What should I expect after scratching my face hard after Botox?

If the Botox was injected 36 hours before, scratching and crying in your sleep should not affect the results. I typically tell my patients that they can return to their normal routines the next day.  I would advise speaking with your physician injector with any questions or concerns you might have.All the best,

Thank you for submitting your concerns.I usually recommend my patients 4 hours after Botox to sustain from strenuous exercise, laying down, facials, massages, or saunas. At 36 hours post procedure, you should have no concerns about the Botox migrating. If you feel as if this information isn't enough I recommend you contact a Board-certified plastic surgeon for best results. Best of Luck.

Thank you for your question, adali82! The areas that you scratched, regardless of how hard, should not affect your results from Botox, especially after 36 hours.

 Assuming the Botox was properly injected, it is extremely unlikely that crying or scratching your face 36 hours after the injection would cause any migration.  Also, I’m sorry to hear about your hard situation at home.   

Thank you for your question adali82. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.
It is difficult to make an assessment without a formal exam where the entire medical history is reviewed. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.The appearance of frown lines is variable from person to person. Usually they are in a vertical orientation but sometimes they can be oblique and sometimes a horizontal line is seen across the upper portion of the nasal bridge. The most common variation is to have two parallel lines, hence the common term "11's" to describe them. But some people have one, three, or more lines. Some people also will see a bulge in the area when contracting the muscle. This bulge is smoothened out after a Botox treatment.
When patients present with concerns about specific wrinkles in the upper face such as the frown lines, I always assess and usually treat the other wrinkles in the upper face including the horizontal forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet. The reason is to maintain a harmonious and natural balance to the appearance of the upper face. The muscles in the glabella which are responsible for the formation of the frown lines serve to pull down on the inner brows when a person frowns. Similarly, the muscles around the eyes which are responsible for the formation of the crow’s feet seen when smiling (orbicularis oculi) are also responsible for pulling down on the brows, but in this case the outer brows. On the other hand, the muscle in the upper forehead which is responsible for the formation of the horizontal forehead wrinkles when a person raises the brows (frontalis) serves to pull the brows upward. If one of these muscles is relaxed with Botox and the others are not, the other muscles will still be active. This will lead to an unbalanced and unnatural appearance of the upper face where the brow can be elevated, depressed, or uneven in shape or position. Therefore, I recommend that my patients take a global approach to the upper face when receiving Botox treatments and treat all three of these areas. Sometimes bunny lines on the bridge of the nose are also treated.With any injection, there are risks such as pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique. We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary asymmetric smile.

After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side effects such as droopy eyelids. Although there have been no definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.
If I had a patient with the concern described here I would recommend that she not worry and to look forward to the full results at the two week point.
Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Please be reassured that scratching after botox will have no effect on your outcome and just await with calm 

thankyou for your question. Botox gets absorbed within 4 hours of the injection . You do not have to worry about the scratchiing, stress or crying . You have not  affected the botox at all.Enjoy and good luck

Dear adali82:Please do not fret! You surely have done no harm!All the best, Sheryl Clark MD FAAD

Thank you for your question. Fortunately, scratching the areas of your face where the Botox was injected should not affect your results. Good luck at your photo shoot.

Thank you for your question!
Many people often ask if something that happens to them a day or two after Botox will affect the injection results. After 24 hours, the Botox has already begun to work and will not be affected. You should notice the injections start to work 3-4 days after the injection, with the peak effect 2-3 weeks after the injection. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Dr. Dan Landmann, MD, MSEE