The Critical Role of Pre-Treatment Skin Conditioning and Lymphatic Therapies

Medspas typically curate post-op recovery regimens including personalized skin care routines to support healing, however, while this protocol is certainly important for proper repair and comfortability, pre-treatment skin is equally, if not more important–supporting treatment outcomes by minimizing recovery time and prolonging or enhancing the results through pre-intervention. These therapies, sought to condition the skin for later desired effects, can include specific ingredients that target aging and the formation of collagen and also facials, particularly lymphatic massage to enhance those actives and the face's environment–a cornerstone of pre-treatment regimen and post-procedure recovery in medspas and dermatology practices.

“Before any aesthetic treatment, I assess the skin’s hydration, barrier function and any signs of inflammation or underlying disease,” says RealSelf dermatologist Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD. “This includes evaluating texture, tone, oil production and presence of any active skin conditions like acne or dermatitis.”

This evaluation, she adds, will determine whether the skin is ready for procedures or treatment or may need a “prep phase” with barrier-repairing or anti-inflammatory skin care. Because the skin must be in a good state before undergoing minimally invasive or invasive skin treatments, Bansal recommends SPF 40 with zinc and vitamin A cream as an essential prep phase for everyone–the baseline before tailoring to specific needs. 

Poor skin health increases the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, infections, scarring or longer recovery time, especially in patients with skin of color, who are more prone to significant pigment issues if the physician is treating inflamed or unprepared skin.

Swissline’s Pro-Recovery serum, designed as a pre-intervention to optimize the skin for aesthetic treatment outcomes, contains dipeptide carnosine, a synthetic molecule that is typically produced naturally by our body to fight the glycation process. The molecule contains antioxidant activity that inhibits protein carbonylation and glycoxidationCourtesy of Swiss LineHow the Skin's Condition Impacts Treatment Outcomes

Procedures like laser resurfacing, microneedling and chemical peels are particularly dependent on the skin being in a healthy state, and any sign of inflammation, whether there is a larger skin disorder at hand or general irritation, should be treated gently before undergoing procedures.

“These treatments penetrate or disrupt the skin barrier and can lead to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, prolonged healing, or scarring if performed on compromised skin,” Bansal says. “Even injectables like filler or neurotoxins yield faster recovery and better results on well-hydrated, healthy skin.”

For sensitive skin, an ideal pre-treatment routine should avoid exfoliants or retinoids and instead, ingredients like niacinamide should be applied, she explains. Dry or aging skin specifically needs a ceramide-rich moisturizer and potentially a hyaluronic acid to improve hydration, while oily or acne-prone skin may tolerate gentle exfoliation or salicylic acid but needs close attention to avoid irritation before cosmetic enhancement.

Addressing Inflammation, Glycation, and Sensitivity for Optimal Treatment Outcomes

Tailoring pre-treatment care according to skin needs and the aging process, however, despite distinct signs of redness, flakiness, sensitivity or flare-ups, helps reduce reactivity further and ensures optimal treatment response, especially since stress and environmental or lifestyle factors can vary in reaction depending on the skin, oftentimes leading to cell oxidation, a deficient skin barrier, toxin and water retention, an overstimulated immune system and glycation, says Emilie Angheben, Canada Trainer for Swiss Line by Dermalab.

“In the same way that a surgical operation is statistically more likely to be successful on a healthy patient than on a tired and sick one, an aesthetic procedure requires that the client's skin be healthy,” she adds.

Glycation, the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), are complex heterogeneous molecules formed by the non-enzymatic reaction between reducing sugars and proteins, lipids or nucleic acids that form through normal aging. They trigger inflammatory pathways, accumulating in the skin and amplified through exogenous factors, like ultraviolet radiation–resulting in wrinkles, loss of elasticity, dull yellowing and other skin problems [1].

Angheben says AGEs then begin to oxidize, contaminating the surrounding environment. That's why it's important to use a powerful anti-glycation active ingredient in skin care preparation, especially before an aesthetic procedure to reduce skin inflammation and oxidation post-op.

Swissline’s Pro-Recovery serum, designed as a pre-intervention to optimize the skin for aesthetic treatment outcomes, contains dipeptide carnosine, a synthetic molecule that is typically produced naturally by our body to fight the glycation process. The molecule contains antioxidant activity that inhibits protein carbonylation and glycoxidation [2]. 

