routine can sensitize the skin or increase irritation around the injection area. Retinoids (including prescription tretinoin and over-the-counter retinol), glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and other chemical exfoliants are the main ones to pause. Most providers recommend stopping these on the treatment area two to three days beforehand. These products thin the outermost layer of skin and can make the area more reactive, contributing to extra redness and sensitivity after injections.
Dental Work
The FDA notes that inflammation near filler injection sites can develop following dental procedures. This is particularly relevant for lip and cheek fillers, where the treatment area shares blood supply and tissue proximity with the mouth. Dental cleanings, fillings, root canals, and other dental work introduce bacteria into the bloodstream, which can potentially trigger an inflammatory response around filler.
The general recommendation is to avoid scheduling dental work within two weeks of your filler appointment, either before or after. If you need both done, get the dental work finished first and give yourself that buffer before the injections.
Cold Sore History and Lip Fillers
If you’ve ever had a cold sore, getting lip filler can trigger a new outbreak. The needle trauma and manipulation of the lip tissue reactivates the herpes simplex virus that lies dormant in nerve cells. This isn’t rare: it’s common enough that most injectors will specifically ask about your cold sore history before treating your lips.
If you’re prone to outbreaks, your provider will typically prescribe an antiviral medication to start taking a few days before the procedure. Skipping this step and showing up for lip filler without mentioning your history is one of the more avoidable mistakes people make. A post-filler cold sore outbreak is painful, delays healing, and can affect your results.
Intense Exercise on Treatment Day
Heavy workouts raise your blood pressure and increase blood flow throughout your body, which can worsen bruising and swelling at injection sites. Skip the high-intensity exercise on the day of your appointment. A gentle walk is fine, but save the spin class or weight training for another day. Most providers also recommend avoiding strenuous exercise for 24 to 48 hours after treatment for the same reasons.
Timing Around Events
One of the most practical things to avoid is cutting it too close to a big event. Swelling peaks in the first 24 to 72 hours after fillers, and bruising can take a full week or more to fade. Schedule your treatment at least two weeks before any wedding, vacation, photo shoot, or important social occasion. This gives your face time to settle into the final result and lets any bruising fully resolve. Rushing the timeline is one of the most common sources of filler regret, not because the results are bad, but because the healing process wasn’t given enough room.
Quick Reference Timeline
- Two weeks before: Stop high-dose vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, garlic supplements, and fish oil. Avoid dental procedures. Begin antivirals if prescribed for cold sore prevention.
- One week before: Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, and other NSAIDs (if medically safe).
- Two to three days before: Pause retinoids, glycolic acid, and strong exfoliants on the treatment area.
- 24 hours before: No alcohol. No intense exercise.
Following this prep timeline won’t guarantee zero bruising, but it significantly reduces the odds. People who skip these steps often end up with more visible bruising and longer downtime than those who plan ahead.