Most people are more nervous about the first Botox appointment than the appointment deserves. It’s short, it’s uncomfortable for about a minute, and you go back to your day afterward. But nobody tells you what actually happens in the room, so here’s the whole thing start to finish.
Before you come in
There isn’t much prep. If you bruise easily, skipping alcohol the night before and fish oil or ibuprofen for a couple of days beforehand helps — those thin your blood and make a bruise more likely. Don’t stop anything a doctor put you on. Come with makeup or without, it doesn’t matter; we clean the area either way.
The one thing worth doing is thinking about what bothers you. Not what you think you should fix — what you actually notice in the mirror or in photos. That’s the conversation we start with.
The consultation is the appointment
You’re in the room fifteen to thirty minutes total, and a real share of that is talking. Heather will have you make faces — frown, raise your brows, squint, smile. She’s watching which muscles are doing what, because that’s what determines where the neurotoxin goes and how much.
Then you agree on a plan: which areas, what dose, what it costs. Nothing happens before you’ve heard the number. If you came in wanting three areas and only one of them is worth treating, we’ll say so — you can always add later.
The injections
About ten minutes. The needle is very fine, and each injection is a quick pinch that’s over before you’ve decided how you feel about it. Most areas take a handful of injection points. The forehead and frown lines are the most common first treatment.
Some people find the frown lines the sharpest spot, some barely notice. Nobody has needed to stop partway. You can ask for ice if you want it.
Then you leave
That’s it. No downtime, no recovery, no reason to take the afternoon off. You might have small red bumps at the injection sites that look like tiny mosquito bites — those settle within about fifteen minutes to an hour. A small bruise is possible, especially around the eyes, and covers easily.
Aftercare, which is short
Stay upright and skip strenuous exercise for four hours. No facials, massages, or saunas for twenty-four hours. Don’t rub or press the treated areas. Light makeup right after is fine.
That’s the whole list. The four-hour rule and the no-rubbing rule are the ones that matter most — both are about not moving the product somewhere you didn’t want it.
The part nobody warns you about: the wait
You will look exactly the same when you leave. This is normal and it is still somehow disappointing.
Onset is three to seven days depending on the product — Dysport is the fastest, Botox is typical, Daxxify is the slowest to start but lasts the longest. You’ll notice the muscle feeling different before you see the line change. Full results land at fourteen days.
Do not judge your result before two weeks. I mean that. The most common message we get is someone at day five convinced it didn’t work, and by day twelve they’re fine. Uneven onset between the two sides is also normal in that window and usually evens out on its own.
The two-week check
Come back at two weeks. This visit is where first-time treatments get finished. If there’s a stubborn muscle fiber still pulling, or one brow is sitting slightly higher than the other, we touch it up then.
It’s also where we write down how your face actually responded, which is what makes your next round better. Most patients who’ve been with us a while have very predictable results, and it’s because of this appointment.
How long until you’re back
Three to four months for Botox and Dysport, six or more for Daxxify. You’ll feel movement returning before the lines come back, and that’s the moment to book — treating as it wears off holds the result better than letting it fully return first.
If you’re still nervous
Come in for the consultation and don’t commit to anything. You can talk through it, get a plan and a price, and go home and think about it. Nobody at Franco Aesthetics is going to push you into treatment on the same day, and a consultation you walk out of is a perfectly good outcome. Read more about Botox, Dysport, and Daxxify here when you’re ready.
