4. BE CONCERNED ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS AND ALLERGIES
According to Dr. Rabach, Botox® is “extremely well-accepted” by the vast majority of the population for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes; nevertheless, disorders such as Lambert-Eaton Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and a few others are contraindicated. In addition, allergies and medications should also be examined.
While your regular supplement regimen will not prevent you from getting injected, it may help you recover. “There are some supplements that may thin the blood, increasing the likelihood of bruising — which is not very common but can occur on occasion,” she explains. “As a result, we explicitly inquire about supplements.” Next, of course, we ask about medications, but we’ve discovered that most patients don’t consider supplements to be meds. We prefer to be thoroughly aware of our patients’ particular backgrounds to set expectations.”
Although there are no pharmaceutical contraindications to having Botox®, aspirin, and supplements such as fish oil, ginseng, garlic, and ginkgo Biloba (to name a few) can increase a patient’s risk of bleeding, hence, bruising. Lay off them before coming in for your appointment for the most frictionless encounter.
5. EXERCISE BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
You may or may not be aware that Botox® arrives in powder form at your provider’s office, where it is combined with saline and chilled before injection. Because the combined formula is liquid, there is a theoretical possibility that the solution will spread or migrate away from the intended area.
Dr. Rabach urged me not to exercise for the rest of the day and to try to keep upright (read: not lie down or bend over) for three hours after my 2 p.m. treatment — but the advice was given out of caution. “When Botox® is blended according to the manufacturer’s specifications, as is done in my practice, [movement] is quite unusual.” “However, we are noticing an increase in the number of facilities that dilute the Botox® too much,” she explains. “This may make it more dangerous for the patient to lay down or exercise.” We advocate not laying down or exercising at LM Medical since we are extra cautious, but it stays where we want it.”
6. A VIBRATOR COULD BE INVOLVED.
That type of vibrator, yes. Dr. Rabach told me at my appointment that one of her early mentors advised her to buy them in bulk from Amazon for the best pricing… and results. Cosmo has explored the subject extensively, but the vibrator serves a very beneficial role in all honesty.
“We have a lattice of very superficial sensory nerves that feel anything that touches the skin,” Dr. Rabach adds. “Using vibration during injection confuses the sensory nerves in the surrounding area into not ‘knowing’ exactly where the needle is coming and, as a result, dramatically reduces discomfort.” “Sometimes, you don’t even feel it!”
Dr. Rabach pressed the vibrator against the side of my brow, encouraged me to create facial movements, and injected into the lines that formed. I didn’t feel anything, which could be due to the vibrator or because they use the tiniest needles on the market for the treatment. While I’ve been told I have high pain tolerance, I doubt anyone would describe the injections as much more than a pinprick.
My eyes teared up somewhat because they were naturally watery, and there was a small amount of blood leftover that she hastily wiped away. There were little insect bite-like lumps at each injection site immediately after the treatment. She gave me an ice pack to place on my brow for five minutes and claimed the swelling would disappear in 15 to 20 minutes. As promised, there was no trace that I had done anything by the time I returned to my work.
I felt like I had a pretty mild headache for the rest of the day. For the first 48 hours or so, my forehead felt a bit painful to the touch (similar to how your arm feels after a vaccine), but I only noticed it when I washed my face and massaged the region.
