There is one part of a Profhilo session that catches almost everyone off guard, and it happens before you have even left the room. Minutes after the injections, you can often see and feel small raised bumps sitting under the skin — usually across the cheeks, sometimes along the jaw. People glance in the mirror, and a flicker of worry crosses their face. Was something not done right?
Those bumps are meant to be there. They are the product itself, placed deliberately, and understanding why is really the whole story of good Profhilo aftercare. Unlike most injectable questions, this one is less about a long list of rules and more about knowing what your skin is doing in the hours and days that follow — so that the small decisions you make around the appointment protect the result rather than quietly work against it.
This is written from how we approach the recovery window at our clinic on St James’s Street in Brighton: practical, specific, and honest about the things people rarely hear before they book.
Why Profhilo behaves differently from filler
It helps to know what has actually been placed under your skin, because Profhilo does not work the way traditional dermal fillers do.
Profhilo is a stabilised form of hyaluronic acid used as a bio-remodeller. Rather than adding shape or volume to one area, it is injected at a small number of set points and then spreads through the tissue, where it is designed to stimulate the skin’s own collagen and elastin over the following weeks. If you would like the fuller background on how it works, we cover it in our explainer on what Profhilo actually does for skin quality.
Because it is delivered to specific injection points — often using a technique that targets a small number of Bio Aesthetic Points across the face — the product sits as a visible deposit at first. That is the source of the bumps. Over roughly 24 to 48 hours, the gel disperses into the surrounding tissue and the raised areas settle. This is normal Profhilo behaviour, not a complication, and it is one of the clearest ways it differs from filler, where a lasting lump would be worth a second look.
The first 24 to 48 hours
The early window is the part of Profhilo aftercare that matters most, and the guidance is refreshingly simple.
Leave the area alone. It is tempting to press or massage the bumps to “help them go down.” Don’t. Unless your practitioner has specifically asked you to do something, the product is designed to disperse on its own, and handling the area can move it away from where it was placed. Try to avoid touching your face more than necessary, and keep makeup off the injection points for the rest of the day to reduce any infection risk while the tiny punctures close.
Expect some redness, swelling or small bruises. Pinpoint redness around the injection sites is common, and a little swelling or the odd bruise can appear, particularly along the cheeks. A cool compress held gently — not pressed hard — over clothing or a clean cloth can ease this. Most of it fades within a day or two, though bruising can occasionally linger a little longer in some people.
Skip heat and heavy exercise. For the first 24 to 48 hours, it is sensible to avoid saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga and vigorous workouts. Heat and raised blood flow can increase swelling and bruising while the skin is settling. A Brighton seafront walk is fine; a spin class the same afternoon is better left for another day.
Be sensible with alcohol. Alcohol thins the blood and can make bruising more likely, so many people choose to give it a miss on the day of treatment.
None of this is about the treatment being fragile. It is simply that these small choices give the product the calmest possible environment to disperse and start doing its work.
Days 3 to 7: settling in
By the third day, most people find the bumps have gone and any visible redness has faded. This is usually when normal life resumes without much thought — makeup goes back on, workouts start again, and the injection points are no longer noticeable.
What you will not see yet is a dramatic change in the skin, and this is worth saying plainly because it is where expectations often drift. Profhilo is not a filler that shows its full effect the moment the swelling settles. The remodelling process it is designed to prompt happens gradually, so the first week is mostly quiet on the surface even though activity is underway underneath.
It also helps to remember the treatment is usually planned as a course. A common protocol involves two sessions spaced about four weeks apart, with results building over the weeks that follow the second appointment. Aftercare, in other words, is not a one-off event — it is the same simple habits repeated around each session.
If you have had other injectables and want to compare recovery windows, our piece on getting dermal filler aftercare right in the first two weeks sits alongside this one, though the two treatments settle quite differently.
What results realistically look like — and when
Because Profhilo works by encouraging the skin’s own renewal, the changes tend to be gradual and about quality rather than volume. Many clients describe skin that looks better hydrated, a little firmer and more even in tone over the weeks following a completed course, rather than a sudden visible difference. Outcomes vary from person to person, and factors such as age, skin condition and lifestyle all play a part — no responsible clinic can promise a specific result.
Maintenance is part of the picture too. The effect is not permanent, and many people choose to repeat treatment periodically to sustain the improvement, typically discussed with your practitioner based on how your skin responds.
Profhilo is a medical treatment — a few honest caveats
It is easy to think of Profhilo as a gentle “skin booster” with nothing to consider, but it is still a medical procedure involving injections, and it carries the possibility of side effects. The common ones are mild and short-lived: redness, swelling, tenderness, small bruises and the expected temporary bumps. Less commonly, injections anywhere on the face carry a small risk of infection, more pronounced bruising, or, rarely, more serious vascular complications — which is exactly why who performs the treatment matters as much as the product itself.
A few situations mean the timing should be discussed carefully or the treatment postponed — for example, an active skin infection or breakout at the injection site, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Treatment is for adults only. This is where a proper consultation earns its place: it is where your skin, medical history and goals are assessed, where realistic outcomes are talked through, and where you can raise anything that concerns you. If you want to check a practitioner’s standing independently, the JCCP register lists practitioners who meet its standards.
A simple week-one timeline
To pull it together, here is roughly how the first week tends to unfold — bearing in mind that everyone settles at their own pace:
- Day 0 (treatment day): Small raised bumps at the injection points, possible redness and mild swelling. Leave the area alone, no makeup, avoid heat, exercise and alcohol.
- Day 1: Bumps beginning to soften and disperse. Redness easing. Gentle routine only; a cool compress if needed.
- Day 2: Most bumps largely settled. Any bruising at its most visible around now, then improving. Heat and hard exercise still best avoided.
- Days 3 to 5: Injection points typically no longer noticeable. Normal activity, makeup and workouts generally fine again.
- Days 6 to 7: Skin looking settled. Little to see on the surface yet — the remodelling the treatment is designed to prompt is a slower, longer process.
If something doesn’t feel right — increasing pain rather than easing discomfort, spreading redness or heat, skin that looks unusually pale or blotchy near an injection point, or any change that worries you — contact your practitioner promptly rather than waiting it out. These reactions are uncommon, but they are always worth a call.
Thinking about Profhilo in Brighton?
Good aftercare starts before the needle, in a consultation where your skin is assessed and the plan — including how many sessions make sense for you — is talked through honestly. If you would like to explore whether Profhilo suits your skin, you can read more about the Profhilo treatment at our Brighton clinic or arrange a consultation with Fabian and our team to discuss what is realistic for you.