Can you still get botox if the top of your forehead is peeling from sunburn? (photo)

Thank you for sharing your question and photograph. There is no reason that you need to delay your Botox administration.  Best wishes.

The sunburn you have should not have affect your Botox.  As with any sunburn your skin will be more sensitive during the procedure than otherwise and there could be a slight increased risk of infection (sunburned skin is damaged skin and therefore could be more prone to infection).  That being said, there is always a risk of infection with any injection.  Depending on the condition of your skin on Monday and your schedule, you may want to consider waiting until your skin is in normal healthy condition.

A mild sunburn dissipates after 3 days and a moderate one after 5 days.  You can apply Aloe Vera gel, which may aid in healing the skin with its natural anti-inflammatory and cooling effects.  By Monday, I suspect that your forehead will look much better and there should be no issue with getting your Botox done at that time.  On a cautionary note, keep in mind that over exposure to ultraviolet rays increase one's risk of getting skin cancer. Choose a broad spectrum suntan lotion with spf 30 (blocks 97% of the sun's UVB rays) or higher that also has water resistance.
Best,
Dr. DuPont

Thank you for your question and for sharing your photograph mkcole90. 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 pivotal studies used 20 units of Botox in the forehead area above the brows to address the horizontal lines seen when one raises the brows. These studies demonstrated that the peak results are seen 14 days after the treatment and most people enjoy their results for 3-4 months. At that point, a maintenance treatment is recommended. While some people start to see results as early as the next day, it can take two weeks for full results so patience is important. We have our patients return two weeks after their treatment to assess their results via photographs. At that time additional units may be added if necessary. The safety record of Botox is well established. The product has been used for over 20 years for a variety of treatments with minimal side effects. Botox is amongst the safest treatments for treating facial wrinkles.
While Botox is one of the safest treatments offered, there are some situations where it is not appropriate. These include anyone who has an allergy to any of the inactive ingredients or who has had an allergic reaction to any botulinum product including Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, or Myobloc. The safety and efficacy of Botox has not been established in women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding. Therefore, women in these categories are advised to wait until breast feeding is completed prior to having a Botox treatment. Botox should not be placed in the skin on the site of an infection. Those who are taking an aminoglycoside antibiotic, an anesthetic, D-penicillamine, antimalarials, or immunosuppressants should not be treated, nor should those who have undergone chemotherapy within the previous six months. It is important to avoid blood thinners before and after a treatment. These include both prescription and non-prescription medications such as warfarin (coumadin), aspirin, ibuprofen, alcohol, fish oil, vitamin E, and ginko biloba. Those with conditions that affect muscles and nerves such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome should not undergo Botox treatments.Having a sunburn is not a contraindication to receiving a Botox. However if I had a patient with a sunburn interested in receiving a Botox treatment I would caution the patient that the patient may be sensitive in the area when receiving the injections.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.

Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Your sunburn is not very severe and using Botox on your face should not be a problem. Good luck from New York City

Thanks for the photo. The treatment may hurt a little bit more as your skin is irritated, but it will still be safe and effective. Rebook if convenient for you, otherwise go ahead and have your treatment. Best, Dr. Tkatch

It would better to wait till your sunburn has resolved, your skin is a bit exposed and sensitive,  but technically there is no reason why you can’t get Botox