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Gearing up for your first Botox appointment and wondering what to expect?
Or maybe you just got injected for the first time and you’re checking in the mirror every ten minutes to see if it’s taking effect? (Been there!)
So, what does Botox feel like when it starts to work?
Here’s how to know if Botox is working, the first signs that Botox is working, and how you can check if Botox is taking effect. (Of course, it all works for Dysport, Daxxify and Xeomin too.)
I’ve been working on this series of blog posts for first-time Botox users for a while. I waited to write this post until I had just gotten a new round of Botox so that I could write out my experience! So, here’s my experience, fresh off my first week, from Botox injections to Botox results.
Day of appointment – How to know if your Botox is working
If you’re using Botox injections for cosmetic reasons, to treat wrinkles, you probably got injections in your forehead and around the outer corner of your eyes. You may have also gotten injections between your eyebrows and around your mouth.
The number of units you would have gotten depends on the type of botulinium toxin you got. If you got Dysport, for example, you need more units to get the same result. (That’s part of why Dysport is cheaper! I wrote more about the difference between Botox and Dysport in this post: Smoother, Longer: Does Dysport Last Longer than Botox?).
Me personally, I have no loyalty to any particular product. My injector’s office does both Botox and Dysport. She texts me when I’m almost due if they’re running a discount or promotion. Whichever one is on sale in the promotion, I get. I think Botox may last a little bit longer on me, but I don’t care enough to pay the difference when Dysport is on sale.
The day that you get your injections, of course you’re going to follow your injector’s directions 100%. If your injector didn’t give you any aftercare directions or you’re not totally sure what they meant, you can get the best Botox aftercare rules to maximize your results here: Can I Eat After Botox? Toxin Aftercare to Maximize Results
You won’t feel anything at all the first night. Try to sleep on your back as best you can. But there’s really nothing for you to check or measure here.
First day after appointment
Ugh, I am so sorry if you are reading this on the first day after your appointment. Because I feel like that is the worst, most annoying day. You see absolutely zero results from your treatment and you probably still have some slight inflammation around the injection site.
So you still have crow’s feet and frown lines, you’re out $600, and now you have little bumps on your forehead. You might be thinking that your Botox treatment was the biggest waste of money ever.
After my first treatment I was a little concerned that I had not been a good candidate for Botox or that there was some kind of allergy or something that was preventing me from benefitting from my Botox procedure. But really, no one sees any effects on the next day after their appointment.
Wear sunscreen and keep your head up a little longer. It’s coming!
How long until Botox starts working?
Okay, when you start to see the first signs that your treatment is working depends on which type of toxin you got.
Dysport will generally show results faster, as soon as the second or third day after the treatment. Botox generally takes longer, and might need as much as a week. For me personally, to give you an idea, I see the beginning of a reaction in two days when it’s Dysport, and four days when it’s Botox. (I’ve never had Xeomin or Daxxify.)
With subsequent treatments, you see results faster because the facial muscles are already weakened. But for your first treatment, you’re looking at the longest wait for results that you will ever experience.
If the cost is going to be about the same, and the results last about the same, this might be a good reason for a brand new patient to choose Dysport. If you’re in a hurry to get the final results, picking Dysport will get you there faster. And then if you’re getting your follow-up appointments regularly every 3-4 months, you won’t necessarily have to wait for results because the treatment didn’t wear all the way off.
Ideally you wouldn’t do a toxin treatment for the first time right before a special event or occasion, but I know that sometimes people do! So: if you’re in a time crunch, Dysport is probably the best way to go. If you need that more youthful appearance on a schedule crunch, that’s the move. (If I say that I have never stood in front of a mirror 48 hours before I had to wear a bridesmaid dress and made an impulsive decision…I would be lying.)
People ask, so — you can switch back and forth between Botox and Dysport and the others without any ill effects. If you choose to start with Dysport for faster results, you’re not stuck with it forever. I pick what’s cheaper at any given time.
What does Botox feel like when it starts to work?
(Okay, let’s be honest — if it’s your first injectable treatment, you’re standing in front of the mirror every ten minutes raising your eyebrows to see what happens. I don’t care how busy you are, this is a canon event.)
The first sign that your Botox is working doesn’t feel like anything!
Rather — you will try to raise your eyebrows, and it will feel to your brain as if you are raising your eyebrows. You’ll know that the electrical impulses in your brain are all firing to raise your eyebrows.
And, yet, in the mirror…your eyebrows do not rise.
The muscle activity just is not there to scrunch your eyes, scowl, or furrow your brows. It feels like you’re doing it, but you aren’t. The specific muscles that you had injected are no longer responding fully to the command from your brain.
Some people describe a ‘heaviness’ that comes from a truly immobilized muscle–it stays for a while and wears off eventually. I’ve never had this, because I’ve always prioritized getting natural-looking results. I think that heavy feeling tends to come from over-injecting and getting a fully frozen look.
Once I heard someone describe it as “waiting for my forehead to slide off my face” and the idea of that honestly freaked me out a little!
I know some people prefer that frozen look and I don’t want to put anyone down! But for your first treatment ever, you might want to go a little lighter while you get used to the feeling. An experienced practitioner is going to be able to dose you appropriately.
How to ask for less Botox:
- a light touch treatment
- Baby Botox or micro-Botox
- “I want to be able to move my face”
When you use less Botox, you do see your treatment wear off sooner. But, since you typically pay by the unit anyway, you’re paying less money and you come out even. In my opinion, it’s better to start with less and figure out what your preferred dose is. That way you don’t have a terrible experience your first time.
I saw a few different injectors before I landed on the person I currently see. And I have always been super specific with them about wanting to ensure that I keep movement in all parts of my face. I was about 33 when I started getting treatments, and I really do enjoy getting a totally smooth result. But keeping movement is important to me too.
How long to see the full effects of Botox?
Both Botox and Dysport say that you’ll see the full results of a treatment in two weeks.
This has never been my experience!
My timeline is generally more like this:
With Dysport, I see first changes in the treated area two days after the treatment. I see my full desired results by day seven.
With Botox, I see first changes in the treated area four days after the treatment, and I see full desired results by day nine.
Generally, at the same time that you start to feel that “disconnect” between your brain and your eyebrows, you’re also going to start to see the dynamic wrinkles that appear with muscle movement disappear too! So the appearance of wrinkles starts to decrease immediately. Your forehead lines, for example, will start to decrease when you first start to see results. And then the appearance of lines will continue to decrease over the next few days as it starts to address your static lines as well.
But I’m so excitedddddddd
(I bet 99% of the people who ever read this post are on day one after their Botox treatment waiting for their results. I bet you got here googling “what does Botox feel like when it starts to work” or “Botox hurry up” or “results Botox FASTER”.)
So excited for you!!! <3 Hope you love your results. You just gotta wait a little longer, girl.
