Botox: Preparation and Consultation
During the initial consult, I will assess my patient’s wrinkles and decide which areas may benefit from treatment.
If my patient is consuming any medication or herbal supplements that may thin the blood and cause excessive bruising, I will instruct him or her to stop them, and return 1 to 2 weeks later for the procedure. Examples include aspirin, garlic and ginseng.
The first consult and the treatment can be done on the same day itself if you are a suitable candidate!
Botox: Pre- Procedure
The procedure is relatively painless, but I sometimes use an anesthetic cream to numb the areas treated to minimise discomfort. Otherwise, I use an ice pack to anesthetize the area. Many people don’t realize that ice is actually amazingly effective as an anesthetic!
Botox: The 10 min Procedure
Next, I will ask my patient to move certain muscles to assess which areas to inject, and get a rough idea of how much to inject.
I always describe to my patients the exact spots which I am going to inject, or even mark out these areas with a pencil, so that they know exactly what to expect.
The injection proper occurs next, and takes only about 10 minutes.
Botox: Post Procedure
There is no recovery time needed! Tiny bumps may be visible from the injection solution, but these subside within the hour.
Patients are instructed not to massage the areas treated, or lie down flat, for 2 to 4 hours.
Botox: Follow –up
Botox® takes about 3 days to start taking effect, and about 2 weeks for maximal action.
Hence, I will review my patients 2 weeks after the treatment, to find out how they are doing, and to assess if additional Botox® is needed.
And that is all there is.
