Features of the mechanism of action of Botox and its analogues impose a number of restrictions on the patient with regard to what can be done after botulinum therapy both in the first hours after drug administration and over the next several days.
For example, in the first few hours you can’t lie down and bend over, during the day you can’t touch the injection sites, massage and rub your face, and in the next 5-6 days you will have to give up sports and other serious physical exertion. If these instructions are violated, the risk of developing swelling, bruising, bumps at the injection site (especially noticeable on the forehead), facial defects and other side effects of botulinum treatment, which all patients are so afraid of, increases.
There are also general recommendations for behavior after botulinum therapy regarding nutrition, skin care, taking certain medications, and lifestyle in general, which should be followed to obtain the desired result from the procedure and minimize possible side effects.
It is interesting that the opinions of different experts regarding certain restrictions may diverge and even be diametrically opposed. For example, some doctors forbid patients to drink alcohol on the first day after the procedure, while others allow and even advise drinking low-alcohol drinks, not seeing any threat in this.
Of course, in many ways, such restrictions depend on the patient himself, his individual characteristics and the state of the body. However, there are general recommendations that must be followed so that Botox injections are as effective and safe as possible.
Rules of conduct in the first hours after the procedure
The distribution of botulinum toxin in the tissues lasts several hours after the injection, then within a few days the effect of its effect on the muscles is fully manifested. It is at this time that you should be especially careful about your actions, and the first hours are most critical: from where the substance penetrates into the nerve synapses, its effect will manifest there. It is imperative that the effect does not spread beyond those muscles that really need to be immobilized.
Therefore, in the first few hours after Botox injections into the forehead, face, neck and other parts of the upper body, it is advisable to either sit or walk quietly indoors or outdoors, but in the shade. It is optimal at this time to sit on the couch and read a magazine, chat with friends, go shopping in some indoor shopping and entertainment center.
In the first hours after botulinum toxin injections, it is advisable to sit quietly, for example, reading a book or magazine.
In the same 3-4 hours, you can not perform actions that can increase blood flow to the injection site. Since Botox is most often injected into the face and neck, after the procedures should not be:
- Bend strongly and quickly unbend;
- Lie down (including sleep);
- Do facial massage, intentional or involuntary;
- Carry out other cosmetic procedures;
- Wash your face with hot water (cold can be used safely) and wipe it too hard with a towel (just gently pat it dry);
- Take a hot bath or hot shower, go to the sauna;
- Do sport;
- Visit the pool;
- To be in the sun, to sunbathe in a sunbed;
- Drink alcohol and hot drinks (including coffee, tea);
- Eat spicy foods;
- After injections near the lips, it is undesirable to go to the dentist, and teeth should be brushed, only slightly opening the mouth. The task here is not to strain the circular muscle of the mouth too much.
It is also not recommended at this time to worry, get angry, cry, experience strong emotions that can provoke blood flow to the face. Of course, such manifestations of feelings are rarely planned and uncontrollable. But at least it’s not worth going to the cinema after the injections - the film may turn out to be unexpectedly exciting, “tear” or scary, and in the morning after watching it, a lump may appear in the place of this or that injection.
Also, after the procedure, it is necessary to control your own involuntary movements. Injection sites may hurt, itch and itch; some patients complain of a foreign body sensation under the skin. In such cases, the hand reaches involuntarily to scratch or rub the disturbing area. And if it is safe to hold your fingers over the face once or twice, constant scratching can already cause the drug to “spread” under the skin and involve muscles that are extremely undesirable to de-immobilize.
Immediately after the procedure, it is important to refrain from combing the injection sites.
What to do in such cases?
How can I mitigate possible discomfort immediately after Botox injections
Almost any issues related to the consequences of botulinum therapy should be addressed with a cosmetologist. This rule applies to cases where, it seems, there are no problems, but there are nuances that bother the person. Unpleasant sensations at the injection sites are just such a case.
As a rule, doctors recommend weakening or relieving itching at the injection sites of botulinum toxin with ice, a piece of frozen meat in a bag, washing with cold water (but not very frequent). Such actions do not affect the activity of the drug, but significantly reduce discomfort.
