What can and cannot be done after Botox injections?

What are Botox injections?

During a botulinum therapy session, the cosmetologist injects botulinum toxin into the facial muscles. The most popular of them, Botox, is injected into the muscles of the upper face.

Botox injections are good for getting rid of facial wrinkles. The active component of the drug blocks the activity of facial muscles, as a result of which wrinkles are smoothed out. The less mobile the facial muscles are, the less deep the facial wrinkles become.

Botulinum toxin products are also used to treat hyperhidrosis and excessive sweating. Botox is not suitable for this purpose because it concentrates in the injection area and does not spread to nearby tissues. Drugs that are more prone to diffusion are injected into the armpits, palms and feet - hyperhidrosis is especially pronounced in these areas.

The session takes about 20 minutes and in most cases is performed without anesthesia - there is no pain, and therefore no anesthesia is required. After 2-7 days, the first results are noticeable, but at this time the facial tissues are most vulnerable. Any careless influence leads to swelling and even impaired facial expressions.

What other combinations are there?

The gold standard in aesthetic medicine is botulinum therapy and injection contouring, since the first solves the problem of facial wrinkles, and the second solves skin creases. The following scheme is also used: thread lifting, botulinum therapy and contour plastic surgery. For example, thread lifting Resorblift (France), which allows you to act on several layers of skin. But since after installing the threads, facial rest is necessary for some time, with very active facial expressions, you can first carry out the botulinum therapy procedure. Well, fillers will fill in existing wrinkles.

If the patient has an excess of horny skin cells, facial cleansing is first prescribed. This can be either atraumatic HydraFacial cleaning or chemical peeling. It is necessary to remove excess keratinized structures, enhance metabolic processes in tissues and eliminate pigmentary pathology. Then other problems are solved: facial wrinkles and dermal creases are eliminated using injection methods - contour plastic surgery in combination with botulinum therapy. In Russia, the most common type of aging is the deformation type, which is the most difficult to correct. This type of aging is characterized by the formation of jowls, a double chin, bags under the eyes, general puffiness and changes in oval shape. In case of such problems, the fat imbalances of the face (double chin, jowls) are first corrected. Next, if necessary, botulinum therapy is performed, then threads are placed in the lower third of the face.

Preparing for the session

Before a botulinum therapy session, careful preparation is required:

do not drink alcohol the day before the session;
3 days in advance – stop taking antibiotics;
a week before - stop taking medications that reduce blood clotting;
on the day of the procedure - do not play sports, do not visit a massage therapist, do not swim or tilt your head for a long time, do not apply cream to your facial skin.

Foods high in salt and spices retain water in the body. This diet leads to swelling. If you are planning Botox injections, you should avoid salty and spicy foods.

Botulinum toxin can manifest itself in unexpected ways, therefore, if the patient has never attended such procedures, allergy tests are required. Botox is not a hypoallergenic drug; an allergic reaction may occur.

Can I take antibiotics before the procedure?

Treatment with antibacterial drugs can be carried out 2–3 months in advance, not earlier. Some drugs clear up within a week, others take several months.

For clarification, you should contact your physician, providing a treatment plan to determine the optimal timing of injections.

Individual characteristics are also taken into account - gender, age, body weight, sensitivity to botulinum toxin and antibiotics. All of these factors can either shorten or delay your procedure date.

Restrictions after botulinum therapy

Here are some basic recommendations after botulinum therapy.

Be in a vertical position only

For 5 hours after Botox injections, you should not lie down or bend over. Blood rushes to the head in a horizontal position, because of this, metabolism accelerates, botulinum toxin is eliminated from the body faster. Improper distribution of botulinum leads to loss of effect.

…

Don't drink alcohol

Alcoholic drinks dilate blood vessels and accelerate blood flow, causing excess movement of botulinum toxin. The movement of botulinum toxin through facial tissues is fraught with numbness, drooping eyelids and problems with articulation. Possible formation of hematomas.

In the first 7-10 days after the session, drinking alcohol is prohibited!

…

Do not visit saunas and baths

High temperatures cause capillaries to expand and provoke the removal of Botox from the body and its migration through facial tissues. You can go to the bathhouse or sauna only after complete recovery. During the first day after the session, hot water is also dangerous for patients. Postpone going to the sauna or bathhouse for at least 2 weeks.

