Botox and Dysport are medications that are injected into the muscles of the face to relax them. They reduce wrinkles especially of the forehead and “11-lines” provide great results and are definitely one of our most popular treatments! No downtime is required after the procedures, and most daily activities can be resumed safely. Aftercare is still important, however, to ensure proper healing and to achieve optimal results.
You will likely not see your desired results immediately after the treatment. The peak results will be experienced approximately 2 weeks later. To get the best results from your Botox and Dysport injections, follow the aftercare tips listed below.
Exercise Your Treated Muscles
Carefully try to exercise the treated muscles after the injections. Practice light movements and expressions such as frowning, moving your eyebrows up and down, and smiling. These exercises will help the Botox and Dysport work into the treated muscles and take effect.
Try these exercises in fifteen-minute intervals for the first few hours following the procedure. You can safely keep doing them occasionally until the next day: the idea is to increase metabolism within the target muscles to increase uptake. You can generally expect to see results starting in a few days, maximal results at two weeks and generally lasting 3-5 months.
Do Not Rub or Massage the Treated Areas
Immediately following the treatment, the injected area may feel different, with a tingling or itchy sensation. Resist the urge to touch or rub the area, ideally for 24 hours following the treatment to allow the Botox or Dysport to enter the affected muscles, in particular, you don’t want to push the medication away from the intended target, or worse, towards the wrong muscle! This could cause an asymmetry in the way the face moves, or lid ptosis (sagging eyelid). It doesn’t happen often but we don’t want it to happen to you!
Avoid makeup for the rest of the day post-treatment. Be gentle when applying skincare and makeup, and avoid skin treatments such as exfoliants and facials. Even if it has healed quickly, which is usually the case, rubbing the area may still irritate it and cause redness or extend any bruising. In addition, there are rare cases of granulomas (knots of skin) forming from products pushed under the skin post-treatment. Using makeup the next morning is generally fine.
Do Not do Strenuous Exercise
You may go back to your daily activities immediately after your treatment but do so safely. Do not overexert yourself by doing intense exercises or activities that involve bending, lifting, lying down, and so on. Try to stay upright for the rest of the day and take it easy. You’re generally ok to exercise the next day, however.
Do Not Lie Down
The head should be kept upright for 4 hours after the treatment. Do not lie down and avoid bending over. When you go to bed, try to sleep on your back for the first few days.
Avoid putting pressure on the treated area as this could move the toxin around and negatively impact the results of your treatment. Sleeping on your face should be avoided as much as possible until the product has worked its way into muscles and there is no further risk of movement.
Connect With Us!
You may be excited to see the results of your Botox or Dysport injection, but follow the steps necessary to take good care of the treatment area for optimal results. Adhering to the aftercare tips offered will help the muscles heal quicker and allow you to enjoy those amazing results for a longer period.
Do you have a Botox or Dysport appointment coming up and are still unsure about how to care for the area post-treatment? Speak with our team of experts at Waterloo Medical Cosmetics to have all your questions answered and be fully prepared for your procedure. Text us at 226-887-1208 or fill out our online contact form.