The same coolants can be used if edema and bruising appear at the injection site. For the sake of truth, it is worth noting that applying cold to already formed edema is practically useless, but, following established stereotypes, all women, upon detection of such a nuisance, first run to the refrigerator or call the beautician to get a recommendation. The cosmetologist, in order to prevent any serious errors on the part of the patient, prefers to advise her to make ice. At least this will reassure the person.
Very rarely, a doctor may recommend lubricating itchy areas with anesthetic ointment. It is important to use ointments with painkillers, and not anti-inflammatory ones: the latter can trigger the activation of metabolic processes in the skin, which is undesirable in this case. Painkillers also reduce the sensitivity of nerve endings, practically without affecting the kinetics of botulinum toxin.
Such ointments include lidocaine, Dinexan gels, Emla and Luan.
Anesthetizing ointments and gels that reduce itching after Botox injections.
It is impossible to prick anesthetic injections in itchy skin areas. Puncture itself stimulates the movement of many substances in the dermis, which is undesirable after botulinum therapy. In extreme cases and when there is a great need, such injections can be made by a doctor, however, small discomforts are not an indication for such manipulations.
Some of the consequences of injections of Botox and its analogues clearly signal the need to see a doctor. For example, it is unacceptable to try to fix it yourself:
- Explicit allergic rashes in the form of reddish spots raised above the skin;
- Edema, due to which the eye closes (or both eyes), it is not possible to open the mouth;
- Very severe pain in the skin, head, throat, heart.
All such sensations can signal a life-threatening condition, starting from anaphylactic shock and ending with a heart attack.Therefore, with their development, you need to immediately call a doctor, and if possible, go to the hospital.
On a note
According to the regulations, after Botox injections, the patient should be under the supervision of a doctor for about half an hour. In case of an allergic reaction (deadly), its signs should appear precisely in a given period of time. If this does not happen, later almost certainly an allergy to the drug botulinum toxin will not develop.
Recommendations for the next 10 days
In the following days, the restrictions become less stringent, but still it is worth being very careful.
It may seem ridiculous to someone, but during the first 3-4 days it is better not to look at yourself in the mirror. And if you have to do this, then do not take to heart what you see there. Even with a normal body reaction to Botox, redness, swelling, bumps, and small swelling are quite possible, due to which some patients experience hysteria.
For several days, a slight swelling and redness remains at the injection site.
You do not need to try to quickly and completely eliminate these effects - such pseudotherapy can be dangerous. If possible, at this time it is better to cancel access to people, take sick leave at work and just relax.
In other cases, people expect the desired effect after injections literally the next day. And they are upset if the next morning after the procedure, the wrinkles remain on the face.
Therefore, for 3 days after the injections, you need to come to terms with the fact that the person will definitely not meet expectations. And worry about this is not worth it.
Further, you can sleep only 6-8 hours after the procedure. It is advisable to lie on your back in the first days, and put lush and stiff pillows under your head so that your upper body even in your sleep is higher than your legs and blood does not flow to it.
The day after botulinum therapy, you can take a warm bath (but not hot and do not bathe in it), after 3-4 days you can already swim in hot water. A bathhouse, sauna or solarium can be visited 5-7 days after the procedure, provided that there are no undesirable manifestations on the skin.
At least 3 days after injections, you can not play sports, from the fourth day you can gradually restore the usual loads. At this time, it is already allowed to go to the pool, run and exercise with weights.
Sports after injecting botulinum toxin should preferably be postponed for several days.
The duration of the rehabilitation period
It can be concluded: the rehabilitation period after injections of Botox or its analogues is about 3 days. During this period, if there are no side effects or they are limited to fast-passing phenomena, all consequences are completed, and new ones will not appear.
For another 4 days, it is undesirable to expose the injection site to aggressive effects: inject other substances (including hyaluronic acid and microfilaments) under the skin, “burn” it on the beach or in the solarium, and undergo acupressure (including acupuncture).
