When can I resume Radiofrequency treatment after Botox?

Question

Im planning to have botox shots in my glabellar & crows feet area, & dermal fillers in my midface. When can i possibly resume my weekly radiofrequency face treatment?

Mathew A. Plant, MD, FRCSC · Answer

Assuming you are treating the same area with both I would suggest waiting a day between your Botox and the RF treatments. You wouldn't want to accidentally spread the Botox. Hope that helps!

Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question 0404hazel. 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 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.The safety and efficacy of Botox treatments when combined with radiofrequency treatments for skin rejuvenation has not been determined. Theoretically, radiofrequency and various other modalities such as infrared light, ultrasound, etc. may lead to swelling in the skin. This swelling may increase the risk of spread of Botox to unintended muscles, which can cause side effects such as a droopy eyelid or asymmetric smile. Therefore, I recommend that my patients wait one week between such treatments, and it does not matter which is performed first.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!

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

Botox and Dermal Fillers combined with Radiofrequency will certainly rejuvenate the skin.  However, I would either have the RF first and have the fillers and Botox the next day, or have the fillers and Botox and wait one week for the RF skin tightening procedure.

Mark Taylor, MD · Answer

If you were to do Botox within a few minutes or hours of treatment, the mechanical massage of the RF device may massage the treated areas and move Botox into unwanted zones possibly giving you unwanted side effects such as a droopy eyelid or eyebrow.  After 24 hour you are unlikely to move the Botox around at all.  Another possibility is to have the RF treatment first and then have Botox on the same day.

Ken Landow, MD · Answer

you can resume your RF treatments in a day...while some people make an issue of waiting for a longer period of time, there's no reason not to proceed sooner

When can I resume Radiofrequency treatment after Botox?

Answers (7)

Answer: I would wait one day before resuming radio frequency treatments.

Answer: I would wait one day before resuming radio frequency treatments.

Answer: Not much of an issue...

Answer: Not much of an issue...

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Everything you need to know about Botox

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When can I resume Radiofrequency treatment after Botox?

Answers (7)

Answer: I would wait one day before resuming radio frequency treatments.

Answer: I would wait one day before resuming radio frequency treatments.

Answer: Not much of an issue...

Answer: Not much of an issue...

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Botox

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.