After botulinum toxin injections, the first few hours matter most: do not rub or press the injected areas, avoid lying flat and strenuous exercise for about four hours, and leave facials and massages for a day or two. Small bumps and pinpoint bruises settle quickly. The effect appears over several days and is usually assessed at about two weeks.
What should you do and avoid after anti-wrinkle injections, phase by phase?
This table sets out anti-wrinkle injection aftercare by phase rather than by the clock: what is expected straight after botulinum toxin injections, in the early phase while the effect develops, and once it has settled, with what to do, what to avoid and the signs that mean you should message the clinic.
Phase
What is expected
What to do
What to avoid
Message or call if
Straight after
Small raised bumps at the injection points that flatten, pinpoint bruising, mild tenderness
Stay upright; keep the skin clean; hold a cool compress lightly on a bruise
Rubbing, pressing or massaging the areas; lying flat; strenuous exercise; alcohol; tight headwear
A bruise that spreads rather than fades; hives, wheezing or swelling of the lips
Early phase
Bumps have gone; the effect is beginning and can look uneven while it develops
Normal skincare, sunscreen and make-up applied gently
Facials, facial massage, saunas, hot yoga; judging the result before it has settled
A heavy brow or drooping eyelid; a smile that pulls to one side; a headache that is getting worse
Settling
The effect is established and the review, if one is planned, falls in this phase
Note what was treated and when, so any adjustment is planned against the record
Top-ups elsewhere before the review; other treatments over the same muscles without asking
Difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, generalised weakness or double vision: emergency care wherever you are
Small raised bumps at the injection points are normal and flatten within an hour or so. Avoid rubbing, massaging or pressing on the areas, avoid lying flat, and avoid strenuous exercise for about four hours. Gentle facial expressions are fine. If a pinpoint bruise appears, a cool compress helps.
The days after
Leave facials, facial massage, saunas and tight hats or helmets that press on the area for a day or two. Normal skincare and make-up can be used gently. The effect begins over several days and settles by about two weeks, which is when any review is usually planned, in person or by photograph for visitors who have returned home.
Signs that need care
Mild headache or a feeling of heaviness can occur and usually passes. A drooping eyelid or uneven brow, if it happens, is assessed rather than waited out without advice. Difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, generalised weakness, double or blurred vision or drooping eyelids are rare, can appear hours to weeks after injection, and need emergency care.
Questions after treatment come back through WhatsApp at +65 8023 7170 during clinic hours (Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm, Saturday 11am to 3pm, Singapore time). Anything that is getting worse rather than better, a blister or open area, or fever needs to be seen the same day, wherever you are.
Related on this site
The same aftercare applies to small areas such as bunny lines.
Efficacy and Safety of Botulinum Toxin Type A for Treatment of Glabellar Lines: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Dermatologic Surgery, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Consensus Recommendations for Combined Aesthetic Interventions Using Botulinum Toxin, Fillers, and Energy-Based Devices. Dermatologic Surgery, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The Role of Botulinum Toxin for Masseter Muscle Hypertrophy: A Comprehensive Review. Toxins, 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
