Treatment FAQ
2-3 days before treatment – Avoid “anti-aging” products such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), Retinols and Retinoids, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, and Glycolic Acid. Also refrain from waxing, tweezing, bleaching, or using another hair removal product on the area to be treated.
24 hours before treatment – Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages for 24 hours pre and post treatment to help prevent bruising
Do not use botox or dermal fillers if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are allergic to any ingredients, or suffer from any neuromuscular disorders.
Avoid hot tubs, steam rooms, saunas and alcohol.
You may gently apply ice or a cold pack to help reduce swelling and potential bruising.
Once any swelling or pinpoint bleeding has subsided you can apply makeup around the treated area.
Avoid putting excessive pressure on the treated area for the first few days especially when cleansing or applying makeup.
You make take Tylenol or other acetaminophen to help with any mild discomfort.
Avoid extended UV exposure until any redness or swelling has subsided, and always wear sunscreen.
Wait a minimum of 24 hours before receiving any other skin care or laser treatment.
Your session will begin with a discussion about your areas of interest as well as a brief medical and aesthetic history.
A mild amount of tenderness may be experienced. Topical numbing agents are available for botox treatments and local freezing will be used for dermal filler techniques.
Redness and swelling after treatment is normal. However, if the redness / swelling persists and becomes painful please contact our office or your physician immediately.
Some bruising may occur and if it does will typically only last for a few days.
Botox FAQ
Botox is the trade name of a product produced by Allergan. The product is a neurotoxin derived from Clostridium botulinum, an organism found in nature where it is largely inactive and non-toxic. There are at least two other similar products on the market trade named Dysport (by Galderma) and Xeomin (by Merz). Although structurally slightly different, they all disrupt the signaling process that allows neurons to communicate effectively with muscles.
In order for muscles to contract nerves release a chemical messenger, acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter), at the junction where the nerve endings meet muscle cells. Acetylcholine travels from the nerve to the muscle and causes the muscle cells to contract or shorten. Botulinum toxin (Botox) is absorbed by nerves near the site of injection. Once inside the nerves Botox inhibits the proteins (SNARE) that release the acetylcholine thus preventing the nerve from causing the muscle to contract. This is an irreversible process. Botox wears off when the nerves create new nerve endings to once again induce muscle contraction.
A unit of Botox is a measure of biologic activity, based on scientific investigations. Botox is purchased as a powder in 100 unit vials. The amount (or the dose) of Botox you receive is determined by 2 things; how much fluid (normal saline) is used to mix the Botox and how much of this fluid you receive. For optimal results it is recommended that a 100 unit vial of powdered Botox is mixed with 1 milliliter of fluid. Some practitioners use more than 1 millimeter of fluid which may contribute to the variability in results that some clients experience.
While the average treatment time is just a few minutes, I typically schedule 30 mins for every appointment. This extra time allows us to chat about your medical and cosmetic history and allows me to fully understand what your expectations are. This also provides a time buffer at the beginning and end of your appointment to ensure privacy and discretion.
Botox is delivered through a very thin 31-gauge needle (less than ¼ of a millimeter) into the muscle that is being treated. Some people experience no pain at all, some experience a very short small pinch.
When the treatment is in full effect the visible results will be smoother skin and the reduction of wrinkles. As we discussed previously, it is important to remember that the results are only temporary (normally 3 months but will vary from patient to patient) and additional treatments will be necessary to maintain achieved results.
Please note this is not an exhaustive list and while side effects can occur in anyone, regardless of age or other health risks, Botox treatment remains relatively safe. When side effects do occur, these usually resolve in a short period of time. Most importantly, the risk of side effects is dramatically reduced when the treatment is performed by a qualified expert and in fact, most doctors admit they rarely see adverse effects other than some slight bruising and swelling.
Tissue Filler FAQ
By filling and plumping your skin hyaluronic acid dermal fillers can be used to:
1) accentuate your natural features such as your lips or cheek bones
2) fill and smooth out deep static wrinkles
3) replace areas of volume loss
4) correct asymmetric or dysmorphic features. In addition, hyaluronic acid dermal fillers may actually be restorative, as some studies have shown that injecting hyaluronic acid stimulates new collagen production by your skin.
There is essentially no downtime after your treatment. The most common side effect is bruising at the site of injection. A small bruise may last 1 to 2 days while a large bruise might last as long as a week. The most serious side effects occur when the dermal filler is inadvertently injected into a blood vessel which may result in skin necrosis, skin scarring or in the worst case scenario, blindness.
While this sounds awful, the chances of developing one of these complications is very rare and can be further reduced by avoiding high-risk areas such as between the eyes, ensuring your practitioner is well-trained and is using safe techniques, and recognizing complications early so that they can be treated and mitigated.
