Dr Emily MacGregor, Co-founder of STORY STORY Aesthetics Results | Skin Clinic | London | Nottingham (mystoryclinic.com) on injectable treatments and sun exposure!

No sun exposure is impossible, and we need to be realistic. Here’s our advice about cosmetic injectables and sun exposure to help you enjoy the sun and your treatment results.

Can you go in the sun after having BOTOX® or fillers?

You can go in the sun after having BOTOX® but it’s best to leave it a few hours first. Allow any injection-related inflammation to resolve. Also, going in the sun too soon may make your treatment ineffective. 

When you get hot, your blood vessels expand. This means the toxin absorbs into your circulation, instead of staying at the site of action – where it needs to be to work. 

Use of sun protection rated SPF50 is highly recommended in any scenario, as we explain… 

Going in the sun after fillers is a little more complex. Inflammatory processes are likely to be accelerated and prolonged by sun exposure. Lip fillers in particular, may cause excessive swelling with sun exposure too soon after the procedure.

Three different types of sun exposure...

1. Normal UK daylight

You can continue most normal activities during daylight hours straight away after having injectables. However, don’t go anywhere without your SPF on! Although it comes up more frequently during warmer months, sun protection is a year-round must for all skin tones.

A whopping 80 per cent of all visible signs of ageing come from sun exposure. So, as top aesthetician, author and skinfluencer, Caroline Hirons says, “If you can read without a light on, you need SPF.” 

Good quality SPF50 should be worn every day for skin safety and as an excellent anti-ageing precaution. It should also be applied in the correct amounts and reapplied regularly as per the directions on your product. 

If you’re staying in the house and not in direct sunlight an SPF30 or 40 would work. You can also drop your SPF to no lower than 30 during the winter months. But honestly, if you’re spending money on injectable treatments such as anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers, it’s counterproductive not to give your skin the best possible sun protection. 

Your aesthetics practitioner will be able to recommend reliable SPFs suitable for your needs, but some suggested reputable brands include Obagi, Heliocare, Ultrasun and Alumier. Supergoop is another great suncare brand for all skin tones, especially under makeup, but should not be confused with the Gwynneth Paltrow “goop” brand. Nor worn as a highlighter…

2. Sunbathing or intense heat exposure

Sunbathing is rarely advisable, but neither is drinking alcohol and yet…

If you want to sunbathe after having fillers, even if you’ll be wearing the correct amount of SPF 50 head-to-toe and reapplying appropriately, you should wait for two weeks first.

Excessive sun exposure can increase your risk of developing cold sores after lip fillers. It can also reduce the volumising effects of your dermal fillers and may cause skin irritation. Although rare, skin discolouration in the filler areas has also been reported following intense sun exposure. 

Intense heat – from sunbathing in high temperatures, hot yoga or saunas, for example – should be avoided for two weeks after having any dermal fillers or lip filler treatment.

3. Using tanning beds

Don’t – and we can’t stress this enough – use tanning beds. Please. We love you but, no.

Sunbeds, even with the strongest SPF protection, are a horrible idea. There’s no point in looking after your gorgeous skin with injectables and cosmetic dermatology treatments, if you then fry it under these UV devices. Tanning beds are proven Group 1 carcinogens and are widely recognised as a cause of melanoma. This is why they’re banned in a number of countries.

This risk aside, think of sunbeds as a type of time machine. One that makes your skin look prematurely aged, with damage that sneaks up on you over time.

If you still use tanning beds, you should avoid them for two weeks after having dermal fillers. Then keep on avoiding them. Forever!

We don’t want to preach but this is an area where tough love is necessary. Friends don’t let friends use sunbeds – and neither do responsible aesthetics specialists!

If you have any concerns about going in the sun after injectables, be sure to ask your practitioner during your appointment. They will be happy to guide you and even apply your SPF for you before you leave the clinic!”