I’m not trying to be iconoclastic, but my own views on pre- and post-treatment applications are different from most. Having the patient routinely apply “things” after a treatment is certainly not wrong. I just don’t do it — any of it — most of the time.
We see this so often with patients that have had plastic surgery. Amazingly, the ones that do nothing, return with “nasty bloody bandages” and took nothing to “help the healing” predictably do extremely well! Those who fiddle with the bandages, try to clean the wound, and take supplements to enhance the healing often get themselves in trouble!
One of my favorite patients just had a simple blepharoplasty (eyelids). Even though we warned her, she secretly took Vitamin E and fish oil before surgery (we just found out on Thursday). She had a (predictable) hematoma. Getting a hematoma from eyelid surgery just “never happens.” She’s going to be fine, but is having trouble keeping her damned hands off the thing. I call her every day. And, this is the culture I come from — I learned this. No fiddling; no unnecessary supplements.
Electrologists are essentially producing a tiny “burn.” Human skin has evolved for millions of years to effectively deal with burns. Burns are “natural.” The skin knows what to do, and will heal beautifully without our help. Just keep it clean. My aftertreatment is brutally simple: I wipe on diluted Hibiclens and tell the patient to leave it alone. The only real enemy of proper healing is infection and the Hibiclens eliminates that potential.
Again, I am not against applying the “lotion de jure” after a treatment. However, I do believe there is a potential for creating a problem, e.g., if the potion you are applying is contaminated with bacteria. It can happen. Furthermore, insisting the patient apply post-treatment medications also raises their anxiety about the treatment. They need to “chill” and let nature take its course.
Agreed. Less is better, IMHO. I’m a witch-hazel-with-a-little-wintergreen-alcohol fan.
Good point about the client anxiety, too.
Some people need no aftercare and some do. The purer the aftercare products, the better. I have great feedback from my clients who wash the skin with mild soap and water and wipe with witch hazel. For some skin types and situations in the beginning treatment sessions, small dabs of tree tea oil with a good quality of aloe vera gel applied over the tea tree oil, at bedtime, for 2 - 3 days is very, very helpful. People notice the difference between not doing anything at all or doing this aftercare regime. I have written detailed instructions for the aftercare, stressing the importance of cleanliness when applying these products. All works out well and clients are very pleased. I prefer the less the better track, but it depends on the skin type and situation.
I agree. Good old “soap and water and witch hazel.” I have tried, in the past, pure emu oil. Results were stunning in heavy body-work areas. (Lots of info on line about this product.) I just got nervous because, well, it’s truly organic and could cause unforseen problems. I have LOTS of emu oil on hand however — a “grower” in Australia sent me a bunch. Probably the best “Emusi.” The folks are from Germany and I visited their farm. Of course all their growing and harvesting and “genetic” procedures are “pure German.” You really cannot “beat the Germans!” (Can I say that?)