Posted by Dr. Anil R. Shah
Ocumend is a hydrogel pad used to reduce swelling and bruising. It is 50x stronger than any topical agent on the market. Ocumend contains 2 active ingredients: Arnica montana, which reduces inflammation and bruising, and ledum palustre, which is another naturally derived ingredient used to reduce inflammation in periorbital swelling.
Dr. Shah uses the smallest injection syringe to minimize bruising. Despite this, patients can still get a bruise. This is especially the case when working around the delicate eye area. The Ocumend in combination with ice and gentle technique helps decrease the incidence and severity of bruising.
FAQ Ocumend:
1. How do I use Ocumend?
Ocumend and instructions on how to use it vary based on the procedure. Generally speaking, patients with fillers will wear the hydrogel pad until the next morning. Patients having a rhinoplasty will typically use ocumend for the first three days after the procedure.
2. How often do I have to change the gel pads?
Typically the pads are changed every 6 hours.
3. Do the pads hurt?
No, the pads provide a cooling sensation.
4. Can I ice on top of the gel pad?
Yes, the pads are designed so that ice can be placed on top of the pads.
5. Can I take off the gel pad and reuse it?
Yes, but the gel pads last around 6-8 hours.
6. Can I sleep in the gel pads?
Yes, many patients find this to be helpful in applying ice at night.
7. Do the gel pads leave a sticky residue?
The pads do not leave a residue when applied to the skin.
8. Can I freeze the gel pads?
Yes, the ice pads can be either refrigerated or placed in the freezer. However, the pads can crystallize in the freezer, so we typically recommend to use the refrigerator.
