Don't use topical products such as retinol, Retin-A, retinoids, and glycolic acid for at least two days before the procedure. Avoid drinking alcohol 48 – 72 hours before your procedure – Save the happy hour for another night rather than the night before your treatment.
Because tretinoin targets a different part of the body from botox, it's generally considered safe to use both treatments simultaneously.
For a minimum of 3 days post-treatment, avoid using anything perceived as 'active' skincare. This includes products which contain Retinol, Vitamin C, Hydroxy Acids or Beta Hydroxy Acid.
3 DAYS BEFORE treatment: AVOID topical products such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), Retinols, Retinoids, Glycolic Acid, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, or other “anti-aging” products. Also AVOID waxing, bleaching, tweezing, or the use of hair removal cream on the area to be treated.
This can cause the BOTOX to move into the wrong areas and alter the final results. For the first few days after your BOTOX treatment, you can gently wash your face or apply lotions. You can use the same moisturizer and cleanser you always have, as they won't harm your results.
Don't wax, tweeze, bleach, or use hair removal products on the treatment area for at least two days before the treatment. This can cause irritation. Don't use topical products such as retinol, Retin-A, retinoids, and glycolic acid for at least two days before the procedure.
For example, an over-the-counter or prescription-strength retinol or retinoid cream is noninvasive and cheaper than Botox. (Retinols are weaker versions of retinoids, which are available by prescription. Both are derivatives of vitamin A.)
Avoid Topical Skin Irritants
This essentially boils down to products that contain glycolic acid, retinoids, retinol, and Retin-A. These can irritate skin and negatively impact your treatment outcomes.
Tretinoin is a medication used to treat acne and sun-damaged skin. It can't erase deep wrinkles, but it can help improve the appearance of surface wrinkles, fine lines, and darks spots. Tretinoin is also known as retinoic acid. It's the generic name for synthetic vitamin A.
However, it takes three to six months of regular use before improvements in wrinkles are apparent—and the best results take six to 12 months. Because retinoids can cause skin dryness and irritation, doctors often recommend using them only every other day at first and then gradually working up to nightly applications.
One of the tretinoin creams is used to treat fine wrinkles, dark spots, or rough skin on the face caused by the damaging rays of the sun. It works by lightening the skin, replacing older skin with newer skin, and slowing down the way the body removes skin cells that may have been harmed by the sun.
There is no definite age when you should start BOTOX®—it's more about the state of your skin, and everyone's timeline is different. For wrinkle treatments, it's best to start when you notice forehead lines, frown lines, or crow's feet even when your expression is neutral.
The results from Botox last anywhere between 2-6 months; the average result lasts about 3-4 months. Why does Botox eventually stop working? Your body makes new neurotransmitters all the time, so the “blocking” effect of Botox gradually wears off as these chemicals start circulating in your body again.
Zinc is known as a “Botox booster” based on a few studies. Zinc has been found to be effective in extending the effects of botulinum toxin injections up to 30 percent.
After 4 – 6 weeks
After 4-6 weeks, your skin will get used to tretinoin and will begin to be noticeably smoother and more even. A lot of the initial irritation will settle down and true “retinization” of your skin is in full force.
Sculptra injections can be combined with topical Retin-A, topical Vitamin C, topical Vitamin E, microdermabrasions and facial peels. The use of Retin-A (tretinoin) cream is highly recommended before, during, and after Sculptra injections.
Like Botox, Dysport is a neuromodulator, which means that it blocks a nerve. And while the two work the same, they are different at a molecular level. The molecule of Dysport is smaller than that of Botox, and as a result, tends to spread away from the injection site.
Hyaluronic acid (Restylane, Juvederm, others).
This natural component of the skin's connective tissue is the most common filler used for wrinkles.
Retin-A improves the cosmetic appearance of the skin, but it also helps treat some functional problems of the skin such as acne and precancerous conditions, such as actinic keratoses.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT:
Medications and supplements such as aspirin, vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, St. John's Wort, Omega 3/Fish Oil supplements, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, Aleve and other NSAIDS have a blood thinning effect and can increase the risk of bruising and swelling after injections.