Is it normal to experience bruising and swelling around the treated area after subcision?

It is quite normal and common to experience bruising and swelling after subcision to an area. If left to resolve spontaneously, it can take up to 1-2 weeks to resolve completely. Treatment options to expedite the healing would include topical creams which can still take a week or more. The fastest treatment option is to treat with the VBEAM pulsed dye laser which can help resolve the bruising in 1-3 days.

Using VBEAM, the laser energy is administered in pulses and a dye is used to create laser beams of various colours. The laser's target is haemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that makes them red) in the blood vessels. Hence, surrounding skin cells are unaffected.

The VBEAM can be used to treat various skin issues such as port-wine stain birthmarks, leg veins, warts, vascular lesions, stretch marks, acne scars, age spots, facial and spider veins, rosacea, and pigmented lesions. The laser also allows for quicker healing time.

Yes, some swelling and bruising may be expected after subcision.

Swelling generally takes a couple of days to subside while the bruising may take up to 2 weeks.

Medications can also be prescribed by your treating physician if the swelling and bruising are uncomfortable/tender, and to aid in the swelling post-procedure.