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Published: April 28, 2023

What Not to Do After Botox Injections?

Botox treatment is a popular way to get rid of a wide range of medical and aesthetic issues related to muscle contraction. While being minimally invasive and, at the same time, strongly effective, it is beloved by healthcare providers and their patients worldwide.

Below, you will find the most important information on Botox aftercare. Feel free to go through the top 5 things to avoid after Botox injections in order to prolong the result of the treatment and minimize the risk of any complications after it.

All You Need to Know About Botox

Above anything else, how about taking a closer look at Botox treatment? Let us go through its definition, treatment protocol, expected results, indications, and contraindications.

Definition, Treatment Protocol, and Expected Results

Botox is a brand of injectable products manufactured by a global pharmaceutical company of Allergan (now a part of AbbVie). It is characterized by high safety, strong effectiveness, and long-lasting duration. The main active component in the composition of Botox is botulinum toxin type A. It is a naturally-occurring substance with strong muscle-relaxing properties produced by the bacterium of Clostridium botulinum.

An important note: Botulinum toxin is a dangerous but, at the same time, a useful muscle relaxant. On the one hand, it might cause the appearance of a potentially fatal disease called botulism. On the other hand, however, it effectively treats a number of muscle-related issues.

According to its treatment protocol, a Botox injection should be administered intramuscularly by a certified healthcare practitioner. Under normal circumstances, it is a minimally invasive procedure that does not require any pre-treatment preparation. Therefore, a patient might set up an appointment with a healthcare practitioner as a part of their everyday schedule and return to their usual activities shortly after the procedure is over. You can buy botox online at our site Ogomed.

An important note: The composition of Botox does not contain prefilled lidocaine. However, a healthcare practitioner might apply a topical numbing cream to the intended area of the treatment to reduce the feeling of pain or discomfort during the procedure.

The expected result of the above-mentioned treatment is pretty durable. Depending on a patient’s individual health condition, skin type, age, and lifestyle, it might last from a couple of months to half a year.

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An important note: Botox results might be substantially prolonged by periodical follow-up injections.

Indications and Contraindications

All indications for Botox therapy might be divided into two main groups, namely:

  • Medical indications;
  • Aesthetic indications.

Among the main medical problems treated with the help of Botox are:

  • Neck pain;
  • Excessive sweating;
  • Teeth grinding;
  • Lazy eye;
  • Overactive bladder;
  • And so on.

While the main aesthetic problems addressed by Botox, in their turn, are dynamic wrinkles (or, in other words, the ones that appear due to overactive movement of facial muscles or hectic facial expressions). Namely, the injection of the product is especially efficient when it comes to nasolabial folds, marionette lines, or crow’s feet. Additionally, the product is also sometimes used during Botox brow lift or lip flip procedures.

An important note: Due to the fact that Botox is primarily used to treat dynamic wrinkles, it might have little effect when it comes to the reduction of static wrinkles (they might be efficiently taken care of with the help of injections of dermal fillers).Botox dynamic wrinklesIt is essential to mention that Botox is not the best treatment for not each and every person. More precisely, the product should not be injected under one of the following circumstances:

  • If a patient is allergic to botulinum toxin;
  • If a patient is currently undergoing incompatible medical or cosmetic treatments (for instance, chemical peels or steam shower procedures);
  • If a patient is currently taking any incompatible medications (such as blood thinners);
  • If a patient is pregnant or breastfeeding;
  • If a patient suffers from a serious health complication (for example, high blood pressure);
  • And so on.

The unawareness of the above-mentioned contraindications to Botox injections might lead to the appearance of serious complications. Therefore, they should by no means be ignored.

An important note: In some cases, the administration of Botox leads to the appearance of side effects, such as skin irritation, redness, itching, swelling, bruising, or even flu-like symptoms. Luckily, they tend to disappear on their own within several days after the procedure and do not require any medical supervision.

Top 5 Things to Avoid After Botox Injections

Despite the fact that the administration of Botox does not require any special aftercare, there exist several essential things to avoid after it. Below, you will find the list of the most important ones.

#1. Strenuous Exercise

According to Botox aftercare instructions, one of the most essential things to avoid after the procedure is a strenuous activity. The main reason for it is that it increases blood flow throughout the body (including the injection site), which might eventually lead to the diffusion of the product before it starts working.

Moreover, strenuous exercising might put pressure on the face which, in its turn, might negatively affect the result of the procedure and substantially increase the risk of Botox shifting.

#2. Excessive Heat Exposure

Another thing to bypass for at least four hours after treatment (preferably more) is excessive heat. Namely, a patient should avoid hot showers, hot tubs, or saunas after having Botox injected. The thing is that hot temperatures around the treated area substantially increase the risk of bruising.

Therefore, it is preferable to substitute a hot shower with one with lukewarm water for some time after the administration of the product. As well, it might be useful to gently wash your face with either warm or cold water after having Botox injected into it.

#3. Direct Sunlight

One more thing that is potentially damaging to the skin (especially the one that has been treated with Botox) is direct sunlight. Therefore, it is essential to stay away from excessive sun exposure not only for the first 24 hours after treatment but also on a regular basis.

As well, it is important to protect the treated areas from direct sunlight with the help of sunscreen cream after Botox injections. This way, you will be able to reduce the harmful impact of UV rays upon skin tissues.

#4. Heavy Make-Up

Moreover, applying make-up to the skin on the same day after the injection of Botox is not a good idea. The main reason for it is that you might accidentally push the treated muscles and, therefore, decrease the effectiveness of the treatment.

In other words, the avoidance of using cosmetics right after the administration of Botox is useful to prevent shifting. As well, it might be helpful in pain management since you won’t touch the treated area too often.

#5. Other Things to Avoid

Additionally, there exists a number of other things that have to be avoided after the injection of Botox. Under normal circumstances, a healthcare practitioner should inform a patient about them during the initial consultation before the administration of the product.

For instance, it is preferable to avoid:

  • Drinking alcohol (for instance, red wine);
  • Undergoing facial treatments;
  • Doing facial exercises;
  • Contacting with hot water;
  • Consuming vitamin E;
  • And so on.

By means of staying away from the above-mentioned things for at least a few hours after the administration of Botox, a patient will be able to minimize the appearance of any side effects (namely, reduce swelling, redness, or itching of the skin) and maximize the effectiveness of the product (and, therefore, prolong the attractive and youthful appearance of the skin).

At the same time, however, maintaining normal activities after the administration of Botox is perfectly fine. As well, a patient might gently apply arnica gel to the area of the treatment in order to minimize the feeling of pain or discomfort after the administration of the product.

A Bottom Line

All in all, the administration of Botox is a minimally invasive procedure that does not require any special preparation or downtime. However, the avoidance of the above-mentioned things for the period from 24 hours to two weeks after the treatment might both maximize its result and minimize the risk of unwanted complications after it. So, make sure to adhere to them and take the most from your Botox treatment!