Facial injections and laser treatments can be so fun! There is nothing better than when you finally decide to plump those lips, erase a few lines, or finally undo all of that sun damage. That is, until you realize you now have a purple upper lip, tiny blue and green spots from the needle pokes, and a bright red face. It is rare that injectables and lasers don’t leave at least some redness at the treatment site, so what to do? Most of us are super busy and can’t hide out for the 5-7 days it can take for bruising to fully fade. Never fear! Cosmetics, aka makeup is the answer! Whether you are male or female, a good concealer should be nearly undetectable and hide any lingering marks. For those of us not gifted with the Kardashian glam squad, you may be thinking to yourself, “I don’t know the first thing about applying makeup!” It is all good! You are about to learn everything you ever needed to know about hiding all kinds of blemishes, bruises, and spots.
- It is all about color correction. Remember the color wheel back in elementary school? Well as it turns out, that information is actually applicable to all areas in life, particularly makeup! Colors that are directly opposite of each other on the color wheel can offset each other, by hiding or drowning out the predominate color of a mark or bruise. By layering the opposite color of the blemish on top, it will camouflage the imperfection. If you have redness, green will tone it down. Blue is mellowed with yellow. Purple calms down with a dose of orange. You can find awesome concealer palates at Ulta, Sephora, or even Amazon.The proper way to layer this type of makeup is to apply the colored concealer first with a brush and fully blend it in going past the edges of the discoloration. Then proceed with flesh colored concealer, foundation and power all over the whole face. Bonus points for using a powder that has a bit of sheen or shimmer, as it will diffuse light and make the discolored area that much less noticeable. Cruise YouTube or Instagram for awesome tutorial videos and check out Saxon MD while you are there!
- Let the product do the work. You don’t need to be a master artist if you have the right product. No need to try and memorize the color wheel or attempt complicated advanced makeup applications. When in doubt go for the heavy duty, “will even cover up that spring break tattoo you got by mistake,” concealer. A few favorites are Dermablend, Dermacol, and Ben Nye, all available online. I also love Tarte Shape Tape, available exclusively at Ulta.
- This step is actually not makeup related, but it is the number one rule of getting cosmetic treatments; prepare for the downtime! You should never chance getting lasers or injectables right before a big event. Always allow yourself at least two weeks of healing before any party, gala, or other gathering where you will be socializing and possibly photographed.
- Last but not least, be confident in your appearance. Most people will barely notice a tiny bruise or discoloration here or there, especially with concealer covering it up. Put some makeup on and forget it. Life is too short to be anything other than happy and fulfilled.
While covering your bruise with makeup is essential, there are also lasers that reduce bruising to speed up recovery as well as supplements you can take to speed up the resorption of your bruise.
Contact us today to schedule your next treatment and rest easy that we have you covered for any bruise that may arise!
