A Beginner's Guide to Botox®: 4 Tips to Prepare for your First Treatment

Botox® has lead non-invasive cosmetic procedures in the United States for over a decade, with nearly 7.5 million Botox treatments provided in 2018 alone. Botox is safe, effective, and FDA approved, giving millions of people a more youthful look and more self-confidence.

At Seacoast Dermatology, with locations in Exeter, Portsmouth, Dover, and Newmarket, New Hampshire, our dermatological experts (led by James G. Dinulos, MD, and Andrew E. Werchniak, MD) offer Botox Cosmetic injections for facial lines and wrinkles.

Planning for Botox? Here’s what you need to know:

Botox injections use an FDA approved purified toxin, known as onobotulinumtoxinA, to temporarily paralyze small muscles in your face that cause wrinkles between the eyes, around the eyes, and in the forehead. When you get Botox, the entire dose isn’t injected in one place. Instead, an ultra-fine needle is used to inject multiple micro-doses on a wrinkle or line. 

Research shows that Botox can make fine lines and wrinkles invisible by relaxing the facial muscles around them. Since the muscles are relaxed, this can also serve as a preventive measure, keeping lines and wrinkles from forming. 

Patients who already have facial lines can reverse the aging effects with Botox since the injections can remodel your skin over time. With repeated treatments, the effects of Botox can become longer-lasting, meaning you can space sessions further apart and use less Botox to achieve the same effects.

4 Botox preparation tips

There are several things you can and should do to get ready for your first Botox appointment:

Medications

Talk to your physician about medications, supplements, and herbal remedies you may be taking. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking certain prescriptions for a few days before Botox. Over the counter medicines and supplements like aspirin, ibuprofen, and St. John’s Wort should be discontinued at least four days before Botox treatment.

Facial prep

Don’t use a chemical peel, suntan, or facial in the days leading up to your Botox treatment. You can apply arnica topically to reduce any bruising that might occur, and ice your face periodically before and after the treatment.

Plan your schedule

Most people can resume normal daily activities after Botox. However, if it’s your first treatment you might want to plan for a time when you can go home after and pamper yourself. It’s also advised that you schedule your botox a couple of weeks before any big events in your life since some bruising may occur. 

Exercise in advance

You won’t be able to exercise until at least four hours after your treatment, so consider getting a quick workout in before you head to our office for your Botox treatment.

Ready for your first ever Botox treatment? Contact one of our convenient locations or use our online scheduling tool to book your consultation today.