DURING THE NEXT FOUR HOURS

• Keep head upright; do not lie down or bend over for four hours after injection.

This includes no massages or exercise, such as yoga, pilates, swimming, or running. It is recommended that you continue to avoid strenuous exercise and saunas for 48 hours. Light walking is typically okay.

• Do not rub or manipulate the treated area for four hours after treatment. This may lead to the diffusion of the toxin to adjacent areas and cause an undesired effect.

• You do not need to ice the treated areas. You can cleanse, moisturize, and apply sunscreen and make-up as usual.

WHEN WILL IT START WORKING & HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?

• Botox starts working between 3-5 days after injection, at which point your muscles might feel a little different as they become less responsive when you try to contract them.

• Botox reaches its peak effect at 2 weeks.

• The effects of Botox gradually diminish over 3-4 months. Schedule your next appointment 3-4 months from today.

• If you continue getting Botox treatments done every 3-4 months for two years or more, studies show that your muscles may require fewer injections to maintain the same result, or you may notice a longer duration of effect.

ARE THERE ANY COMMON SIDE EFFECTS?

• A tiny bruise might occur at one of your injection points. It is okay to apply cover-up to the area until the bruise resolves. Bruising is more likely to occur if you regularly take medications that thin the blood. These medications include: aspirin, warfarin, Plavix, fish oil, vitamin E, NSAIDs (Motrin, Advil, Aleve), garlic, ginseng, or ginkgo biloba.

• Up to 15% of patients might feel a slight tension headache after their first treatment. It is okay to take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) to relieve this.