Let me start by stating the obvious, which is that no one needs to be getting neurotoxins like Xeomin, Botox, or Dysport, but if you do decide to go the injectable route to smooth your forehead wrinkles or soften fine lines around your eyes, consider this story with nine simple—but very important—pre- and post-injection rules required reading.
I’ve been getting twice-yearly neurotoxins for my crow’s feet and the horizontal “frown lines” between my eyes since 2018 and the following list is what guarantee a seamless injection experience—and truly excellent results—every time I see my provider. Keep scrolling (and screenshot if you have to) for everything you need to do before and after getting injected with neurotoxins for the best possible outcome.
What to do before getting neurotoxins:
- Make an appointment with a licensed professional. As with all invasive and noninvasive beauty treatments, having the right provider—specifically a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist who specializes in cosmetic injections—perform your treatment is key for the best and safest results. The neurotoxin you choose is only as good as the injector using it—so getting poked by your friend’s cousin’s mom at a kitchen Botox party or scanning Groupon for a too-good-to-be-true deal can lead to shoddy results and, in some more severe cases, medical complications.
- Avoid blood thinners and alcohol. Do yourself a favor and stop taking blood thinners (like Aspirin, Advil, and certain supplements like fish oil) and skip that second glass of wine at dinner 24 hours pre-injections. Doing so can decrease your chances of bruising, says board-certified plastic surgeon David Shafer, MD, FACS.
- Show up the day of with clean, makeup-free skin. While it’s not an absolute must, arriving to your appointment with clean skin is preferable as it’ll save time at your appointment, says Dr. Shafer. And in my personal experience, there’s nothing more irritating to my skin than struggling to remove a face full of makeup with a scratchy wipe while you’re sitting in the provider’s chair.
What do after getting neurotoxins:
- Keep your skin clean and your hands off your face. As a best practice, you’ll want to keep your skin nice and clean and avoid makeup for 12 to 24 hours post-injection, says Dr. Shafer. And you definitely don’t want to touch or manipulate the skin where you were injected to prevent infection, bruising, or your neurotoxin from spreading.
- Ice as needed. Cold = your friend when it comes to reducing minimizing redness, bruising, and swelling at injection sites, so gently hold an ice pack or cold compress to your skin for a few minutes after receiving your treatment and then as needed throughout the day.
- Avoid lying face down for a few hours. Standing or sitting upright for a few hours post-injection will help the toxin from spreading or causing bruising. My advice is to not go directly from your injection to a massage where you are lying face down…but the next day, this is perfectly fine, says Dr. Shafer.
- Skip the strenuous exercise. A light workout or brisk walk is totally okay, but most experts recommend avoiding intense exercise for 24 hours post-injection.
- Hold off on other facials and cosmetic treatments. Microneedling, microcurrent, radiofrequency, lasers…these are only a good idea starting two to three weeks after getting Xeomin, Botox, or Dysport, so be sure to schedule (or reschedule) any other cosmetic treatments accordingly.
- Book a follow up. In general, it takes five to seven days for neurotoxins to set in and for you to notice a smoothing effect—so don’t panic if you’re not seeing results immediately. That said, you may need to make a second appointment with your provider for a little tweak, says Dr. Shafer, who recommends waiting one to two weeks before doing so.
Meet the expert:
David Shafer, MD, FACS, is a double-board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Shafer Clinic in New York, NY. Dr. Shafer specializes in all aspects of aesthetic and cosmetic surgery and combines surgical and noninvasive procedures, like injectables.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan with nearly a decade of experience researching, writing, and editing skin and aesthetics stories that range from the best retinol eye creams to the best lasers for acne scars. She regularly works with the industry’s top plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and aestheticians to assess new skincare treatments, products, and trends.
Deputy Beauty Director
Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for nine years at Cosmopolitan and has contributed to Women’s Health and Seventeen magazines as well. Follow her on Instagram.