Botox is universally known to be life-changing. Botox can have zero side effects for some people, as it could be hazardous for others. Studies show that botox injected into some people can be as toxic as actual poison. Whether you have had Botox or just thinking about it, this blog will help you to fully understand everything you need to know about:
- Places to get the best botox
- Botox before and aftercare
- Things to look for and know when to go to the emergency room
Benefits of botox
Three million plus botox injections are administered each year. Botox is great for increasing muscle tone and lessening wrinkles, lines between the eyebrows, forehead wrinkles, wrinkles around the eyes, neck and cheek muscles, horizontal neck lines, and the masseter muscle.
The most common Botox treatment used is BoNT-A, they are available worldwide. You can ask your botox technician about these kinds of botox since they are considered the most powerful for the best results. They are abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport), onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox), and incobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin. They are usually considered safe as long as they are properly administered.
Different side effects of botox
There are severe and mild side effects associated with Botox. According to 2017 studies, 11 to 25% of patients suffer mild effects which are bruising, discoloration and just to name a few. Bruising can be prevented by using cold compresses on the injected area immediately after botox treatment.
- A more severe infection is called a hematoma. This is where blood vessels are erupted but doesn’t cause serious issues concerning blood flow or blood clots. This could also be prevented by cold compressing the injected treated area. There’s a more in-depth list below of dos and don’ts for Botox before and aftercare.
- Pain is another reaction, Some people with dehydrated skin can also get a reaction that results in pain. Pain can also occur from needles being too large or from the use of the wrong needles in treatment areas. Pain cream can help, and pain can also be minimized by using a saline solution to dilute the botulinum toxin.
- What could be more annoying than daily headaches? studies show this is normal and should go away in hours but in rare cases, some headaches could last 3- 4 weeks. Over-the-counter medication can help or you can get pain medication from a doctor.
- Infection is also a side effect, this could be as a result of dirty needles, or skin that hasn’t been cleansed with antiseptic. This could be avoided by ensuring the skin is properly cleansed and all makeup has been removed. This could be treated with a dose of antibiotics from your doctor.
- Allergic reaction is also a common side effect, this can be resolved with antihistamine but if it is an anaphylactic reaction, then this is a medical emergency. In such circumstances, treatment with an adrenalin injection and continual monitoring of the patient should be implemented.
- Long-term side effect includes having an emotionless face,
- Emergency reaction – There are very few people who will have serious adverse effects after the cosmetic use of botulinum toxin. This is called dysphagia- difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, and allergic reactions. Dysphagia could occur for up to 10 days and last 3 weeks. It is an emergency when it is preventing you from breathing or swallowing properly.
When do I need emergency care?
Dizziness, headache, fatigue, blepharoptosis, and/or blurred vision, not affecting normal life is ok; However, if dysphagia or not being able to swallow occurs and becomes intense you need to visit a doctor, and when it gets to the point of respiratory failure, emergency medical services are immediately needed.
Anaphylactic reaction-The body goes into a shock, which could result in severe breathing problems, extreme rashes, and extreme weakness.
Understanding the Proper procedure
When injecting the eyebrow area, the corrugator muscle can be grasped between two fingers to decrease the leaking of fluids into other areas. A useful guideline for reducing drooping eyelids is to place corrugator injections at least 1 cm above the level of the area between eyebrows. If you think there’s something off ask the technician for reassurance.
Research shows injection outside the “orbital zone” also known as the upper face is recommended to minimize complications. Keeping all injections outside the boundary defined by the infraorbital rim and a point 1 cm lateral to the lateral canthus can significantly reduce the risk of droopy lower eyelids. In the periorbital area also known as the eye area, the recommended distances should be kept. The needle should always point away from the orbit to avoid penetrating the septum also recognized as the cartilage in the nose, which serves as a diffusion barrier. Most of these complications are dose-dependent, and a lower dose of botulinum toxin decreases their frequency.
This should be done by licensed estheticians and overseen by doctors or nurses, this requires understanding muscle location and should not be undertaken by unlicensed persons.
Preventative measures to take before Botox
- A good idea is to ask the technician how much is the recommended dosage and seek to find out if there are lower effective dosages for the same area.
- It’s imperative to understand how muscles work before getting Botox, this helps you to understand what you are feeling and the difference between painkillers or the emergency room.
