When to Get Botox Before a Wedding
Botox is a popular cosmetic procedure for reducing wrinkles and smoothing out fine lines. Botox injections are also used to treat various medical conditions such as migraines, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), and muscle spasms. The injection of botulinum toxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine from cholinergic nerves in muscles resulting in temporary relaxation or paralysis at the site of injection. This article will go over when you should get Botox before your wedding day and the potential side effects that can occur after getting Botox injections.
BOTOX (generic name: onabotulinumtoxinA), which is a medicine containing botulinum toxin Type A, has been around since 1970 but didn’t become popular until about 20 years later when it was approved by the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration). Botox cosmetic injections were able to smooth out wrinkles, blemishes, and fine lines making those who received it look younger. Botox is injected into muscles and used to treat various medical conditions such as muscle spasms in adults with cerebral palsy or overactive bladder due to neurologic disease.
The injection of BOTOX temporarily paralyzes these specific muscles so that you are unable to contract them. This helps decrease the symptoms of your condition. Depending on the condition, your doctor may recommend using BOTOX up to every three months.
What Are Some Side Effects of Botox?
Although BOTOX injections are safe and effective for most people, they do have their own side effects that can occur. These side effects include: temporary eyelid droop as well as dry eyes, itching, redness, headache and bruising at the injection site. Blurred vision, dry eyes, lightheadedness or dizziness, hoarseness and trouble swallowing may also occur, but will subside in 2-3 days.
You may feel slight discomfort during the treatment but this diminishes quickly once BOTOX starts working. In some rare cases, patients have experienced flu-like symptoms for several hours after the treatment.
Side effects are NOT likely to be permanent (lasting more than six months) or serious. In very rare cases (less than 0.01%), it has been known to cause serious and possible permanent problems such as problems breathing or swallowing which may require a surgical procedure to correct the problem immediately.
After Botox you should be cautious about eating or drinking anything because there is a small chance of getting food caught in your throat which cause an infection like pneumonia if not treated immediately.
In most cases, the side effects of BOTOX disappear on their own as your body absorbs the medicine. In some cases, you doctor may prescribe additional medication to help ease these side effects. Avoid getting BOTOX injections if you have a known allergy to any ingredients in BOTOX or if you are pregnant or breast-feeding .
If you experience serious side effects like difficulty breathing, hives , swelling of face or lips; stop using Botox and seek medical attention right away.
How Often Do I Need Botox and How Much Does it Cost?
A physician injects Botox into specific muscles that contribute to wrinkles and blemishes which results in temporary muscle relaxations (paralyzation) for up to four months at a time, three month treatments are generally recommended.
If you are looking for results immediately, you can get Botox treatments up to two weeks before your wedding. However, because Botox is a cosmetic procedure, it’s not covered by insurance . The average cost of getting this treatment in the United States is about $500 per unit (single injection).
The prices may vary depending on whether or not there is an existing problem that needs to be corrected and what area of the body needs to be treated. Most people can return to their normal activities right away; however, if Botox injections were made in your mouth or neck it may take longer to recover since movement at these sites tend to be more difficult after treatment.
The Botox will take about three days for the effects to start showing. You should not schedule any facial procedures until fully recovered (about two weeks). If you received injections close to your eyes you will need to avoid eye makeup during this time period as well since putting on eye makeup can irritate your eyes and result in additional swelling that will last longer than usual.
You need to keep the area of treatment moist with a humidifier or saline spray so that it does not crack which could result in darkening or discoloration in the area.
How Soon Before a Wedding Should You Get Botox
You can get Botox treatments at any time before you are due for your wedding. However, if you know that you will be getting married within 3 months after receiving BOTOX injections, let your doctor know so s/he can make sure that there is no risk associated with having Botox before marriage.
BOTOX is safe and effective when administered by a board certified specialist in aesthetic injectables. You should avoid getting BOTOX injections if you have certain allergies , suffer from dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) or have throat problems such as respiratory infections.
In most cases the swelling will fade in three days with a few exceptions where you might see some minor improvement for up to one week. These side effects are temporary and should not interfere with your wedding day or honeymoon.
Getting Botox treatments closer to your wedding is a safer alternative since it reduces chances of injury from activities such as exercise. However, if you have recently started a new job or begun exercising there may be a greater risk associated with getting Botox injections within weeks before your wedding.
You should plan to get Botox before your wedding if you want it to work for you by your special day. It takes some time for the neurotoxin (Botulinum Toxin) in Botox injections to take effect, typically 2-3 days after injection and may be up to 10 days depending on the dose used by your doctor. The typical duration of effects is 3 months with repeat treatments spaced at least 6 weeks apart. If you are concerned about possible side effects or how long swelling will last from your treatment, talk with a qualified physician who can advise you accordingly.
As always, it is safest to get a treatment in a medical facility where a doctor experienced in aesthetic treatments can administer injections. Allergy test and blood tests may be required prior to the procedure.