エクソソーム（点滴・導入）: Downtime
Some of the products described on this page have not been approved as pharmaceuticals in Japan. They are imported personally under the responsibility of the treating physician, and they are not guaranteed to have the same efficacy and safety as domestically approved medications. In some cases, no approved medication with the same active ingredient exists in Japan. If a health problem occurs, it will not be covered by Japan's Relief System for Sufferers from Adverse Drug Reactions. Safety information from other countries differs from product to product. Before undergoing treatment, be sure to receive a thorough explanation from your doctor.
- Downtime at a glance
- Recovery timeline: treatment day to final result
- Common symptoms
- When can I do what? (Daily-life restrictions)
- Pain and anesthesia
- Tips for a smoother recovery
- Risks and side effects (the honest version)
- Spacing and combining with other procedures
- Who it may suit / who should be cautious
- Frequently asked questions
Downtime at a glance
With an IV drip, expect little more than redness at the needle site; with facial delivery, needle marks and redness typically last from a few hours to a few days. Please note that the products used are not approved in Japan.
Typical downtime is A few hours to a few days (an IV drip often settles within the same day, while microneedling delivery can leave redness for 2–3 days), and most people feel comfortable being seen in public after Often possible from the same day (if redness after facial delivery is a concern, makeup can cover it). How much swelling or bruising appears varies from person to person, depending on constitution and the extent of treatment.
Recovery timeline: treatment day to final result
With an IV drip, mild redness may appear at the needle site, but it is generally said to settle within the same day. With facial delivery, redness, a stinging feeling, or pinpoint needle marks may appear, and cooling the area is said to help ease them. On the day, it is reassuring to avoid rubbing the treated area firmly and to skip vigorous exercise, alcohol, and long baths. If you feel unwell or notice itching or other changes in your condition, contact a medical institution promptly.
The redness at the IV needle site is generally said to become barely noticeable for most people. Redness after facial delivery may still linger, but it usually settles to a level that makeup can cover. Since the skin can feel dry, it is reassuring to moisturize even more carefully than usual.
By this point, redness and needle marks at the delivery site have usually become barely noticeable. If bruising occurred, it may look like a black-and-blue mark around this time, but it tends to fade gradually.
Redness and needle marks have usually become almost imperceptible. Any bruising typically takes on a yellowish tone as it fades, reaching a point where concealer can cover it. Some people begin to notice a change in their skin's condition, though how much you feel varies from person to person.
This is when the visible downtime is generally said to have largely settled. A single session may not produce a big change, and some facilities recommend having several sessions; however, since there is no established public evaluation confirming efficacy, discuss the number of sessions and the overall plan carefully with your doctor.
Some people repeat the treatment at set intervals in the hope of changing their skin quality. However, products using exosomes are not approved in Japan, and uncertainty remains about their expected efficacy and safety, so we recommend deciding whether to continue and at what interval only after being examined by a physician.
Bars show approximate swelling levels (individual results vary).
Common symptoms
| Symptom | Likelihood | When it appears | How long it lasts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redness and mild swelling at the IV needle site | Medium | Immediately after treatment | A few hours to 1 day | With an IV drip, temporary redness or slight swelling may appear on the arm or wherever the needle was inserted, but it is generally said to settle within the same day. |
| Redness and warmth at the delivery site | Medium | Immediately after treatment | A few hours to 3 days | When delivered into the skin with microneedling, skin-booster injections, lasers, or similar methods, redness or a stinging sensation may appear. The degree and how long it lasts are said to vary with the method used. |
| Pinpoint needle marks and small bumps | Medium | Immediately after treatment | A few hours to 1 day | With delivery methods that inject at individual points, such as skin-booster injections, temporary redness or bumps may appear at the injection points, but they are generally said to become less noticeable within a short time. |
| Bruising (black-and-blue marks) | Low | The same day to the next day | 1–2 weeks | This can occur if the IV needle site or a needle used during delivery catches a small blood vessel. It is said to be more likely in areas where the skin is thin. |
| A puffy feeling or heaviness | Low | Immediately after treatment to a few days later | A few days | Some people notice puffiness at the delivery site or temporary fatigue after an IV drip, but this is generally said to settle on its own. |
| Allergy-like reactions such as itching or a rash | Low | During to after treatment | Varies from person to person | Your body may react to the product, potentially causing itching, a rash, or feeling unwell. If you notice anything unusual, contact the medical institution where you had the treatment right away. |
When can I do what? (Daily-life restrictions)
| Activity | Typically OK from | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Makeup | From the next day (sometimes the same day if you avoid the delivery site) / from the same day if you had only an IV drip | Right after facial delivery, avoid rubbing the injection points or treated area firmly. Guidance may differ from one facility to another. |
| Washing your face | From the same day (gently, without scrubbing) | If you had facial delivery, it is reassuring to avoid vigorous massage or friction on the day. |
| Showering | Often said to be fine from the same day | A lukewarm shower is generally said to be no problem. Avoid rubbing the IV needle site. |
| Bathing (soaking in a tub) | From the next day (on the day, keep it short and lukewarm) | A long soak on the day boosts circulation and can make redness or bruising more likely, so it is reassuring to avoid it. |
| Alcohol | From the next day | Drinking on the day may make bruising or redness more likely, so it is reassuring to avoid it. After an IV drip, also watch for any changes in how you feel. |
| Exercise | From the next day (light exercise) / vigorous exercise from about 2–3 days later | Vigorous exercise right after treatment is said to sometimes lead to redness or swelling. |
| Sauna and hot-stone bathing | From about 2–3 days later | High heat promotes circulation and can make redness or bruising more noticeable, so it is reassuring to hold off for a few days. |
| Sun exposure and UV protection (if you had facial delivery) | Be especially thorough for the first few days after treatment | If delivered into the skin with microneedling or lasers, the skin tends to be more sensitive to irritation afterward, so it is reassuring to be mindful of UV protection such as sunscreen. |
| Moisturizing (if you had facial delivery) | From the same day | The skin can feel dry after facial delivery, so gently applying a low-irritation moisturizer is said to help keep it in good condition. |
| Compressing the IV needle site to stop bleeding | Right after treatment (press firmly for a few minutes) | After the IV needle is removed, it is reassuring to keep pressing on the site for a while as instructed, to help prevent bruising. |
Pain and anesthesia
The typical pain level is Very mild. An IV drip is generally received without anesthesia. For facial delivery, a topical anesthetic cream or cooling may be used depending on the method and your preference. Please consult your doctor for details. With an IV drip, the pain is generally said to be about the same as a blood draw or an ordinary drip — a quick prick as the needle goes in. With facial delivery, you may feel stinging or mild pain depending on the method (microneedling, skin-booster injections, lasers, and so on). How it feels varies from person to person, and for those worried about pain, a topical anesthetic (cream) or cooling may be used alongside the treatment.
