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Aftercare
Aftercare After Skin Treatments: What to Do and What to Avoid
Good aftercare protects your results and lowers the risk of side effects. This page gives general guidance from the Dernia Clinic Myeongdong medical team by treatment type. The written instructions your doctor gives you always come first.
In short: After treatment at Dernia Clinic Myeongdong, keep your skin clean, moisturized and protected with broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen. Avoid saunas, intense exercise and alcohol for the first 24 to 48 hours, pause retinoids and exfoliants as advised, and do not rub injected areas. Contact us promptly about worsening pain, spreading redness or skin color changes after filler.
By treatment type
Aftercare for each type of treatment
What is normal, and what to do, depends on the kind of treatment you had. Find yours below.
Lasers and toning
Normal: mild redness or warmth for a few hours. After IPL or spot treatment, pigment may darken and flake over about 5 to 7 days.
- Cleanse gently and moisturize. Skip scrubs, peels and retinoids for about a week, or as advised.
- Do not pick at darkened spots or flakes.
- Avoid saunas and intense exercise for a day or two.
RF and HIFU lifting
Normal: mild redness, swelling or tenderness, often along the jawline, for a few days.
- Makeup and your usual gentle skincare can usually resume the same or next day.
- Avoid saunas and very hot showers for a day or two.
- Collagen builds over two to six months, so results improve gradually.
Read can I exercise after Thermage? and how long lifting results last .
Injectables and fillers
Normal: small marks at injection points for a few hours. After filler, swelling and possible bruising for a few days, often more around the lips and under-eyes.
- After Botox, stay upright for about four hours and do not rub the area. It starts working within days, with the full effect at about two weeks.
- Avoid alcohol, saunas and strenuous exercise for 24 to 48 hours.
- A wrapped cold pack can ease filler swelling.
Skin boosters
Normal: small raised bumps at injection points for 1 to 3 days, mild redness and occasional bruising.
- Do not press or massage the bumps unless told to. Sculptra is the exception and needs regular massage as instructed.
- Skip makeup for the rest of the day and keep skincare simple.
- Results build over several weeks.
RF microneedling and ablative laser
Normal: redness and swelling for a few days after RF microneedling . After CO2 fractional laser , redness and fine crusting for about 5 to 7 days.
- Follow your doctor's wound-care routine exactly.
- Do not pick scabs or crusts; let them shed naturally.
- No makeup, pools or sweaty workouts until your doctor says the skin has healed.
Had more than one treatment?
Combination days are common in Seoul. Follow the stricter advice for each treated area, for example laser aftercare for your skin and injectable aftercare for the injected points. If the instructions seem to conflict, ask us. Read combining treatments in one visit .
Sun protection
Protect treated skin from the sun
Treated skin is more sensitive to UV for days to weeks, and sun exposure is the most common cause of pigment problems after laser and energy treatments.
- Use a broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen with a high PA rating every day, even when it is cloudy.
- Reapply about every two hours outdoors, and after sweating or washing your face.
- Add a hat, sunglasses or a mask when sightseeing.
- Avoid tanning and deliberate sun exposure for at least two weeks after laser, IPL or microneedling.
- A mineral sunscreen is often better tolerated on freshly treated skin.
Read sun protection after pico toning and laser and can I get laser treatment with a tan?
Skincare
Skincare do's and don'ts
Do
- Cleanse gently with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser.
- Moisturize generously with a simple, fragrance-free barrier cream.
- Sleep on a clean pillowcase, on your back after injections.
- Drink plenty of water.
Don't
- Use retinoids, AHA or BHA exfoliants, strong vitamin C serums or scrubs until your doctor says so, often about 3 to 7 days.
- Visit saunas, steam rooms or a jjimjilbang (Korean bathhouse) for at least 1 to 3 days, longer after microneedling or ablative laser.
- Pick, scratch or rub treated skin.
- Try lots of new products at once straight after treatment.
See your skincare routine after clinic treatments and what is safe to buy in Myeongdong after treatment .
Flying home
Flying after treatment
Most people can fly after non-surgical treatments, but a little planning makes the journey easier on your skin.
- Dry cabin air: apply a rich moisturizer before boarding and reapply on long flights.
- UV at altitude: window seats get strong sunlight. Wear sunscreen and keep the shade down.
- After filler: where possible, allow a few days before a long-haul flight so swelling and bruising can settle.
- On board: stay hydrated, limit alcohol, and avoid sleeping with your face pressed against a pillow or the window.
- Carry-on: keep your written aftercare instructions handy, and pack travel-size aftercare products.
Read flying after Botox, fillers and skin boosters and can I fly after Botox? If you are still planning your trip, our international patients guide shows how to schedule treatments around your flights.
When to contact us
Warning signs: when to contact the clinic or get urgent care
Mild redness, swelling, small bumps and minor bruising are normal and settle on their own. Contact us promptly, with clear photos if you can, if you notice:
- Pain, swelling or redness that gets worse after the first two to three days instead of better.
- Warmth, pus, fever or spreading redness, which can be signs of infection.
- Blisters, open sores or crusting you were not told to expect.
- Tingling or small blisters around the lips, which may be a cold sore flare.
- Hard, painful or growing lumps after filler or skin boosters.
- A droopy eyelid or uneven result after Botox. This is not an emergency, but your doctor can advise.
Get urgent medical care immediately if you have
- Skin that turns white, gray, blue or dusky, or severe pain, soon after filler. This can mean a blocked blood vessel and needs treatment within hours.
- Changes in vision or eye pain after a facial injection.
- Trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, widespread hives or faintness, which can signal a severe allergic reaction.
If you are still in Korea, call 119 for emergency help, then let us know. If you are at home, go to your nearest emergency department and tell them what treatment you had, the product used and the date. Read normal side effects vs when to contact the clinic for more detail.
When can I wear makeup after treatment?
After gentle laser toning or lifting, many people can wear makeup the next day, sometimes sooner. After injections, wait until the next day. After microneedling or ablative laser, wait until your doctor confirms the skin has healed. See When can I wear makeup after laser treatment?
When can I exercise again?
Gentle walking is fine straight away. For intense workouts, hot yoga and swimming, wait 24 to 48 hours after injectables and most lasers, and until your skin has healed after microneedling or ablative laser.
Can I drink alcohol after treatment?
It is best avoided for 24 to 48 hours after injectables, because alcohol can increase swelling and bruising. After lasers and lifting, keep it light for the first night.
When can I restart retinol and acids?
Often after about 3 to 7 days for lasers and boosters, and longer after microneedling or ablative laser. Your doctor will give you a date. See Should I stop retinol before treatment?
Are bumps after a skin booster normal?
Yes. Small raised bumps at the injection points are expected after boosters such as Rejuran Healer and usually settle within 1 to 3 days. Contact us if they become painful, hot or larger.
What if I have a concern after I fly home?
Message us with clear photos taken in good light and a doctor will review them and advise you. For urgent symptoms, such as skin color changes after filler, vision changes or trouble breathing, seek emergency care where you are first.
Plan treatment with recovery in mind
Tell us your travel dates and we will plan treatments so any downtime fits your trip, with written aftercare for every step.