What should I do before my treatment appointment?

Your outcome is very much based on the skill of your injector. There are some things you can also do to make sure your Botox or filler injection appointment goes well and your outcome is as wonderful as you are. Here are our top five pre-appointment tips: 

1. Prep your skin 

Clean skin with no makeup is the best way to come for your injection. You don’t need a deep cleanse, but coming in with a fresh face will reduce the risk of injection or nodules. We always cleanse the face with an alcohol-based cleanser, and coming in already clean will make the cleansing process more effective. 

Make-up can impact how effectively we can cleanse the face before your injection, so arriving with it already removed is a great way to reduce your risk of complications. It’s unlikely that make-up will be left behind, but if any does, it can produce nodules or tattooing of the skin. 

Using retinoid creams before your injection appointment can also increase sensitivity and bruising, so skipping a day or two can also improve your experience. 

2. Avoid certain supplements or medications 

Bleeding and bruising are definitely unideal -- especially for filler treatments around the eyes, where bruising can look particularly noticeable. Some supplements and medications increase the risk of bleeding or bruising. Avoiding these can improve your results: 

• Alcohol NSAID medications such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve, etc. Tylenol is ok

• Aspirin if used as a pain killer (continue taking it if it is recommended by your doctor)

• St. John’s Wort, high-dose garlic supplement, and ginkgo can all thin the blood 

Physical activity and sex can also increase your risk of bleeding or bruising, so we recommend avoiding these the day of your treatment. 

3. Book your procedure strategically

Planning your procedure around everything else you have going on is also a great idea. Giving your face enough time to recover before important events, for example, is a smart way to go. We’d hate for you to have visible bruising or swelling at your wedding or in your vacation pictures! 

It also takes Botox a couple weeks to take effect. Most of the effect is visible by the two week mark, just in time for your follow-up visit. Giving a bit of extra time will give us a chance to review the result and address any asymmetry that might have cropped up. 

Botox treatments very rarely leave visible changes on the day of the procedure, and some people will even get Botox during their lunch break! Filler, however, can cause some swelling and small bumps after the procedure, so many people prefer to book these on days when they’re not working, or at the end of a day. 

Giving yourself an extra couple of weeks will allow the effects to settle and leave you looking your best when it really matters! 

Following these three tips are an excellent way to set yourself up for success! Get in touch with us to talk more about our Botox and dermal filler treatments. We’re excited to see what we can do for you!