We love our grandmas and all their wisdom that comes with their age, and as much as we want to be just like them when we’re older, some of us want to do it without the wrinkles, amiright?

Luckily, we have a magic potion that our grandmas did not- Neuromodulators! (aka botox/dysport/xeomin). Remember, neuromodulators are for preventative treatment! They prevent wrinkles, so you want to start coming for injections once you see wrinkles beginning to form when you raise your eyebrow, furrow them, or squint your eyes. So IF you’re hoping to get Botox at some point in life. don’t wait until you’re your grandma’s age to start getting this treatment, as that will already be too late! 

For those of you who are new to neuromodulators- they are an injected substance that weakens specific muscles of the face to decrease muscle movement and wrinkles. This makes for beautiful porcelain like skin if performed by the right injector.

If you’re going to take the plunge and get your first neuromodulator treatment- congratulations! This can be really exciting but also nerve wracking as you are getting into this world and don’t know what to expect as far as results, pain, finding a provider, and the overall experience. So I will address all these concerns now.

1. Choosing a medispa- in Texas, it is a law that a doctor has to evaluate you prior to any treatments at a medical spa. This means you should be choosing a legitimate medispa which has a doctor evaluate you first. Many medispas such as MADE Beauty Medispa has the actual doctor do the injections also, but if you do go somewhere where a doctor does not perform injections, please at least make sure that a doctor will initially evaluate you. Once you get an evaluation, you can see if you feel comfortable with the doctor and if your goals align with theirs.

    We live in the era of social media, most medical spas should have an Instagram page, website, or a Facebook page which demonstrates before and after pictures of the injector’s work. Make sure you visit different Medspa pages to see if their work aligns with your goals for neuromodulator injections.

2. Pain- Most injectors use tiny insulin needles to inject neuromodulators into your face. These are the smallest needles available and don’t cause a lot of pain. The treatment itself feels like a tiny little pin pricks in your face. At MADE Beauty Medispa we always have numbing cream that we can apply prior to treatment if you are nervous about pain level. Just let us know when you schedule your appointment, as you will need to get there about 30 minutes early so the numbing cream can have a chance to work.

3. Results- as mentioned above, you should initially be evaluated by a physician who will talk you through how many units of neuromodulator you will need and which product they recommend on using. They will specifically address what areas they think need to be treated on your face and where they see wrinkles forming. One of the biggest things is to mention what concerns you have. Some patients want Botox in their forehead, but don’t really care about their crows feet. Some people want specific procedures like a brow lift, a lip flip, or injections for chin dimpling. Some patients have a preference for dysport, Botox, or xeomin, and some will use any of these three because they essentially all have the same type of result, but different products last a different amount of time for different clients.
   
   

4. What to expect during this experience- you are going to a medical spa. That means that this should be a pleasant experience! You are spending your hard earned money on procedures that most people pay for out-of-pocket and not with insurance. Go to a spa where you enjoy your time! Make sure the front desk worker treats you kindly, you have a connection with the doctor, and you have the same goal as your injector. At MADE Beauty Medispa I’ve enjoyed building a rapport with my patients. I have a connection with every one of my clients and it’s a very personal interaction. They can always get a hold of me through social media or on my phone if there are any questions before or after the procedure. If this is something you’re looking for and you live in Houston Texas, I would love to see you in my medical spa! However, if you don’t live here, you can find medical spas in other cities which also offer this kind of personal attention- you just have to look!
   
   

5. Before and after your treatment-listen, we all want the absolute best results, so follow these simple guidelines for your neuromodulator treatment. These guidelines also are important prior to and after injection of fillers.

   Before your treatment avoid NSAIDS and alcohol to decrease bruising and bleeding (which is generally very minimal with this treatment). You can also take arnica to prevent bruising. It comes in a pill form and is sold over the counter at pharmacies, and patients should start taking it several days prior to treatment and continue taking it for a couple days after treatment. Arnica also comes in a Cream that you can use after treatment. 

