Sal

risks andrecovery

Non-surgical does not mean low risk. Everything offered at Sal is a medical procedure performed by a registered nurse, and every one of them can go wrong. This page exists so you can read that in full before you book rather than hear it for the first time while you are sitting in the chair.

common, and expected

Bruising, swelling, redness, tenderness and small firm areas at the injection points. These are not complications so much as the normal aftermath. Depending on where you have been treated and how you bruise, they can be visible for anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks. Plan around anything you have coming up.

less common, still real

Asymmetry, lumps or irregularities under the skin, prolonged swelling, headache, a result that settles differently on one side, a result that fades faster than expected, or a result you simply do not like. Some of these settle on their own. Some need a review appointment and further treatment to address, which may carry its own cost.

uncommon and serious

Infection at the treatment site. Allergic reaction, including to any reversal agent. Nerve irritation causing temporary weakness or altered sensation. Injury to a blood vessel, which in rare cases can cause skin damage or, very rarely, visual complications. Migration or extrusion of threads. These are the reasons this work is restricted to registered health practitioners and the reason your medical history is taken properly before anything happens.

if something is wrong

Ring the clinic on the number below. Sudden or increasing pain, skin that turns pale, blue or mottled, any change to your vision, or signs of infection such as spreading redness, heat and fever are all reasons to make contact immediately rather than wait for your review. If you cannot reach the clinic and you are unwell, go to your nearest emergency department.

what recovery actually looks like

  • Most people go back to normal activity the same day, with the caveat that you may not want to be photographed.
  • Exercise, saunas, hot yoga and alcohol are usually off the table for a period afterwards. How long depends on what you have had done.
  • Some procedures require you to stay upright for several hours and to avoid pressure on the treated area, including how you sleep.
  • Thread procedures involve real restrictions. Limited facial movement, a specific sleeping position and no exercise for a defined period, which will be explained to you in detail beforehand.
  • Results are not immediate for everything. Some approaches build over weeks and need a course rather than a single appointment.
  • Nothing here is permanent. Every result needs maintaining at some interval, and that interval differs between people.

results are individual

Whatever outcome somebody else got, you may not get. Anatomy, skin quality, age, medical history, medications, how you heal and how you metabolise all change the answer. Two people having the same procedure on the same day can end up with visibly different results and different recovery times.

This is why Sal does not publish before and after photographs. Images of another person's face are not a forecast of yours, and presenting them as though they are would be misleading. What is realistic for you is worked out during your consultation, looking at your face.

It is also why nobody here will tell you a procedure is quick, simple, painless or guaranteed. Pain thresholds differ. Downtime differs. Outcomes differ.

when the answer is no

Some people are not suitable candidates, and being told so is a good outcome, not a rejection. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, certain autoimmune and neuromuscular conditions, active infection at the site, some medications and some allergy histories all rule treatment out or require medical clearance first.

There is also a psychological side to this. If you are pursuing a procedure to fix how you feel rather than something specific about how you look, a cosmetic procedure is unlikely to be the intervention that helps. Sali will say so, and can point you toward a GP who can help you look at that properly.

Cosmetic procedures are never appropriate for anyone under 18 at this clinic, and the site is not directed at anyone under 18.