The first thing you'll notice immediately after Botox injections are little bumps and dots of blood that look just like mosquito bites. These go away in 20 minutes to half an hour. But you won't notice the skin-smoothing effects between three to five days (and up to two weeks).
The first “true” results will be noticeable within 24 to 48 hours – when you'll see a softening of wrinkles. Why does Botox need a couple days to start working? Botox freezes your muscles by stopping the release of acetylcholine. It takes awhile for your body to “use up” the acetylcholine that's already circulating.
Avoid heat exposure for 24 to 48 hours, which includes hot showers, tanning beds, hot tubs, and saunas. While alcohol consumption after Botox is not usually a risk, it is recommended you not drink alcohol for 24 hours as a precautionary measure. Alcohol is a blood-thinner, so it could potentially exacerbate bruising.
“It's customary to provide an 18 to 20 percent gratuity for any spa service, no matter if it's sugaring or a Biologique Recherche facial,” Angela Rosen, owner of Penelope & The Beauty Bar in Seattle and Daphne in New York City, tells Allure.
Why Do You Need To Avoid It? The risk of bruising following Botox is increased when the body or face gets too hot. In addition to avoiding hot tubs, saunas, and other similar places, do not take a hot bath or shower for at least 24 hours after having this treatment.
In general, you can see the effects of Botox as early as 3 to 4 days after an injection. Dr. Oscar Trujillo, a facial plastic surgeon at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, says most patients will see results within 10 to 14 days but should wait the full 14 days to see the maximum results.
It can take two to four days before the weakening of the muscle begins and movement is stalled. You can see the maximum results of your treatment anywhere from ten to fourteen days after treatment. The best part is that maximum results can be seen up to three months after your treatment.
Better To Be Safe Than Sorry
But after you see Dr. Myers in The Woodlands for Botox treatment, it is important that you follow special instructions. One of which is waiting 4 hours before bending over, even for a few seconds.
Drink Coffee
You should also avoid coffee before Botox. This is because coffee contains caffeine, which may trigger your blood pressure and increase the likelihood of bruising during the procedure. For this reason, you should avoid coffee and other beverages containing caffeine at least 24 hours before the treatment.
It's highly recommended that you move your face around a lot after getting Botox. This includes smiling, frowning, and raising your eyebrows. It's similar to facial exercises, minus the touching. Facial movement may look — and feel — silly, but it actually helps the Botox work better.
After receiving botox, moving your facial muscles through expressive movements such as continuously frowning will maximize the treatments effectiveness. This is done by increasing the uptake of the muscle groups which were targeted by the botox.
Within First Hour after Botox
Botox takes between 3-7 days for the results of treatment to be fully noticeable. At times, results may look slightly uneven at first, because the Botox may “kick in” at different rates.
Don't lay down for the first 4 hours after having Botox
You might be sore or a little tired after having Botox injected, but you should avoid laying down for the first four hours after the injections. Both bending and laying down could spread the toxin and lead to bruising at the injection site.
After Cosmetic Botox, Be Sure to Sleep on Your Back
Sleeping on your stomach or side can cause Botox to migrate to other areas of your face. This can result in uneven results or even bruising. Sleeping on your back, however, minimizes the risk of it migrating and ensures it stays where it is supposed to.
The reason for this delay is due to the time it takes for the body to start reacting to the Botox after it's been injected. Because of this, we like to have our patients come back after two weeks to check on their progress.
Why Does Botox Make Your Forehead Shiny? Light naturally reflects off of smooth surfaces, so the smoother your skin, the more light will bounce. Botox injections smooth the skin, which can cause it to appear shinier, especially if it is overdone.
For horizontal forehead lines, practitioners can inject up to 15–30 units of Botox. For “11” lines between the eyes (or glabellar lines), up to 40 units are indicated, with higher doses needed in male patients .
Are there any Foods or Drinks I Should Stay away from after Botox? There are no foods or drinks that you need to avoid when getting Botox and no special diet is required.
Between 10 to 50 Units of botox
A forehead botox injection can require between 10 to 50 units needed in the forehead depending on the severity of your wrinkles. Allergan, the manufacturer of Botox suggests the amount of units that's recommended in the “five” sites of the forehead is 4 units.
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. However, facials, microdermabrasion, or any other kind of skin treatments should be avoided for at least a week.
Here are what the average units of Botox for the different areas of the face are, so you have a baseline of what to expect when doing your first treatment: Chin: 2-6 units. Corners of the mouth: 3-6 units. Crow's feet (outer canthal lines): 5-15 units.