BOTOX® has become the world’s go-to for treating and preventing wrinkles, and it’s popular for good reason—BOTOX® is really accessible, effective, and, most importantly, safe. If you’re considering taking the plunge and getting a BOTOX® treatment, you’d benefit from brushing up on some of the most important things to keep in mind before, during, and after your first treatment.
Read on for more on what to expect from a BOTOX® treatment.
Before your BOTOX appointment: Who is a good candidate?
BOTOX® is a great choice for anyone who is concerned about lines or wrinkles anywhere above the brow or in the crow’s feet area around the eyes.
Many patients only begin to seek BOTOX® when they notice lines and wrinkles forming, but increasingly many people are also opting for BOTOX® as a preventative measure.
Additionally, BOTOX® has a few notable medical applications. For example, it has been used to treat migraines for several years now, as it can effect neurotransmitters and paralyze muscles that send pain signals during a typical migraine.
BOTOX® has also been used to successfully treat hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating by paralyzing overactive sweat glands.
How to prepare for your first BOTOX appointment
BOTOX® is a medical treatment, and just like most (if not all) medical treatments, you’ll need to show up prepared. Here’s a list of steps:
STEP 1: Schedule a Free Consultation
The first thing any patient needs to do is to schedule and attend a consultation with a professional and expert injector. During this consultation, your injector will sit down with you to discuss your goals, explain the procedure, and tell your exactly how to prepare for your appointment.
STEP 2: Follow Your Injector's Pre-care Instructions
Once your exact goals and needs have been discussed and you’ve booked your appointment, your injector will give you a set of pre-care instructions to ensure your first BOTOX® treatment provides optimal results.
Your BOTOX® injector will make recommendations and requests such as:
- Stay hydrated leading up to your appointment to improve healing and reduce bruising/swelling.
- Avoid alcohol to prevent bruising and swelling.
- Avoid certain facial products like retinoids that may make the skin more sensitive.
- Wash your face & remove makeup before showing up to the appointment.
Your injector may also provide additional, more specific requests based on your medical history to ensure your treatment produces the best possible results.
BOTOX results: what to expect
A neurotoxin called Botulinim is the main mechanism behind BOTOX®’s effective results. The toxin works by blocking signals from nerves to correlating muscles, effectively paralyzing them. By injecting BOTOX® into specific facial muscles, these targeted muscles relax and the overlying skin becomes smoother and wrinkles become less noticeable.
The results of BOTOX® begin to be noticeable within a day or two, but usually take a week or more to completely set in and achieve full paralysis, depending on things like a patient’s metabolism and how well they follow after-care instructions.
Once the BOTOX® kicks in, you’ll notice that you won’t be able to raise your eyebrows, for example, no matter how hard you try! You’ll also begin to notice your wrinkles starting to fade—healthy skin that’s been cared for is elastic and adaptable, and lines can vanish quickly when they underlying muscles aren’t forcing them intro furrows all day long.
Check out a few of our most recent patients’ BOTOX® results!
How to get the best BOTOX® results: Follow after care instructions!
In order to get the best possible results from your BOTOX® appointment, it’s absolutely crucial that you follow after care instructions to a T. Your injector will most likely recommend the following after a BOTOX® treatment:
- Don’t touch or rub the treated areas to avoid spreading the toxin to unintended areas.
- Don’t lay down or bend over—this can also spread the toxin to unintended areas.
- Don’t exercise, as this can also spread the toxin.
- Avoid saunas, hot tubs, or exposure to extreme temps that can cause flushing.
- Don’t drink or take blood thinners in order to prevent bruising.
- Stay hydrated to help flush toxins and relax skin.
- Use gentle facial products and cleaners.
You may also receive other specific after care instructions from your injector based on your medical history. Above all else, remember to be patient! BOTOX® takes time to work and wrinkles also take time to fade.
Schedule your first BOTOX appointment at DermaBlue.
For best results, you want to be absolutely sure that your injectors are well-trained and experienced when it comes to the art of BOTOX® injections. Our DermaBlue injectors each have years of experience and expertise, as well as a passion for the amazing BOTOX® results. Schedule a free 30-minute BOTOX® consultation at DermaBlue to meet our injectors and discuss your goals with BOTOX® today!
Botox Results FAQs
BOTOX® results last anywhere from three to six months, depending on the patient’s metabolism and the amount injected. Maintenance treatments are needed in order to keep the results going.
Deciding when to start BOTOX® treatments is a personal choice—there isn’t a specific age when everyone should start Botox, as it varies from person to person.
That said, BOTOX® is quite common for those in their late 20s to early 30s and beyond as a preventive measure before heavy wrinkles start to form.
BOTOX® is typically only used to treat wrinkles, and can’t replace any loss of volume that can cause the face to sag. However, it is commonly paired with dermal fillers to provide additional wrinkle prevention while fillers provide lift and volume to correct a sagging face.
There are no long-term or immediate health consequences to discontinuing BOTOX® treatments. BOTOX® is not permanent, and when the toxin starts to wear off muscles will regain their ability to flex and move, and wrinkles will gradually reappear.
