Botox FAQ

Questions about Botox Injection

Botox injections are a popular treatment that is world famous for its ability to dramatically reduce the appearance of wrinkles in a short amount of time. The Botulinum toxin is used to target and relax the muscles that cause undesirable wrinkles in various areas of the face. It is also interesting to know that Botox can be used to treat chronic migraines, lazy eye, bladder incontinence, and eye twitching!

How Do I Care For My Face After Botox?

While your Botox treatment may not take long to perform, you must keep in mind that the results of your treatment may take 3-14 days to take full effect. During this time, it is important to take some special precautions and care for your beautiful face. Beginning on day 1, you will want to perform a few simple facial exercises. These exercises can include frowning, smiling, and squinting. Doing these exercises speeds up the process of binding Botox to nerve receptors that relax muscles. This can make the appearance of wrinkles diminish a full day sooner!

When washing your face, you’ll need to be more gentle than normal. Avoid using exfoliators and do not use hot water. Instead, stick to lukewarm water and a light cleanser. While sun exposure and tanning will not affect your Botox treatment, UV damage does create more wrinkles in the long-run, so we strongly recommend against this and always promote the regular use of SPF.

How Long Do Injections Last?

Typically, the effects of your treatments will last anywhere between 3 to 6 months. After receiving regular treatments for a prolonged amount of time, the benefits of your Botox injections may last longer due to the muscles being “trained” to relax and ease the signs of wrinkles.

There are some additional conditions that have an effect on the length of your treatments’ effectiveness. Factors such as age, diet, current skin condition, sun exposure, face exercises, and previous facial treatments will either lengthen or shorten the effective time of your Botox injections.

What Are The Dangers of Botox Injections?

This kind of injections has over 15 years of clinical studies and are approved for use in 96 countries around the world. In addition to this, Botox appears in over 495 scientific and medical articles where it is cited as being safe and effective. However, it is important to know that there are some small opportunities for side effects.

Eyelid and brow drooping, as well as swelling, have been experienced in frown line, crow’s feet, and forehead line treatments. Other side effects can include dry eyes, double and/or blurry vision, and decreased eyesight. Dry mouth and slight discomfort at the injection site may occur. A headache, neck pain, and feeling tired are other potential side effects. If you ever experience complications after your treatment, please contact us immediately.

What Should You Avoid After Injections?

Following your treatments, there are certain things you should not do. Excessive rubbing or massaging of the face should be avoided. To help reduce any pain or bruising, you can apply ice for a limited amount of time – just make sure that you don’t hold the ice firmly against your skin. Drugs like Ibuprofen and Aspirin can worsen bruising due to their blood thinning attributes, so we advise against their use.

For a minimum of 4 hours after your treatment, do not lie down. This may result in the Botox settling into different areas of the face (also known as migration) and increase the chances of other complications. Try not to participate in strenuous exercise, hot showers or baths for at least 24 hours. When scheduling your Botox appointment, give yourself a 24-48 hour break before taking any trips that require flying as this can also cause your Botox to migrate to other areas of the face.

Why Shouldn’t You Drink Alcohol After Botox Injections?

Much like Ibuprofen and Aspirin, alcohol can cause blood-thinning as well as fluid retention. Please do not consume alcohol for 1-2 days prior to and after Botox treatments. This will help reduce bruising and allow injection sites to heal at a normal rate.

Facials After Botox?

It is vital that you wait 7-14 days after your Botox procedure to have any facials performed. You will want to make certain that your Botox has fully settled and the injection sites have had an ample amount of time to heal. Facials commonly use some combination of pressure, heat, or exfoliation – all of which can alter the effects of your Botox treatments in ways such as irritation, effectiveness, and migration. 

Do you have any question, please contact us at 508.366.7600