…

Don't play sports

During intense exercise, blood flow accelerates - this can be dangerous immediately after Botox injections. For two days, patients are not allowed to engage in any sports, jogging, or fitness. Loads with an inclination are especially contraindicated. Dancing and martial arts are also prohibited.

…

Do not undergo cosmetic procedures

There are a number of cosmetic interventions that are compatible with Botox injections, but they can only be used after the body has fully recovered from the previous session, that is, after about 3 weeks. For 3 days, massage, masks, peelings, hardware treatments, etc. are prohibited.

Drugs whose influence on the effect of botulinum therapy has not been confirmed or is absent

Also, very often, patients ask whether they can inject botulinum toxin while taking certain medications, if these medications are not listed in the list of contraindications to botulinum therapy. Such a safety net is completely justified, but in most cases and for most medications, even a doctor cannot give an unambiguous answer.

Today, a list of approximately 370 drugs has been compiled, the simultaneous use of which with botulinum toxin is not recommended. This list is constantly supplemented and updated as new data and new precedents emerge. A cosmetologist performing Botox injections always takes this list into account and before the procedure finds out if the patient is using such drugs.

There are hundreds of drugs whose use is a contraindication to Botox injections, and this list is periodically expanded.

However, in some cases, even approved medications can interact with botulinum toxin or affect its effect in an undesirable way. This is a consequence of the individual characteristics of the body, and it is impossible to predict some of these reactions. Fortunately, most of these reactions are minor and any unwanted effects that occur will subside quickly.

Below are some of the drugs, the possibility of simultaneous use of which with botulinum therapy is of interest to patients most often:

Antibiotics of the penicillin series - in fact, penicillin, amoxicillin (the drug Amoxiclav and others), ampicillin, bicillins. They do not affect neuromuscular transmission, and therefore their use is not a clear contraindication to botulinum therapy. But, again, it is somewhat unreasonable to “rush to Botox” while being sick and continuing to take tablets of these drugs;
Paracetamol and Diclofenac also do not exclude the use of botulinum toxin, but, similar to antibiotics, it is not advisable to engage in cosmetic procedures when the patient has a high fever and the body is weakened;
Afobazole - despite the fact that this drug is an anxiolytic (tranquilizer), it does not cause muscle weakness and does not enhance the effect of botulinum toxin. Therefore, taking it is not a contraindication for botulinum therapy;
Reduxin is a weight loss product. Among its side effects, seizures are indicated, but taking it is not a definite factor that excludes Botox injections. The doctor must independently assess the condition of the patient taking Reduxin and decide whether he should inject botulinum toxin;
Various hormonal drugs, including oral contraceptives - due to differences in their action, it is impossible to unambiguously characterize the admissibility of their use when using botulinum toxin - it all depends on the specific drug;
Local antibiotics - as a rule, these drugs do not have a systemic effect. If they are not used to treat skin infections at the sites of intended injections, then Botox can be used when using them;
Mexidol - can have an anticonvulsant effect, enhancing the effect of botulinum toxin;
Antifungal drugs can sometimes cause unwanted side effects, but there are no general rules about the possibilities of their use in botulinum therapy.

In general, taking into account the safety of the botulinum toxin injection procedures themselves, in most cases Botox is successfully administered with the parallel use of drugs that are not included in the list of clearly contraindicated botulinum toxin therapy.

Compatibility of Botox with other procedures

Botox injections are a fairly safe intervention. They are combined with other cosmetology techniques:

Fillers. The drugs complement each other's effect - Botox smooths out expression wrinkles in the upper part of the face, and hyaluronic acid fills deep nasolabial folds and scars.
Hardware procedures. They perfectly complement botulinum therapy, but a pause between sessions of 3-5 weeks is required.
Chemical peeling. The result of peeling will be better if it is performed after complete recovery from botulinum therapy. Smooth skin is easier to peel. It will get rid of age spots and scars and complement the effect of Botox injections.
Plastic surgery. A month after botulinum toxin injection, blepharoplasty can be done.

What is Ulthera SMAS lifting combined with?

Ultherapy is the best method of non-surgical skin lifting today, giving results comparable to classic surgical skin tightening, and works great with many injectable drugs.