- Be honest when you enter for consultation, The doctor or technician has to know if there special facial plastic surgery, this will help them to find specific muscular points depending on the surgery that was done.
- Technicians must follow proper procedures, Some areas will require pinching the skin to work with the treated area.
- Ensure the times between injections are discussed in detail,
- If you are taking aminoglycoside antibiotics or anticoagulants be certain to delay botox, this could cause serious problems with blood flow be sure to ask the doctor during consultation.
- If you have a neuromuscular junction, such as myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, and Lambert-Eaton syndrome, Do not take Botox.
- Drugs that may alter the effects of botulinum toxin include aminoglycosides, cyclosporine, D-penicillamine, muscle relaxants, especially curare-type nondepolarizing blockers and succinylcholine, aminoquinolones, quinidine, magnesium sulfate, and lincosamide.
- If you are pregnant or nursing do not take Botox
- stop taking vitamin E and blood clotting or blood thinners, herbal supplements such as ginkgo biloba and garlic should be stopped 10-14 days before.
Botox aftercare treatment
- Eating after Botox– It’s ok to eat after Botox to get the facial muscles moving, however, do not be excessive as you will need to stay awake with your head upright for at least 8 hours.
- Strenuous exercise – It is crucial to avoid exercise after Botox, regular botox patients are known to exercise just by walking slowly in cool weather, this is okay but doctors recommend no exercise after the first three hours. Research recommends up to 8 hours without exercise or just taking the rest of the day off if you can.
- Normal activities- Normal activities can be anything without excessive use of force or strenuous activities that require excess movement especially adding direct sunlight.
- Heat exposure– Heat exposure could raise blood pressure. In some rare cases, there are eruptions of blood vessels. This could be a bad combination and an emergency trip to the hospital if not properly managed.
- Ice pack – Ice packs or cold compresses are most common to use after botox, they lessen bruising, discoloration, and excessive bleeding.
- Heart rate – elevating the heart rate immediately after Botox isn’t recommended it is best to just relax for the first 8 hours.
- Alcoholic beverages– A glass of wine or a glass of any alcoholic beverage should be avoided till after 24 hours.
- Best possible results – The best possible results occur when all the before and after recommendations are followed as listed above such as applying cold compresses to the area after botox, or sitting upright after botox, etc. Most treatments will last for 3 months for beginners and up to 4 months for repeat customers.
- Healthy diet – It’s the ideal thing to do to maintain a well-balanced meal before and after procedures, this allows you to get all the nutrients you need and will help with quick and flawless recovery
- Recovery time – Recovery time varies but the best results start showing within 2 weeks. However, downtime involves mostly resting for up to 8 hours before resuming normal activities.
- Head upright – Do not lie down after treatment or at least 5 hours, This will help with minimizing bruising by keeping the blood pressure stable.
- light touch – After 24 hours it’s okay to do some light touching to the area, making sure it’s clean and hands are clean. light makeup can be worn.
- Plenty of water – Hydration is important to keep the body hydrated lessen the chances of infection and flush out toxins in the process.
- facial exercise – It is important to move the facial muscles after using Botox, opening the mouth, squinting the eyes, and moving facial muscles to help the treatment work quickly into the muscles.
- Following symptoms- on the first day small red bumps or itching occur but will usually go away within hours, it’s normal to have that as part of the healing process.
Who should perform Botox?
Regular botox patients as well as doctors always recommend using licensed professionals to obtain effective treatment when doing a cosmetic procedure. Botox must be administered by a medical professional even if an esthetician is physically doing it.
Doctors and nurses will be able to help technicians find the muscle tissue, administer the correct amount of botox for the treatment area, and will be able to give instructions on what needles to use and things to do with the proper diluted amount of botox for it to be effective with the best results.
Recommendations
- Only visit licensed technicians and skincare businesses that have a medical doctor or nurse on staff.
- look for updated Google reviews
- Ensure to visit the business for a consultation to look around and ask questions.
References
Witmanowski H, Błochowiak K. The whole truth about botulinum toxin – a review. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2020 Dec;37(6):853-861. doi: 10.5114/ada.2019.82795. Epub 2019 Feb 5. PMID: 33603602; PMCID: PMC7874868.
