Reddish, swollen, tender, painful spot at injection site of Botox (Photo)

It does sound like an injection site bruise that can be very uncomfortable for a couple weeks. If it is a site injection bruise, here are a few things to try to make it go away faster: take arnica, massage the area, eat fresh pineapple, and drink lots of water. I hope this helps. Good luck!

If you are concerned, you should be seen sooner than two weeksIf the photo you post is the day of or day after injection it is likely a small hematoma If you are several days out and it is tender and red you may have an infection, such as cellulitis or abscess, for which you will need treatmentIf my patient called or sent me a photo with this I would have them come in the same day for evaluation

Contusion, hermorrhage and brusie can refer to the same type of leaking of blood from a blood vessel in to the surrounding tissues causing a tender swelling. Usually bruising is minimal after Botox and is flat but some times, even in the best of hands, the tiny needles used can cause a hidden blood vessel to be ruptured causing a swelling of blood. Usually ice helps reduce further swelling in the first day but I have found that once I confirm with an examination that nothing else is causing the problem, that my recommending warm (not hot) compresses to may patients have helped with tender bruises. The compresses are done not more than a couple of minutes a few times per day.Before anyone would try this, for a lump this large, they should see their provider. If my patients are concerned about something, I don't tell them to come in right away so I can check them.The information provided in Dr. Shelton's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice.  The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs. If you are experiencing a medical emergency proceed to your nearest emergency room.

Some bruising and/or tenderness can be typical after injections. However, it's difficult to tell from your pictures so I suggest speaking to your injector. Arnica can help with bruising. Hope this helps.

It's difficult to tell from your picture. This may be bruising and/or swelling, which can last 1-2 weeks. Icing, arnica and cold compresses may give improvement. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question! It appears from the photo that you have a large bruise from an injection site.  I would ice and compress the area and return to your treating physician to make certain that there is no infection. Best of luck!

Any time the skin is pierced with a needle there is a chance that a blood vessel can be ruptured and cause bruising.  Typically with botox the bruising is minimal but if a larger vessel is pierced than a larger bruise can occur.  You should follow up with your provider to make sure that this is a bruise and not signs of an infection.

It appears from the photo that you have a large bruise from an injection site.  I would ice and compress the area and return to your treating physician to make certain that there is no infection.  Best, Dr. Green

Thank you for your question and for sharing your photograph bdazzle. 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 knowing the dose used and placement of the product. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.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.If I had a patient who had such a concern after a treatment, I would invite her back to the office for an assessment prior to the two week point and possible bruise treatment. Sometimes bruises are large and put pressure on nearby nerves, which can lead to pain.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.Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Even though the picture is not representing the condition you have, it sounds like what you have is a bruise. Icing will only make it worse. Apply warm, moist compresses and I'm sure this will resolve the next few days. Good luck from New York City