Anti-wrinkle treatments with BTX® are well-tolerated and very effective medical treatments. As with any medical procedure, your behaviour after the treatment matters and following the doctor's instructions is important to get the best result. BTX® preparations are medicines. Therefore, variations in effect are possible. On average, the BTX® effect lasts 3 - 4 months. By then, all the receptors blocked by the medication have regenerated. Some individual variation is possible as well. For some, the results last only a few weeks, for others up to 6 months. With these behavioural tips, you can do your part to achieve your best treatment result.
Don'ts - These are the things you should not do after wrinkle treatment
You should definitely refrain from this behaviour after your wrinkle treatment.
No massage
Avoid rubbing or massaging the treated area on the day of treatment and the next day. Otherwise, the medication could be distributed to neighbouring muscles. In the worst case, this could result in asymmetry or a drooping eyelid. I recommend avoiding cosmetic treatments, peels and facial massages for at least one week, better two.
No sport
You should refrain from all sports in the hours before a treatment, the evening after and the next day. Exercise stimulates blood flow to the facial area. This could cause the medicine to be washed out before it reaches its site of action. This would result in a weakened effect. This also applies to hiking and strenuous gardening. Some even recommend abstaining completely from sporting activities for 3 - 7 days after the treatment in order to achieve the longest possible lasting result.
No heat
Avoid saunas, steam baths and hot baths/hot showers for at least 24 hours after the treatment. The heat can also increase swelling and bruising.
No alcohol
It is best to avoid alcohol completely the day before treatment and on the day of treatment. Alcohol can also increase the blood flow in the treated areas.
No sun
Avoid sunbathing, solarium and heat lamps for at least 24 hours. Again, increased blood flow is the problem.
Do's - How you should behave after wrinkle treatment
These tips can help you get the most beautiful and long-lasting result.
DO: Plan ahead
Book your BTX® treatment at least two weeks before an important event. It takes 10-14 days for the effect to fully develop.
DO: Make faces
In the first few hours after the treatment, you can try to actively tense the treated muscles. This facial exercise can help speed up the absorption of the medicine.
DO: Wash your face
You may cleanse your skin gently in the evening after the BTX® treatment and apply cream as usual. Putting on make-up the next day is also no problem. When cleansing your face, use cold or lukewarm water and avoid rubbing. I recommend avoiding retinol for 24 hours so as not to irritate the treated areas.
DO: Take a painkiller
Some patients have a headache for 1-2 days after the BTX® treatment. You can take a painkiller (paracetamol or ibuprofen) for this.
DO: Relax
When BTX® starts to work, you may feel a kind of resistance when you want to tense the muscles. Take this as a signal, a kind of biofeedback, to relax the facial muscles and avoid the habitual movement. If you fight the BTX® effect, other muscles may be recruited and the effect weakened.
DO: Take responsibility for your body
BTX® can prevent the formation of wrinkles and, with regular treatment, even smooth out ingrained wrinkles. However, as a sole remedy it is not enough to prevent visible signs of skin ageing. Daily use of sunscreen, avoidance of nicotine and little alcohol are essential to prevent increased collagen degradation. After all, the lower the collagen content of the skin, the more "wrinkle-friendly" it becomes. Regular moderate exercise and daily relaxation (my tip: the 4-7-8 breathing) are also important. A healthy, largely plant-based diet, drinking enough water (at least 1.5 l a day) and active ingredients in skin care can also help. Medical needling is one way to stimulate collagen formation.
DO: Book a control appointment
A follow-up appointment after 2 weeks is included in the treatment price. Especially after the first treatment, this appointment gives you the opportunity to discuss any questions with your doctor. During this short appointment it is possible to check the effect on the basis of the documented photos and, if necessary, to inject a little more. The next time, your treatment regimen can be adjusted. You should not inject too often to prevent the formation of antibodies against BTX®. You can easily book your check-up appointment online.
