The world has never been more aware of disinfecting than it has now in the pandemic. But skin disinfection before filler and Botox treatment has always been an essential practice.
Skin disinfection is mandatory to minimise the risk of any complications such as infection. Your medical professional who administers your treatment for you should take disinfection steps seriously. It would be alarming if they did not follow these adequate steps.
Thorough hand washing and the wearing of gloves are important, but so is skin disinfection at the area of treatment. Other considerations include keeping the internal packaging, needles and syringes sterile, without contact with any unsterile surfaces.
Cleansing skin so that it is free of make up and impurities is a common sense rule that any patient would be aware of before entering the treatment room. Injecting on skin that is inflamed due to acne should be avoided and a pre-assessment of the patients skin prior to the day and on the day should be carried out.
Prevention of infection is key and there are two vital steps to consider.
The first, is skin preparation.
Preparing the skin includes having hair tied back in a hairband, hands thoroughly washed and no makeup.
If the patient arrives with makeup, they should be given the opportunity to remove make up and sunscreen in a sterile area.
The second is to use an antiseptic agent for the injectable procedure. Alcohol based agents such as the following variations
- Isopropyl alcohol 70%
- Isopropyl alcohol (70%) plus povidone-iodine
- Isopropyl alcohol (70%) plus chlorhexidine gluconate (2%)
act as fast-acting, broad-spectrum antimicrobial antiseptic, inducing antimicrobial activity against bacteria, by destroying their protein and DNA.
Essential Practice
We ensure only sterile packs are sold, which can be disposed of after the treatment. For administration purposes, sterile gloves should be used and instruments such as cannulas and needles should never be placed on an unsterile worktop.
Dermal filler gels are sterile. Medical professionals should have received adequate training on the topic of antiseptics and disinfection. In summary, skin disinfection is recommended prior to injectables, as the product will remain in the skin for a period of time.