For example, with Radisse filler, a preparation based on calcium hydroxyapatite that activates the synthesis of collagen and elastin and increases skin thickness. There is a protocol where filler is first injected, and then a hardware procedure is performed. The result is a double effect: Ulthera strengthens the muscular aponeurotic layer of SMAS, provides tightening, tightens the skin, and Radiesse, in turn, stimulates neocollagenesis. That is, it turns out that one procedure enhances the effect of another. The result is powerful tissue tightening while simultaneously improving skin quality.

This combination of procedures is primarily indicated for patients with loose skin. There is another drug that has a pronounced stimulation of new collagen - this is Sculptra. It contains polylactic acid. This drug can also be used in combination with Ulthera, but must be administered before the procedure.

Altera can also be combined with classic fillers based on hyaluronic acid. After all, we should not forget that age-related changes occur in all layers of the skin, including the SMAS (muscular aponeuratic layer). And it is Ulthera that can strengthen it. Therefore, it is first recommended to undergo Ulteratherapy, and after about a month and a half, hyaluronic fillers are injected into the lower third of the face.

What can you do after Botox injections? Debunking myths

There are a huge number of far-fetched contraindications. Let's consider them.

Flying on an airplane

Many people believe that the pressure difference during takeoff can have a negative effect on facial tissue if Botox has recently been injected. Cosmetic doctors do not prohibit patients from boarding a plane soon after injections, since the pressure on board is the same as on the ground. The only problem is the tediousness of long flights - most likely you will want to rub your eyes or touch your face. Let us remind you that mechanical irritation is prohibited.

…

Smoking

Nicotine does not interfere with the body's recovery after Botox injections. Despite this, there is no need to abuse smoking. The habit negatively affects blood circulation and lung function, causing early signs of aging.

…

Housework

After a botulinum therapy session, you can do any household chores that do not involve tilting your head or heavy loads.

Hardware techniques and injections of hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is an important element of the extracellular matrix, which ensures the healthy state of the dermis. Hyaluronic acid injections increase the volume of the dermis. Hardware cosmetology methods stimulate the body to produce collagen and elastin. That is, laser technologies provide rejuvenation at the cellular level. The combined effect of the two procedures triggers natural skin lifting. If the skin has become loose, then first you need to tighten the stretched ligaments. Ultrasound and laser technologies do an excellent job of this. And the result already obtained should be corrected with the help of injections.

In some cases, on the contrary, injection therapy is performed first. Before laser procedures, biorevitalization with hyaluronic acid is performed. The target for laser action is water, so lifting after the hardware procedure will be more pronounced. Injections also speed up rehabilitation after traumatic techniques, for example, after laser exposure at maximum parameters. Several studies have been conducted that have shown that the effect of comprehensive rejuvenation can be achieved by combining hyaluronic acid injections with RF therapy. It is allowed to carry out two procedures during one visit to a cosmetologist. In one comparative study, participants had their nasolabial folds removed. On one side, an injection was injected into the skin. On the other hand, the skin was first heated with a high-frequency electromagnetic field, and then an injection of hyaluronic acid was administered.

The result is indicative: the folds smoothed out more on the side that received comprehensive rejuvenation. In addition, after two treatments, the treated area of skin became lighter than the skin that received only the injection. The second result means that active neocollagenesis occurred in the dermis, since the collagen fibers are white.

It is also important to consider the area that needs to be adjusted. If you need to remove excess skin in the lower third of the face (chin, neck area), then hardware techniques will help. And if there is a need to add volume to the upper third, devices alone will not do. Correction of the cheekbone area with fillers will be required.

Complications

Failure to follow care recommendations and incorrect administration of the drug into facial tissues lead to undesirable consequences.

Bruises and swelling on the face can occur from drinking alcohol, poor diet, or bending over.

Exposure to high temperature causes migration of the drug, and with it ptosis - drooping of the eyelid. Another cause of ptosis is long-term use of botulinum toxin preparations for rejuvenation. Over several years of regular treatments, the muscles into which Botox is injected weaken.

Sometimes after the procedure the patient experiences double vision. This side effect occurs due to the injection of too large a dose or near the edge of the orbit. Double vision indicates weakening of the eye muscles from the action of botulinum toxin.

