Anti-Wrinkle Injection Aftercare

I am often asked questions regarding what NOT to do after having anti-wrinkle injections. The purpose of aftercare is to avoid the spread of the toxin into other muscles that could lead to undesirable side effects. Here’s the list of recommendations I give. It is interesting to note that none of the aftercare recommendations listed is supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials. Each practitioner probably has their own list of things that they have anecdotally collected and recommend. Here’s mine:

What to avoid-

·         Avoid lying down for 4 hours afterwards

·         Avoid massage/rubbing the area for 24 hours

·         Avoid heat for 24 hours like hot tubs, saunas

·         Avoid strenuous exercise

·         Avoid alcohol (all the best with this one)

What is OK-

·         Light exercise like walking and a short jog are OK

·         Washing your face is OK

·         Normal skin care application is OK

·         Makeup application is OK

·         Pain killers like paracetamol are OK (not ibuprofen though)

·         Exaggerated face movements are OK, but I don’t ask my patients to do this