Post Botox & Injection Skin Care Instructions, According to a Doctor

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Beverly Hills based Dr. Raheleh Sarbaziha (a.k.a Dr. Rahi) has become an influential figure in the LA beauty community, thanks to her mastery of creating natural-looking results with injectables and of course, her signature aesthetic flare (just look at the #lipsbyrahi hashtag on Instagram for proof). Specializing in aesthetic facial artistry and practicing a holistic approach to beauty (she’s equally as passionate about nutrition and the role of diet and supplements play when it comes to outer beauty), Dr. Rahi’s amassed an impressive community of loyal clients, with an equally sizable fan following.

Since I just got Botox for the first time, I figured I’d ask the M.D. herself about the best practices for post botox instructions, along with all of my burning questions about how to ensure I get the most out of the pricey — and sadly, impermanent— in office procedure. If you’re more curious about other in-office procedure, Dr. Rahi will also go over how to look after injectable dermal fillers, lip injections, laser treatments and more. And, if you’re in the LA area, you can find out more information about her services and book an appointment with her here.

First of all, what are some of the most popular cosmetic procedures that your clients come in for?

The most popular treatments are Botox, dermal fillers for the lips and Morpheus 8- which is a combination of radio-frequency and microneedling.

What is your post-procedure care advice for Botox and other injectables?

Every aesthetic procedure (from chemical peels to dermal fillers) have their own specific pre and post-care instructions. However, the standard for everyone prior to a procedure is to avoid alcohol for 24 hours, drink lots of water, come clean faced to the appointment (i.e. no makeup), and breathe! For post procedure instructions, make sure to ice the area of treatment, use arnica (oral or topical) for swelling and bruising, along with aloe, vitamin E. Fresh pineapples also help with swelling and bruising!

How does the recovery process and side effects differ between Botox and fillers?

Botox is a neurotoxin [that] results in temporary paralysis of the muscles. Very rarely [do clients experience] bruising from a Botox injection, but there is always that risk when injecting a needle in the face. Occasionally with dermal fillers you can get bruising. I always recommend taking oral arnica 24 hours before you arrive to your appointment to minimize your risk of bruising. Botox takes about 2-10 days to kick in, and the only downtime instructions to follow is to not to lie down for at least 3 hours and avoid aggressive exercise for 24 hours after your appointment. For dermal fillers, it is also recommended to avoid exercise for at least 24 hours and to also limit movement in the area that you have received your injections.

What oral supplements and topical products do you recommend to heal bruising?

Once again, Arnica. You should also avoid alcohol for 24 hours, and hold off on the turmeric and fish oil for 24 hours. if a client is taking a stronger anti-coagulant drug, then I would consult with your doctor before considering injections.

What are some of the possible side effects after receiving a laser treatment, and what is your post-care advice?

I offer the IPL laser for age spots and areas of hyperpigmentation. Although I find the risks and downtime to be minimal with the Lumecca IPL, I still recommend taking caution post-care, along with wearing extra sunscreen (even if it is cloudy outside) and using gentle skincare products for the 1-2 weeks following treatment. It’s also important that patients understand that many people peel after this treatment and that sometimes the dark spots can darken before they lighten post-procedure.

You have beautiful skin yourself, what skincare products do you swear by?

Thank you! For me, skincare is not as simple as owning a face wash and cream. I have several procedures I swear by for my skin (morpheus 8 and IPL), and I also add ingestible supplements like hyaluronic acid to my morning coffee. I follow a vegan diet, avoid chemically processed foods, drink water ALL THE TIME, and I take multiple supplements to help balance my body and in turn my skin. I also only use vegan makeup and prefer to keep it a minimum in general (I don’t even use foundation) and lastly, I am a big fan of PCA Skin’s BPO face wash , their daily sunscreen and their Intensive Clarity Retinol Serum.

1. T-Relief Pain Relief Pain Tablets With Arnica

2. Arnica 35 Cream Gel

3. Cosaki All-in-One Powder Supplement

4. PCA Skin BPO 5% Facial Cleanser

5. PCA Skin Intensive Clarity Treatment 0.5% Pure Retinol

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