If after the procedure there are any side effects, the regime of the rehabilitation period should be observed until such consequences completely disappear. All restrictions on physical activity, cosmetic and hygienic procedures, nutrition and medication can be removed only in the complete absence of undesirable manifestations on the skin or any unpleasant sensations.
If after 5-7 days, side effects persist, you must consult a cosmetologist for advice. Such a long undesirable reaction indicates a pathology, which, perhaps, should be combated with special directed measures.
If side effects are still observed within a week, you should consult your doctor.
Facial care after Botox: when you can do other cosmetic procedures
From the third day and provided that the consequences of the procedure completely disappear, you can carry out simple non-invasive skin care: wash yourself with special non-irritating products, apply cosmetics, and lightly cleanse the face.
Special skin care after botulinum therapy is not required. After 3-4 days, when the effect of the procedure is fully manifested, the face can be looked after in the same way as it was done before the introduction of Botox. If any additional means were previously used specifically to combat wrinkles, after botulinum therapy, applying them to the skin is not required: there will be no wrinkles here.
“Heavy”, especially injecting procedures, which themselves can cause side effects, are carried out no earlier than the 7th day after botulinum therapy, usually even later.
So, different doctors recommend injecting biorevitalization and mesotherapy using various fillers and additional components 2-4 weeks after Botox injections. This period is due not only to safety requirements, but also to the fact that biorevitalization should be carried out only after the Botox effect is fully manifested to correct those deficiencies that could not be eliminated with botulinum therapy.
Due to the fact that very strong changes in the appearance of the skin can occur during biorevitalization, it is unacceptable that its possible side effects should be combined with the consequences of Botox administration.
This is also true for laser biorevitalization and skin rejuvenation procedures. They are carried out, as a rule, after botulinum therapy, and not before it, and not earlier than after 2 weeks, provided that there are no undesirable consequences.
Laser biorevitalization can be performed no earlier than 2 weeks after botulinum therapy.
Due to the similarity of the plasmolifting procedure itself with filler injections (this procedure also consists in the intradermal administration of the drug), it is combined with botulinotherapy in the same way as biorevitalization.
The same is true if Botox is re-pierced in case of insufficient effect. Do this no earlier than the 7th day after the first procedure, when the effect of the drug is fully manifested.
Peelings can be performed earlier - 5-7 days after botulinum toxin injections. With any of these peels - chemical (including glycol), laser, ultrasound (even using a carbon gel) - there is practically no effect on the muscles, and therefore, almost immediately after the complete absorption of the drug, this cleaning can be done. A weekly interval here is required precisely in order to have confidence in such an absorption.
It is undesirable to first peel, and then Botox injections, because after cleansing the skin, the cosmetologist may not see the full picture of the location and depth of wrinkles.
On a note
You can also get a tattoo at the Botox injection site 2 weeks after the procedure. If the tattoo is applied in other places (for example, after Botox injections into the face area, say, on the shoulder), then the procedure can be performed 2-3 days after botulinum therapy.
More difficult operations - microfilament lifts, blepharoplasty, facial contouring - are done no earlier than 2 weeks after Botox injections. In any case, a competent doctor conducting such operations will independently indicate the required interval.
Whatever the case, botulinum therapy and other cosmetic procedures should not be carried out immediately in one day. Even relatively gentle peels require skin repair and a rehabilitation regimen that is incompatible with botulinum toxin injections.
From the first hours after the introduction of Botox, you can swim in warm water - up to 45 ° C, wash in the shower and wash your face. It is only important that the water is neither hot nor too cold.
From the first hours of botulinum therapy, you can already wash yourself, the main thing is that the water is at a comfortable temperature, not contrasting.
Diet and medication after injections of botulinum toxin
Starting from the day following the day of botulinum therapy, there are no restrictions on the choice of food products. Even sharp and hot dishes after a day after the procedure can not affect the effect of botulinum toxin, so the next day you can stick to your usual diet.
Coffee, hot tea, alcoholic beverages are not recommended to be consumed in the first hours after the procedure. If possible, it is advisable to refuse them until the next day. And the day after the injections you can drink whatever you want, in any quantities (of course, remembering the dangers of excessive drinking).
