I have had a run of new Botox patients recently, and they were very nervous about their first time. They had no idea what to expect, so I thought I’d write a blog with some basic pointers.
SCHEDULING:
- If you have never had Botox before, don’t do it the first time before a big event like a wedding. There are nuances to how to inject, and you want to know how it looks and feels before your big day. Do a trial run months ahead of time, so you can make sure you like it.
- You can bruise. It is not a big bruise (like you may get with a filler), but it is a bruise nonetheless. Don’t do within 2 weeks of a big event.
- It takes time to kick in and see the results. Depending on the depth of your wrinkle, it make take weeks or months to see the wrinkle go away.
- The eye area (crows feet) wears off faster in general. Don’t expect it to last past 3 months.
- You cannot do if pregnant or breast feeding.
PRIOR:
- 2 weeks prior: stop medications which make you bleed. (Aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Fish oil, omega, Vitamin E).
- You do not bleed and bruise a lot with Botox, but there is always the possibility. Lower your risk by avoiding the above.
DAY OF:
- You shouldn’t work out right after you have it done, so do your workout earlier in the day or skip a day.
- Don’t be hot and sweaty when you come in. When you are hot your blood vessels dilate to get rid of the heat, which increases your risk of bruising.
WHERE TO DO:
- Botox can be injected in many areas of the face.
- Forehead, glabella (area between the eyebrows), crows feet
- The jaw muscle to help with grinding
- Other off label areas include the upper lip and neck. This should be done by someone who knows what they are doing.
- Botox does not add volume. It reduces wrinkling.
- You need to make sure the wrinkling isn’t from an issue which needs to be fixed with surgery. (This is something I see frequently in those with deep forehead lines.)
When you come into my office, we will give you ice to apply to the area before injection. This helps with pain and also helps your blood vessels constrict (to reduce the chance of bruising.) I will clean the area which will take off any makeup or foundation. The injections are with a tiny needle. They do not hurt much. The number varies with the amount I am injecting, but usually is 2-5 per area.
When you leave the office your face may look a little blotchy for 5- 10 minutes. You are fine to go out to dinner, return to work, etc. Again I would not work out until hours after the injection. If you are going out, bring makeup to refresh (as I take the make up off the areas I need to inject.)
I would recommend seeing a plastic surgeon for your first time. I saw a woman the other day who wanted Botox for her forehead, but she is not a good candidate. The Botox would work, but she would not like the result. Her issue is her eyebrows are low, so botox would give her a tired, droopy look because it would relax her forehead muscle.
You want a doctor who is well versed in injecting Botox and can evaluate you well. It is a great tool in our toolbox of how to help mitigate the signs of aging.