How long does it take to recover from Botox?
Though a Botox treatment takes only 15 minutes, results are much slower to appear. Every patient is different, but the average number of days to achieve the final results is up to 14 days. In most cases, apart from a slight swelling and a minimal risk of bruising that usually settles within a few hours, Botox has no side effects. Following treatment with Botox Cosmetic, you will still be able to make facial responses and expressions, but with attenuation and/or complete immobilization of the muscles treated, therefore reducing and eliminating temporarily the wrinkles that were troublesome prior to the Botox treatments.
First day post-treatment:
Right after the treatment you may experience some swelling and bruising around the injected area. To help Botox take hold, some facial exercises like frowning and squinting can be useful. The most important things you should avoid are laying down (for at least 4 hours), rubbing or massaging your face, hot showers and baths, taking anti-inflammatory painkillers, vigorous exercise, smoking and drinking alcohol.
Few days post-treatment:
Swelling and bruising may still be present 48 hours after the treatment, but the skin becomes more tranquil and less sensitive. The first few changes start to appear on the face from day 3 and muscles get relaxed, smoothing out wrinkles. By day 7, the face starts to look refreshed and is ready to have facial treatments that involve putting pressure on the face. The complete results of your Botox treatment should be fully achieved by day 7, giving your face a smoother and refreshed look, free from deep wrinkles.
How to handle the pain?
In case you experience pain 24 hours after the treatment, putting ice on the treated area is a good solution to ease the pain and reduce swelling and bruising. Refrain from rubbing the area with ice or leaving ice continuously in the area. If you feel the need to take any painkillers, always discuss it with your doctor. Paracetamol is usually fine, but since they have anticoagulant effects, aspirin or ibuprofen are out of the question.
What about sleeping?
Botox takes a few hours to settle and tends to migrate to other areas of the face which can cause complications. That’s why keeping away from laying down at least for four hours right after the treatment is highly recommended. Besides this, you are free to choose any sleeping positions.
Heat and sun:
Though heat and laying down even on a sunbed should be avoided at least for four hours following the treatment, UV exposure does not affect the results of Botox. Sun exposure is the main cause of wrinkles, so it is worth spending as little time under the sun as possible to prolong the youngish look of the face.
Exercise and movement:
Strenuous exercise is advised to stay away from for 24 hours after the treatment, along with doing yoga. However, the risk is minimal, but you should even pay attention to avoid bending over for a few hours.
Questions?
If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our practice to assist you in your treatment, post-treatment, and rescheduling of your touch-up or next treatment.