As the facial lymphatic system along the face and neck play a very important role in preventing infections post-op and ensuring the health of tissues and the skin organ, the spheres work to filter and eliminate bacteria, viruses and other harmful substances from the body via the facial mucous membranes.Courtesy of Swiss LineTraining Skin for Transformation: How Lymphatic Techniques and Pre-Treatment Serums Enhance Healing, Circulation and Outcomes

Medspas have incorporated this serum for pre-treatment and post-treatment care and pair the delivery of the serum with Swiss Line’s lymphatic sphere facial technique, Angheben explains. The facial lymph spheres, developed in cooperation with facialist Anna Tsankova, are massage rollers meant to be used following the application of the serum. The spheres are gently rolled over the lymph nodes on the face and neck to reduce inflammation and ensure the overall health of the skin pre-treatment.

It is recommended by Swiss Line to do at least one pro-recovery facial with the spheres a week before the procedure–not too soon before the procedure, as the peeling effect from the facial can be too aggressive for certain procedures. Applying the serum alone should also begin a week before and also during recovery to alleviate discomfort and build the skin barrier.

As the facial lymphatic system along the face and neck play a very important role in preventing infections post-op and ensuring the health of tissues and the skin organ, the spheres work to filter and eliminate bacteria, viruses and other harmful substances from the body via the facial mucous membranes.

“Like muscle conditioning at the gym, facial treatments work in a similar way, coaching the skin how to respond more effectively when introduced to more intense treatments,” says Savannah Barrett, director of education at Glo2Facial by Geneo and licensed medical esthetician. “Skin conditioning can improve healing time, tolerance of the treatment and responsiveness to the targeted tissues.”

Barrett, who uses the Glo2Facial on her patients who undergo invasive treatments, says the detox setting on the device brings a fresh blood supply to the face area. This circulation to the face reduces redness, while the massage is performed in a lymphatic-draining pattern to decrease puffiness and give the face a final flush, as Barrett describes.

Using non-invasive mechanisms like the lymphatic spheres and the Glo2Facial device trains the skin cells to heal faster and stronger after more invasive therapies. Undergoing lymphatic massages in a pre-surgery routine has been shown to support pain management by reducing swelling and inflammation post-op while detoxifying the skin for a clear internal environment and boosting the immune system to avoid potential infection [3].

Because lymphatic messages increase circulation in the skin, creating a more receptive environment for ingredients to penetrate the skin, as Swiss Line practices with their serum, the Glo2Facial also includes settings like oxfoliation–the combination of exfoliation and oxygenation that trains the skin to heal from within and stimulate cellular regeneration. It triggers the Bohr Effect, Barrett says–the process of sending a surge of oxygen to the surface to balance the increase of CO2, allowing for maximum absorption of active ingredients that build the skin barrier for intense treatments in the future.

“As we age, our body naturally has more enzymes that make it difficult to redirect oxygen to the skin,” she adds. “When we reestablish the cascade of oxygen flow to the face, we train the body to keep sending oxygen to these pathways.” 

Glo2Facial detox setting brings a fresh blood supply to the face area. This circulation to the face reduces redness, while the massage is performed in a lymphatic-draining pattern to decrease puffiness and give the face a final flush.Courtesy of Glo2Facial by GeneoThe ultrasound, additionally used in the facial, releases micro-vibrations to increase the permeability of the skin's protective layer while infusing nourishing ingredients into the basal layer to enhance cell metabolism and boost circulation. 

RF Pro, another setting within the device, uses multi-polar radio frequency, synthesizing at the dermis to give a “firming” effect but also train fibroblasts that produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid to replicate and respond more easily over time. The modality uses therapeutic temperature to stimulate wound healing–supporting additional subsequent procedures that also target collagen to sustain the synthesis of new collagen. 

Collaborative Pre- and Post-Care Strategies: Strengthen, Protect and Optimize Aesthetic Treatment Outcomes

Barrett adds that estheticians who use Glo2Facial work in collaboration with physicians, dermatologists and plastic surgeons to create a full treatment series for pre or post-procedure care so the patient feels confident in their procedures with proper after-care that supports lasting outcomes. 

“Building skin integrity means training the skin to act more youthful,” Barrett says. “The treatment… conditions the bonds and cells to be stronger, heal quicker and bank collagen, thus increasing their integrity as the skin ages.”

While a gentle routine depending on skin texture with SPF protection is the baseline for defending the skin as it prepares to undergo aesthetic treatments, using active ingredients pre-op, tailored to specific needs, the aging process and conditions, is crucial to ensure desired results are achieved and post-op damage like hyperpigmentation and inflammation do not arise. However, non-invasive modalities and messages–particularly lymphatic drainage–will work to train the skin to endure further intensity while renewing the surface for the ingredients to not only penetrate deeper, but for cosmetic procedures to do as intended, seamlessly, without an excessively painful recovery. 

References: 

1- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9655929/

2- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29858687/ 

3- https://www.clinicbylaross.co.uk/post/the-importance-of-lymphatic-massage-before-cosmetic-surgery