Kobido is a safe manual treatment for the vast majority of people, but a handful of situations call for stopping, postponing, or first speaking to your doctor. I always check for any known contraindications with you, during our short conversation before the appointment — and I'd rather move a session than carry it out in doubt. Here is what I check, and why.
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Why I check before every session
Kobido is deep manual work. It strongly stimulates microcirculation and engages the facial expression muscles. It's safe — but it isn't anodyne. Some situations make the massage inadvisable, or formally contraindicated, and it's my responsibility to clear them before we begin.
This check happens before the appointment, during the phone, text or email conversation where we agree on a date. I'd rather push a booking by a day than discover a contraindication on arrival.
One important caveat: I'm not a doctor. What follows isn't exhaustive, and it isn't a substitute for medical advice. It describes what I check on my side, and points to the situations where your doctor's opinion must come first. The NHS recommends a clear consultation and a cooling-off period before any cosmetic procedure; my work isn't aesthetic medicine, but I follow the same spirit of caution when a face has recently been injected, lasered or operated on.
Situations where I won't practise at all
In some situations, I don't practise Kobido — neither at the studio nor at home. Postponing isn't the answer here: these are cases where deep facial massage isn't indicated.
An active skin infection on the face: a herpes flare, impetigo, infected eczema, severe inflammatory acne with open lesions. Massaging these areas could worsen the infection or spread it. Blemish-prone and adult acne skin call for their own adaptations, which I handle case by case, working around any active lesions. The NHS describes cold sores as contagious from the first tingling sensation until the lesion has fully healed, and impetigo as a very transmissible bacterial infection of the skin — both are situations where I'll ask you to wait until full healing.
Recent facial surgery (facelift, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, etc.): the wait depends on the procedure and is for your surgeon to set. Several months, as a rule.
Certain developing conditions of the face or scalp: facial shingles, acute facial paralysis, skin lesions still under medical investigation. As long as the situation isn't stabilised and a doctor hasn't approved manual work, I don't practise.
An active cancer treatment: in case of ongoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy or major medical treatment, I only practise with the explicit agreement of your medical team. Without that, I postpone.
Temporary contraindications: postponing the session
Other situations don't rule Kobido out as such — they simply mean rescheduling. These are by far the most frequent cases in practice.
A cold, fever, or ongoing ENT infection: your body needs to recover, not be stirred by a deep facial massage. We push the session by a week or two depending on how you bounce back.
A flare of facial or lip herpes: we wait until the lesion has cleared and the contagious phase is over.
Recent injectables (botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid): I recommend waiting at least two weeks after the procedure. If your aesthetic doctor has given you different instructions, theirs prevail. This wait isn't peculiar to me — most injectors and dermatologists agree that any direct facial work, professional facials or massage included, should be deferred until the product has fully settled.
A recent peel, laser, or abrasive treatment (microneedling, dermabrasion): we wait until healing is complete and redness has resolved. The exact timing depends on the procedure; your doctor sets it. I have detailed the specific adaptations for these cases in my article on Kobido after a peel, laser or microneedling.
Acute fatigue or stress just before the session: this isn't a medical contraindication, but it may change how I adapt — or whether we move the session.
Situations that need your doctor's clearance first
These situations aren't absolute contraindications, but they go beyond what I can decide on my own. In all of these, I'll ask you to obtain medical clearance before booking.
Pregnancy, particularly the first trimester. Kobido on the face alone has no particular reason to be problematic during pregnancy, but I'd rather you check with your doctor or midwife, who knows your situation. I don't use essential oils at the studio either.
A history of cancer of the face or ENT area. Even outside active treatment, I prefer that your doctor or oncologist explicitly clears the return to manual facial work.
Significant cardiovascular conditions (severe heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, recent stroke). The massage stimulates circulation; better to have your cardiologist's go-ahead.
Coagulation disorders or anticoagulant treatment. Deep massage can favour micro-bruising; medical advice is useful to know whether the session is indicated, and with what precautions.
An autoimmune condition flaring on the skin or blood vessels (lupus with active skin involvement, scleroderma, etc.).
Any other chronic condition you have doubts about. If you're unsure, ask your doctor before contacting me.
What I observe
Most of the contraindications I meet in practice are temporary: a cold, a herpes flare, injectables that are still too recent. Half the time, the client writes to me first to let me know and ask to reschedule — and that's exactly what I want. The check I do before every session isn't fussy form-filling: it's what lets me practise with confidence, and what lets you arrive in confidence too.
How the check actually happens
In practice, here's how this step plays out — it only takes a few minutes.
When you book, by phone, text or email, I ask a handful of specific questions: any current skin infection? Any injectables, laser or peel in the past few weeks? Are you pregnant? Any condition or medication on board that might be concerned?
If everything is clear, we confirm the session. If a question remains open, I'll suggest you check back with your doctor before fixing the date. That's not lost time — it's how we secure the session.
On the day, I run a quick second check on arrival: nothing new since our conversation? A redness appeared? A new medication introduced? This double-check takes two or three minutes.
Have a particular situation?
The best thing is to talk it through before booking. A few minutes by phone, text or email let me check whether Kobido suits your situation, or whether it'd be wiser to clear it with your doctor first. To prepare, you can also read how a session unfolds, how many sessions to plan for, browse See my treatments → | Book a session →
Frequently asked questions about Kobido contraindications
Can I have a Kobido session during pregnancy?
Kobido on the face alone has no particular reason to be problematic during pregnancy, but I'd rather you check first with your doctor or midwife, who knows your situation. This is particularly true in the first trimester. I don't use essential oils at the studio either.
How long should I wait after injectables before having a Kobido?
I recommend waiting at least two weeks after botulinum toxin or hyaluronic acid injections, the time the product needs to settle. If your aesthetic doctor has given you different instructions, theirs prevail. For a laser or a peel, the timing depends on the procedure and your doctor sets it.
Is Kobido inadvisable with acne?
For severe inflammatory acne with open lesions, I don't practise until healing is complete. With mild and stabilised acne, Kobido can absolutely be carried out — but it's a situation we assess together during the prior conversation, and it may be worth speaking to your dermatologist if you're on a treatment.
Do I need a medical certificate to have a Kobido?
Not in the vast majority of cases. For certain particular situations (cancer in remission, anticoagulant treatment, autoimmune disease), I'll simply ask you to confirm that your doctor has cleared the return to manual treatment — a message or a brief note from the doctor is enough, no formal certificate needed.