Any potent drugs within 3-5 days after botulinum therapy can be taken only after consultation with a cosmetologist. Some antibiotics, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, anticoagulants can affect the result of injections. The list of drugs that are incompatible with Botox includes more than 300 items, but you don’t need to know all of them: it’s enough to consult about the admissibility of taking a particular drug from a doctor who injected Botox.
On a note
Be careful: one of the side effects of Botox injections is the flu-like syndrome - the patient feels as if he has ARVI for 2-3 days. He has a tickle in his throat, a slight runny nose develops, his head hurts. This happens often and is not associated with a viral infection. In this case, you do not need to specifically be treated, take painkillers and antiviral drugs. If after 3-4 days the symptoms persist, it really is a viral disease. If within 2-3 days the symptoms disappear, you can calm down - this is only a consequence of Botox injections.
After Botox injections, some signs may appear that are similar to the symptoms of a cold. This condition usually disappears in 2-3 days.
Contrary to popular belief, general anesthesia, especially done long ago, does not affect the effectiveness of botulinum therapy. It is a mistake to believe that Botox will certainly lead to severe allergies or heart attacks in people who have previously undergone general anesthesia.
Physical activity restrictions
After Botox injections until the end of the day, any excessive physical activity should be avoided. Deep body inclinations, hanging upside down on a horizontal bar, acrobatic stunts and various yoga asanas, swimming (due to constant temperature changes between cold water and warm air), weight lifting are completely undesirable at this time. If any other activity leads to a rush of blood to the face or requires active contractions of the facial muscles, these days it should be avoided.
On a note
Within 2-3 days after Botox injections, it is also not recommended to do stretching - even with minimal muscle loads, these exercises lead to a general activation of blood circulation, which is undesirable in the rehabilitation period after botulinum therapy.
People who need intense facial activity (actors, photomodels) need a rest and a break in working activity for 2-3 days after the procedure. At this time, “facial expressions” are better not to work at all.
The best pastime after Botox injections is relaxing at home, watching TV, reading books, talking with friends in a relaxed atmosphere, while indoors or walking in the shade.
From the fourth day after botulinum therapy, you can resume training and restore the standard mode of physical activity.
On a note
It would be a mistake to believe that after botulinum therapy, it is useful to cool the injection site and, for example, constantly wash with cold water or walk outside in cool weather.In fact, cooling the skin after the procedure is just as undesirable as warming it up, and sudden changes in temperature are especially harmful. Therefore, it is not recommended to play sports on the street and swim in the pool after injections.
How to relax and sleep during the rehabilitation period
You should sleep and generally go to bed no earlier than 5-6 hours after Botox injections, and better - after 7-8 hours. Moreover, to go to bed on the first night after botulinum therapy should be following special recommendations:
- Lie on your back or half sitting, placing large pillows under the head and shoulders;
- Do not lie on your stomach. If you have to sleep on your side (many people cannot fall asleep on your back), then at least once an hour you need to roll over to the other side. If necessary, you can set an alarm for this. If the first night after injections is overslept on one side, edema may form on this side of the face;
On the first night after Botox injections, it is not recommended to sleep on your stomach.
- In the room, achieve a temperature of 18-20 ° C and humidity within 55-80%. If it is hotter and drier here, it can affect the condition of the skin and the effect of botulinum therapy.
In the following nights, you can already sleep out of habit - in your favorite position on ordinary pillows. Nevertheless, the first 2-3 days it is not recommended to sleep too much and stay in bed. After waking up, it is better to immediately get up, do exercises, take a shower and start a normal day.
Finally, a completely unforeseen situation may occur that cannot be taken into account in the recommendations. After Botox injections, the patient may become ill, he may need to take an X-ray, appear in public or perform some other non-standard action, whose effect on the Botox effect is not entirely predictable. In all such cases, the safest and most reliable step is to call the beautician and ask him what and how to do. It is the cosmetologist who is responsible for the result of the procedure, and the patient’s support is his work, and already paid for. So feel free to call, find out and be beautiful and healthy!
How to organize the rehabilitation period after botulinum therapy. Expert Advice
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