Tips for a smoother recovery
- Cooling the treated area right after the procedure and avoiding things that overly boost circulation on the day — alcohol, vigorous exercise, long baths, saunas, and the like — tends to make redness and bruising less likely.
- If you had facial delivery, the skin tends to be more sensitive to irritation afterward, so carefully moisturizing and protecting against UV is said to help keep it in good condition.
- If you bruise easily, telling your doctor in advance about any medications or supplements you take (such as blood-thinning drugs) can help with managing the risk.
- If you have an important event, it is reassuring to have the treatment a few days to more than a week beforehand, allowing for the possibility of redness or bruising.
Risks and side effects (the honest version)
- The products used for exosome IV drips, injections, and skin delivery are not currently approved as pharmaceuticals or medical devices in Japan. There is no established public evaluation confirming their efficacy or safety, and their long-term safety is said to be not yet fully understood.
- Treatments using exosomes or stem-cell culture supernatant are said to be subject, in some cases, to procedures under Japan's Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine, depending on their content. It is reassuring to check in advance what controls and procedures the medical institution follows in providing the treatment.
- Allergic reactions to the product (such as itching, a rash, or hives) and, rarely, feeling unwell or a change in your condition may occur. With an IV drip, a vasovagal reaction (feeling faint or lightheaded) can sometimes happen. If you notice anything unusual, contact the medical institution where you had the treatment right away.
- Redness, bruising, swelling, or pain may appear at the IV needle site or the delivery site. With facial delivery, the degree of redness and stinging varies with the method.
- Risks of infection and of inadequate hygiene management or product quality have been pointed out. It is important to check the product's origin and how it is managed in advance, and to ask the doctor for an explanation if you have any questions.
- People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who have an underlying condition or take medication, may not be able to receive the treatment. Always tell your doctor in advance.
- The way results appear and how noticeable they feel vary greatly from person to person, and you may find it hard to feel a clear change. Whether to have the treatment, how many sessions, and the overall plan should all be discussed only after being examined by a physician, keeping in mind that it is not approved.
Spacing and combining with other procedures
If you have an event such as a wedding or a photo shoot, it is reassuring to have the treatment a few days to more than a week beforehand, allowing for the possibility of redness or bruising after facial delivery. Even with an IV drip alone, it is reassuring to plan with enough time to check for any changes in how you feel. Some people repeat the treatment at set intervals, but products using exosomes are not approved in Japan, and there is no established standard for the appropriate interval or number of sessions. Watching the state of your skin and overall condition, decide on the interval and whether to continue by following your doctor's instructions.
| Combined procedure | Timing | Wait time | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin Booster (Water Glow Injection) | Same day OK | Sometimes used together on the same day as a delivery method | The skin-booster technique is sometimes used to deliver the exosome product into the skin. Because needle marks and redness can overlap, the doctor adjusts the amount and areas. Whether it is possible is decided by the doctor based on the state of your skin. |
| Microneedling (Dermapen) | Same day OK | Sometimes used together on the same day as a delivery method | It is sometimes combined so that fine needles make tiny openings in the skin through which the exosome product can penetrate. Because redness becomes more likely, discuss aftercare and scheduling with your doctor. |
| Laser Toning / Fractional Laser | Same day OK | Used as a delivery method on the same day in some cases, or spaced a few days apart depending on the state of your skin | In some combinations, a laser creates a delivery route in the skin to aid penetration; in others, they are scheduled on separate days. Because heat and redness can overlap, the doctor decides the order and interval. |
| HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) | Wait required | After redness and swelling have settled (as a rough guide, a few days to about 1 week) | Having a heat-based procedure and facial delivery around the same time can stack the strain on the skin. To keep the course from becoming hard to read, it is recommended to discuss the order and interval with your doctor. |
| Botox Injection / Hyaluronic Acid Filler | Wait required | If bruising or needle marks are likely to overlap, they may be spaced a few days apart | These injectable treatments serve different goals and are sometimes combined, but overlapping needle marks and bruising can make the course hard to distinguish. Keeping in mind that unapproved products are used, discuss the order and interval with your doctor. |
Who it may suit / who should be cautious
May suit you
- Those interested in improving their skin quality or overall condition
- Those who want to consider it with an understanding that it is a treatment not approved in Japan
- Those looking for a procedure with relatively mild downtime
- Those who want to discuss combining it with other skin-conditioning or delivery treatments
Consider carefully
- Those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or hoping to become pregnant soon
- Those with a history of allergy to the product
- Those with an infection or inflammation at the treatment site
- Those who feel uneasy about the use of unapproved products and cannot be fully reassured
- Those with an underlying condition or on medication whom a doctor judges unsuitable