The Do’s and Don’ts of Botox®

More good news for Botox users. A new study in the JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery shows that Botox injections not only get rid of wrinkles, but also make the overlying skin look and feel younger. According to the study, the skin looks the opposite of skin that’s been damaged by UV or the process of aging.

“It appears that the skin overlying neuromodulator injection areas have an increase in elasticity for the time that the neuromodulator works,” says Dr. Antoinette Notaro. “That may be why the skin over areas where the injections are placed look so much better – not just less movement, but younger-looking, more elastic skin!”

Botox is indeed a wonder cosmetic treatment. But there’s more than just Botox in the neurotoxin category—or “neuromodulators” as Dr. Notaro  prefers to call them. Dr. Notaro, who has been performing Botox injections for over 15 years, sets the record straight on Botox and other neuromodulators. “Neuromodulators are a homerun in the field of cosmetics,” says Dr. Notaro. But just don’t call them neurotoxins!

Dr. Notaro’s Botox Dos & Don’ts

DO schedule a follow-up appointment with your provider for two weeks following the treatment. Your provider will be able to analyze the results and see if you need more Botox in another area.

DO opt for Xeomin if you have had a reaction to Botox or are sensitive to other types of fillers,

DON’T bother getting Botox in your forehead if you have bangs.

DON’T exercise or massage the face for at least 4 hours post-treatment.

DO see a provider who has had years of experience injecting Botox. Strategically injecting Botox is an art form. “Botox is not the science of medicine—it is the art of medicine,” says Dr. Notaro.

Dr. Antoinette Notaro sees patients in the Mattituck, Long Island office of Schweiger Dermatology.