What should you pay attention to in the first hours after Botox?

Botulinum toxin works by binding to the muscle it is injected into. In the first hours, the aim is to help the product stay in the target area and to let the injection points heal without problems. The rules commonly recommended in textbooks and in clinical practice are:

• Do not rub or massage the area. This is especially important after treatments around the eyes and forehead, to reduce the risk of the product spreading to unintended muscles.
• Stay upright for a few hours. It is advisable not to lie down straight away, not to work bent forward for long periods and not to lie face down.
• Avoid intense exercise on the same day. Activities that raise your heart rate and facial blood flow can increase bruising and swelling.
• Stay away from saunas, Turkish baths (hammams), sunbeds and very hot showers.
• Do not put pressure on your face. Postpone tight helmets, facial massage, facials and face masks for a few days.
• Make-up: Waiting a few hours for the injection points to close is usually enough; follow your doctor’s advice.

Some doctors recommend gently using the treated muscles after the procedure (such as raising or frowning your eyebrows). Follow the instructions you are given on this, too.

What effects are normal in the first days?

As with any injection procedure, some temporary reactions are expected after Botox. Most of them are related to the needle itself, not to the effect of the product:

• Redness and small raised bumps: Usually disappear within a few hours.
• Bruising: Can occur, especially in areas rich in blood vessels such as around the eyes. It may be as small as a dot or larger; large bruises can take one to two weeks to fade.
• Tenderness and mild pain: Short-lived.
• Headache: Can occur, especially after upper-face treatments; it mostly passes within a few days.

When does Botox start working and how long does it last?

Patients’ most common worry is the feeling in the first days that “nothing has happened”. In fact, the effect of Botox develops slowly: a reduction in muscle movement is usually noticed within a few days, and the most visible effect appears in about two weeks. That is why the follow-up examination is usually planned around this time, and any small touch-ups are considered then.

Muscle movement gradually returns over time, usually within a few months. How long it lasts depends on the treated area, the strength of the muscle and the person’s metabolism. Some patients say the effect feels longer with treatments at regular intervals, but this does not apply to everyone.

What are the possible side effects?

In textbooks, unwanted effects of Botox are grouped by treatment area. In experienced hands they are rare, and most are temporary:

Upper face (forehead, frown lines, around the eyes)

• Drooping of the eyelid (blepharoptosis)
• A lowered eyebrow or asymmetry between the eyebrows
• Dry eyes, watering, sensitivity to light
• Rarely, double vision

Lower face and neck (around the lips, chin, masseter, neck)

• An asymmetric smile, drooping of the lip
• Difficulty closing the lips when drinking or eating
• A slight change in speech
• Rarely, difficulty swallowing or neck weakness

Because the lower face is where basic functions such as speaking, eating and drinking take place, the literature recommends a more cautious approach there. Treatments in this area, which also matters from a dental point of view, should be planned by a doctor who knows the anatomy well and has examined you.

What is normal, and when should you contact a doctor?

How are follow-up and repeat treatments planned?

A check-up about two weeks after the first treatment is the best time to assess the result. At this appointment, your doctor assesses the movement of the muscles, the symmetry between the two sides and your satisfaction. If needed, a small touch-up is discussed at this point; extra injections given earlier can be misleading because the effect has not fully settled yet. If you are travelling to Istanbul for treatment, it is worth planning your stay, or a follow-up by photo and video message, around this two-week point.

For repeat treatments, rather than going by the calendar, it is better to wait until muscle movement starts to return. When several areas are to be treated, especially in the lower face, spreading them out over different times may be preferred to reduce the risk of loss of function.

Who needs extra caution?

The most important purpose of the examination before Botox is to identify risky situations in advance. The main ones are pregnancy and breastfeeding, active infection or cold sores at the injection site, known neuromuscular diseases (for example, myasthenia gravis), allergy to the product’s ingredients, recent eye surgery and the use of certain medicines that affect nerve-muscle transmission. People whose profession requires their facial expression to be fully preserved should also discuss their expectations with the doctor in detail.

Can I have dental treatment after Botox?

This is a question we often hear from patients who have medical Botox at our dental clinic. Short check-ups and simple procedures usually cause no problems. However, for long sessions where the mouth is kept open for a long time, the cheeks and lips are held back with a retractor, or pressure is applied to the face, tell your dentist you have had Botox; moving the appointment by a few days is often the most practical solution. Likewise, if you have extensive dental treatment planned, it is a good idea to schedule your Botox appointment accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

Related pages

Medically reviewed by: Dr. Dt. Mehmet Fuat BozabaSpecialist in periodontology · September 2026

For a post-Botox check-up or any question you may have, you can message our clinic in Bahçelievler, Istanbul on WhatsApp or call +90 544 289 66 33.

Sources: Small R, Hoang D. A Practical Guide to Botulinum Toxin Procedures. 1st ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Wolters Kluwer), 2012. · Kontis TC, Lacombe VG. Cosmetic Injection Techniques: A Text and Video Guide to Neurotoxins and Fillers. 1st ed. Thieme, 2013. · Pirayesh A, Bertossi D, Heydenrych I (eds). Aesthetic Facial Anatomy Essentials for Injections. 1st ed. CRC Press, 2020.

This article is for information only; diagnosis and treatment planning are determined solely by a doctor after an examination.