HOMEUnderstanding Post-Botox Care and Side Effects
What to Know Before Getting Botox? Key Precautions and Post-Treatment Care for Botox Injections
In modern aesthetic medicine, "Botulinum Toxin (Botox) injections" have become a widely used treatment, primarily for eliminating wrinkles, smoothing facial contours, and shaping muscle lines. It can even help with excessive underarm sweating and body odor. However, before receiving Botox injections, it is important to pay attention to pre-treatment preparations, as well as post-treatment skin care and potential side effects.
While Botox has a wide range of uses and many benefits in aesthetic procedures, there are numerous brands and varying qualities of botulinum toxin available on the market, which can make it difficult for those considering Botox treatments to make a choice. This article will help you understand the differences between these products, dive deeper into the mechanism of Botox, recommend injection areas, and help you fully grasp what Botox is while keeping you up-to-date with the latest market information!
Before Getting Botox, Understand What Botulinum Toxin Really Is
Botulinum toxin, commonly referred to as Botox, is a potent neurotoxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This toxin can interfere with communication between nerves and muscles, inhibiting muscle contraction and resulting in a paralysis effect. In the field of medical aesthetics, botulinum toxin is widely used to treat wrinkles and improve appearance. It is typically administered via injection to reduce dynamic facial wrinkles or to relax tight muscles such as the jaw and calf muscles. Additionally, botulinum toxin is used to treat excessive sweating and certain neuromuscular disorders, such as facial muscle spasms.
Four Major Contraindications for Botox Injections
- Individuals Taking Specific Medications
People who are on certain medications such as muscle relaxants, cholinesterase inhibitors, magnesium sulfate, or aminoglycoside antibiotics should be cautious. These medications may interfere with neuromuscular transmission and increase the risk of botulinum toxin toxicity. If you are taking these drugs, extra caution is advised. -
Pregnant or Breastfeeding Women
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies botulinum toxin as a Category C drug for pregnancy, meaning its safety for the fetus has not been established. While no human studies have shown an increased risk from Botox injections in pregnant women, due to the lack of conclusive safety data, it is recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women avoid Botox unless absolutely necessary. -
Individuals with Allergies to Specific Ingredients
While botulinum toxin is generally safe in clinical use, a very small number of people may have allergies to the special proteins or excipients in Botox. Some individuals may experience redness, swelling, or itching at the injection site. If you have experienced an allergic reaction after Botox or are aware of allergies to any of its ingredients, it is best to avoid Botox treatments. - Individuals with Neuromuscular Disorders
The principle of botulinum toxin treatment is to inhibit the transmission of acetylcholine signals between nerve cells and muscles, leading to muscle relaxation or wrinkle reduction. However, individuals with neuromuscular diseases, such as myasthenia gravis or multiple sclerosis, may experience adverse reactions like general muscle weakness, eyelid drooping, speech difficulties, and even severe swallowing or breathing issues after injection. Therefore, these patients should avoid Botox injections.
Botulinum Toxin Applications:
Botulinum Toxin Injection Areas
- Dynamic Wrinkles:
The human face has various expression muscles of different sizes and depths. When these muscles contract, they pull on the skin, forming dynamic wrinkles. Different muscle contractions create different lines, including frown lines, forehead lines, crow's feet, nasolabial folds, dynamic laugh lines, perioral wrinkles, and puppet lines. Botulinum toxin can reduce muscle tension and improve these dynamic wrinkles. - Facial Sculpting (Lifting):
Facial muscles can be divided into two major groups: the lifting muscles and the descending muscles. When the descending muscles are more developed, it causes sagging, giving the face an aged appearance. Botulinum toxin can inhibit the contraction of certain descending muscles and fine-tune the actions of the muscles, achieving an overall lifting and rejuvenating effect. - Slimming the Masseter Muscles (Face Slimming):
When the masseter muscles are overly thick, it can cause the face to appear square or wide (commonly referred to as a "square face"). Injecting botulinum toxin can reduce the nerve activity controlling the masseter muscles, decreasing muscle contraction and smoothing the face’s contours, resulting in a slimmer face. - Slimming the Calf Muscles (Leg Slimming):
When the calf’s gastrocnemius muscle is hypertrophied, it can create a "carrot-shaped" leg. Botulinum toxin can cause the calf muscles to atrophy and relax, giving the legs a more slender appearance. - Sweating Control:
Botulinum toxin can block the nerve supply to sweat glands, making it effective for treating localized excessive sweating, such as underarm sweating, sweaty palms, forehead sweating, and scalp sweating. The effects typically last for about six months.
Differences Between Botox Brands: A Comparison of Four Commonly Available Brands
Currently, the FDA-approved Type A botulinum toxins available in Taiwan include:
- Botox (USA)
- Dysport (UK)
- Xeomin (Germany)
- Letybo (South Korea)
- Neuronox (South Korea)
- Nabota (South Korea)
This article focuses on the four most common brands in the market: Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Letybo, summarizing their origin, features, and market pricing in the table below for quick reference.
Common Post-Botox Care Questions and Answers!
Although botulinum toxin treatments have become quite popular and their risks are relatively low, there are still some individuals who should not undergo the treatment. Below, we’ve listed four groups of people who are contraindicated for botulinum toxin use and recommend that you consult with your doctor thoroughly before undergoing the procedure.
Q1: How long after the Botox injection will I see results?
Most people begin to notice muscle relaxation and reduced wrinkles within 7 to 10 days after injection, but the full effects may take 2 to 4 weeks to appear. The duration of the effects varies from person to person, but generally, the effects last for 3 to 6 months. Follow-up injections will be needed to maintain the results.
Q2: How long after Botox can I get a Picosure treatment?
Botulinum toxin is injected into the deeper layers of the skin and muscles, while Picosure laser targets superficial skin imperfections. Because the treatment depths are different, they do not interfere with each other. It is safe to undergo both treatments at the same time without causing Botox to lose its effectiveness or leading to side effects. In fact, many doctors combine the two therapies, performing Botox injections first, followed by Picosure or other light-based treatments. This combined approach targets multiple skin issues, providing enhanced improvement.
Q3: How long after Botox can I get ultrasound or radiofrequency treatments?
Again, the answer is that the different treatment depths do not affect each other! Botulinum toxin helps relax the muscles and reduce wrinkles, while ultrasound and radiofrequency treatments stimulate collagen production in the skin, improving elasticity and tightness. These treatments complement each other and can be performed together. This combination enhances the lifting effects, creating a more noticeable tightening and V-shaped face by working from the muscles to the deeper layers of the skin.
