Botox Before & After Care

Before Botox Treatment

• Avoid smoking and drinking starting a week before your appointment, as they can delay skin healing.
• Take bruise-preventing supplements like arnica and bromelain 2-4 days before your session if you are bruise-prone.
• Avoid over the counter blood thinners like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Advil, Aleve) and some health supplements like Vitamin E, starting two days prior to your injection. Call if you have questions. This will help prevent bruising at the injection site.
• Keep treatment areas makeup-free before coming in for your appointment.

These tips are not required to follow for your injections, but can be beneficial for you to have the best preparation for your treatment.

After-care Information

Aftercare information is essential for anyone who has undergone a cosmetic procedure, including Botox injections. It is important to follow the post-treatment instructions provided by your healthcare provider to ensure the best possible results and to reduce the risk of complications.

Common aftercare instructions for Botox injections and other cosmetic procedures include avoiding strenuous activities, applying ice or a cold compress to the treated area, avoiding touching or rubbing the area, and avoiding alcohol and blood-thinning medications. Additionally, it is important to keep the treated area clean and dry, and to avoid sun exposure until the area has healed.

I will provide you with specific aftercare instructions based on your individual needs and the type of procedure you have undergone, and it is important to follow these instructions carefully for the best possible outcomes. A generalized list, though not entirely specific to your procedure, is included below.

Botox Post Treatment Instructions

• Do NOT massage or apply pressure on the treated area for 6-8hrs after treatment since Botox may migrate to areas of undesirable effectiveness.
• Do NOT lie down for 6 hours after treatment. Also Do NOT lean forward, shower, cook over a hot stove.
• You MUST keep your head UPRIGHT for at least 4 hours after injection.
• Avoid yoga or other rigorous exercise activities, extensive sun or heat exposure, and alcoholic beverages for the 1st 24 hours after treatment. This may cause temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the sites of the injection.
• Avoid facials and saunas for 24 hours after treatment since this will decrease the chance of your blood pressure rising and thus decrease the chance of minor and temporary bruising.
• Try to exercise your treated muscles for about 2 hours after treatment (e.g. practice frowning, raising your eyebrows or squinting). This helps to work Botox Cosmetic into your muscles. It will NOT negatively impact your treatment if you don’t do this.
• Headaches are common. Botox is even used to treat headaches. However, if you have a headache we recommend you avoid aspirin or aspirin containing products. You may opt instead to use Tylenol, and/or cool compresses. If headaches continue or worsen, contact your physician.
• Avoid taking Advil, Vitamin E, Ginger, Ginkgo, Bilboa, Ginseng, and Garlic for 2 weeks since this may increase the risk of bruising. You may shower and do most other regular daily activities.
• Note that any bumps or marks will go away within a few hours. If you do develop a bruise it will resolve like other bruises you have had in about a week. There is occasionally some mild pain, swelling, itching, or redness at the site of injection similar to most other injections. Redness may last for 1-2 days, rarely longer. You may apply cold compresses or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to reduce swelling or discomfort.
• Results of your treatment may take up to 14 days to take full effect although many people will recognize the benefits in 3-5 days after treatment.
• Botox Cosmetic is a temporary procedure. In most people the benefits of Botox last about 6 months. Sometimes a few wrinkles may start to return in 2-3 months. The effectiveness of Botox will last longer with successive treatments.
• Initially, I will want to see you between 2-4 weeks for a brief “touch-up” and checkup of the procedure. If you allow Botox to completely wear off, it can be difficult for me to be able to see how your individual muscles reacted and therefore, optimal results for your face can be more difficult to achieve.
• Makeup: It is recommended that you wait 24 hours after the treatment before applying make-up.
• Cold compresses may be used 10 minutes on 10 minutes off, do not put ice directly on the skin, use a towel between skin and ice to reduce swelling 2-3x per day during the 1st 1-2 days while awake, if needed.