Benefits of injection procedures

Injection techniques make it possible to achieve a pronounced rejuvenation effect in a fairly short period of time, but they cannot cover all parts of the pathogenesis in one procedure.

The task of mesotherapy and biorevitalization is to deliver into the skin the substances that are needed for the formation of new elements. If the skin's resources are depleted, it is useless to treat it with the same laser or do thermal lifting. Today, cases of non-depleted skin are very rare even among young girls. Diets, disruption of the daily routine, refusal to take vitamins and microelements - all this impairs the supply of building material to the skin for new cells. In addition, photoaging due to too much enthusiasm for solariums or prolonged exposure to the sun can be noted even in fairly young girls - this includes thinning of the skin, its dryness, and the appearance of a network of fine wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid injections help replenish the skin with new moisture. Since synthesized hyaluronic acid introduced into the skin attracts millions of water molecules.

Another goal of injection techniques is volume correction. With the help of dense hyaluronic acid fillers, you can change the shape of the lips, change the proportions of the face (add volume to the cheekbones or chin).

Why is there no effect?

In some cases, the effect of Botox injections does not appear or is barely noticeable. This can happen for two reasons:

due to individual characteristics, antibodies to botulinum toxin appeared in the body, which completely or partially neutralized the drug;
taking antibiotics of some groups leads to the removal of botulinum toxin from the body.

Do you want great results from Botox injections? Contact OLA beauty centers. Leading cosmetologists in St. Petersburg, excellent working conditions, only original drugs, maximum care for each patient!

List of antibiotics that enhance the effect of botulinum toxin

To date, the influence of the following antibiotics on the effect of Botox injections and other botulinum toxin preparations has been clearly proven:

Aminoglycosides - streptomycin, gentamicin, tobramycin, neomycin, amikacin, kanamycin and others. Their side effects include neuromuscular blockade (sometimes very strong), sometimes leading to life-threatening consequences - apnea and cardiac arrhythmia. Similarly, these antibiotics affect the response of facial muscles to nerve impulses;
Lincosamides - lincomycin and clindamycin. Likewise, they promote relaxation of skeletal muscles and facial muscles, which can provoke an additive effect with parallel botulinum therapy;
Macrolides - erythromycin, azithromycin, josamycin, spiramycin, midecamycin, clarithromycin, roxithromycin. Their relaxing effect is less pronounced than that of aminoglycosides, but can also occur with botulinum toxin injections;
Tetracyclines are known to cause dysphagia (inability to take a sip) as a side effect. The same effect sometimes manifests itself during botulinum therapy, and therefore, with the simultaneous use of tetracyclines and botulinum toxin, it is possible either to increase the severity of this effect, or to manifest it in cases where it would not occur with separate use of the drugs;
Polymyxins - their action is similar to that of tetracyclines.

The full list of antibiotics that can enhance the effect of botulinum toxin includes more than 100 items. This list also includes the most modern drugs from the groups listed above, which have not yet entered mass production.

Not confirmed, but it is assumed that the effect of botulinum toxin may be enhanced by fluoroquinolones. These antibacterial agents are not antibiotics in the full sense of the word, since they have no natural analogues (all antibiotics are either natural substances or their derivatives). When using fluoroquinolones, myalgia and muscle weakness often occur, which is also a reason not to use them simultaneously with Botox injections.

Before the botulinum therapy procedure, it is important to notify your cosmetologist about which medications you are taking or have recently taken.

Review:
“I myself had such an unpleasant moment when, after the second time of injections, I developed a terrible ARVI, with snot and flu-like aches in the muscles. I called the doctor about this matter, she says that there is no point in prescribing antibiotics, since the infection is probably viral. She said that if symptoms of a bacterial infection appear, only then will antibiotics be needed. She said it was safe. And then I read what people were writing... I’ll tell you, it was really scary to read. Some write that the antibiotic completely erases the entire effect of Botox, as if nothing was injected. Some people's ears ring for months after this, while others develop terrible diarrhea. Manufacturers deny everything, write that it is all safe. But there are a lot of negative reviews. In general, I was lucky - everything went away within four days. But if it hadn’t gone away, I don’t even know whether I would have taken these antibiotics or not...”
Ilona, from correspondence on the forum

It is also useful to read: Using Botox to eliminate wrinkles