About Preventative Botox

Preventative Botox treatment is typically started before any facial wrinkles or fine lines are visible, helping to prevent wrinkles from forming.

If Botox is injected early on, in the initial stages of fine lines, treatment will help to stop them from getting deeper and more visible. The ideal candidate for preventative Botox has begun to see faint lines.

Adults in their mid-to-late 20s or even early 30s with very expressive lines may be good candidates for preventative Botox.

Preventative Botox is priced according to the treatment area and how much is necessary to perform the injections. There are no hidden costs and patients can return to work the same day, without any downtime.

Preventative Botox may stop wrinkles from appearing altogether if patients start treatment at a younger age. They will need less Botox than patients who didn’t receive preventative Botox.

Botox targets the muscles involved in creating facial expressions by blocking the nerve signals to those muscles. Limiting the repetitive movements necessary to make facial expressions will potentially prevent wrinkles.

Unlike dermal fillers, which are a gel or collagen substitute injected to make the skin appear more firm, Botox relaxes the muscles underneath the skin by blocking nerve signals that lead to facial expressions.

Before treatment, patients will have a consultation with their provider to discuss expectations for treatment. Patients will be informed of possible side effects and complications of Botox injections.

Once the patient arrives in the procedure room, they’ll be instructed to lie down and relax. The provider may then ask the patient to make a certain facial expression, such as raising or furrowing their eyebrows, to help the provider see the facial muscles and fine lines that need to be addressed. The injections may cause discomfort, but shouldn’t be painful.

Once the injections have been completed, patients may see bumps at the injection site for the first half hour after treatment. They’ll need to keep their face upright for at least four hours and avoid exercise while the injections set in.

Though the procedure is relatively safe and painless, patients may experience:

• Headache
• Sinus inflammation
• Dry eyes
• Swelling or bruising at the injection site

Rare and concerning adverse reactions may include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Double vision or blurred vision
• Loss of bladder control
• Itchy rash or hives at the treatment site

Botox begins to relax the muscles between four to seven days after injection. Patients will notice that their muscles are tighter and the fine lines are less prominent. However, these results are not permanent.

For most patients, the effect of Botox injections fade after twelve weeks and they may want to schedule touch-up appointments every few months to maintain visible results.

It’s possible that obtaining preventative Botox will mean needing less Botox in the future. However, since preventative Botox is fairly new, it isn’t known how long Botox can keep wrinkles from appearing. Patients will likely need routine injections to keep wrinkles from reappearing.