   Afterwards, avoid exercise, NSAIDS, excessive heat for 24-48 hours to ensure less bruising. It is recommended to avoid facial massages and laser treatments for 1-2 weeks to make sure the neuromodulator stays put and does not move where it is not intended to be. Do not lay down for 6 hours post treatment so the product does not move!
   

Botox and xeomin fully kick in at 2 weeks, and dysport kicks in at 5 days. This means that at around this time is when your treatment is the strongest. Think of it as a full gas tank that slowly loses gas over time (typically 3-4 months). Since the treatment fully kicks in around two weeks, Make a 2 week follow up appointment right after your initial injection so that your injector can reevaluate you and make any necessary touch ups. It’s important to know that a touchup does not necessarily mean that something went wrong. Some people need a little bit more Botox, some people have natural asymmetry in their face or their muscles which can be touched up on the follow up appointment. Make sure you take before pictures with your provider so you can compare your after pictures! This is very important on the follow up visit since the end result is sometimes subtle if you do not have a photo to compare to.

And that’s the most basic advice I have for you MADE Dolls who are hoping to take the leap into the world of aesthetics. If you have any other questions specific to you, please message me on social media- madebeautymedispa and drbotoxbarbie on IG! 

Hi, my little MADE Dolls! I have been getting questions from social media and from my current clients about what you can and can not do after a Botox treatment, so I want to address it right here and now.

First off, I want to start by saying what I have said over and over again but still get negative responses from people who have never tried a treatment such as botox, dysport, or xeomin (from here on, called neuromodulators)....
NEUROMODULATORS ARE NOT FILLERS! Louder for the skeptics in the back! They are a preventative treatment for reducing wrinkles- ergo, they do NOT make you look older. They work by weakening the nerve impulse to the muscle, therefore weakening the muscle itself. Neuromodulators do not fill a space, do not make your face look puffy, do not make your cheeks or lips bigger... they strictly affect the strength of the muscles in your face so that you don’t form as much wrinkles as you would without the treatment. That being said, you have to go to a skilled professional, if you want a beautiful result.

Whew! Glad we got that out of the way lol. Ok! Now on to the fun stuff :)
Many people want to combine skin care with neuromodulators, as they should! I tell my clients to think of neuromodulators such as Botox as part of your skin care. You use creams and facials to make your skin look its best, and you use neuromodulators to prevent your skin from wrinkling.

Neuromodulators come in a powder form and are mixed with sodium chloride solution before injection into your face. That means that the actual product injected into your face is a liquid and can move if manipulated with massage or pressure to the face. For this reason I would highly recommend waiting several days (preferably 1-2 weeks) before getting any sort of facial. The same goes for peels, laser facial treatments, and microdermabrasion. You are, however, allowed to get facials prior to your Botox/dysport/xeomin (neuromodulator) treatment. I also advise my patients not to wear headbands, hats, or sunglasses that may push on the area of injection for 24-48 hours after the treatment.

Other things that you would want to avoid after a neuromodulator treatment is excessive heat, exercise, alcohol for the next 24 hours to prevent bruising. Also I would recommend stopping NSAID (ibuprofen, aleve, naproxen, Morton, etc) use several days prior and several days after the treatment also to prevent bruising. To even further prevent bruising, you can take Arnica tablets several days prior to your treatment and for several days after your treatment. Arnica also comes in a cream, which you can apply to the injection area to minimize bruising.

It is also recommended not to lay down for about six hours after your treatment so the Botox does not move. You very much want the Botox to stay where it is injected to they have a nice, even, beautiful outcome. Massaging your face, or laying down on your side can you give the risk of an asymmetrical result of the product is liquid and can move. So there you go! This is the quick nitty-gritty about pre-and post neuromodulator treatment care from your favorite MADE doctor. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Love you, MADE Dolls!
Dr. Botox Barbie