Care
Before and after your appointment.
The visit is short, with a little to do before and after. This page covers how to get ready and what to expect once you’re home. We’ll go over it in person too, and you’ll leave with written notes and our number.
The first sections cover Botox, Xeomin, and Letybo. PDRN mesotherapy has its own section at the end.
Tox · Before
How to get ready.
One short form to complete after you book, and a few small things that make the visit smoother and lower the chance of a bruise.
- After you book, we will email you a Good Faith Exam to complete before your visit. It is a brief medical review so we can make sure tox is appropriate for you, and it needs to be done ahead of time.
- Come with clean skin if you can, with makeup, lotion, and sunscreen off the area. It helps when we mark the points. If you forget, we keep wipes on hand.
- Eat a good meal beforehand and go easy on caffeine that morning. Both help you avoid feeling lightheaded.
- Skip alcohol for about a day before. It can make bruising more likely.
- If you bruise easily, some people pause blood-thinning supplements like fish oil, vitamin E, and high-dose ibuprofen for a few days first. Only if the person who prescribed or recommended them says it is fine. Never stop a prescribed medication on your own.
- Tell us about any change to your health when you book, like a new diagnosis, a new medication, a pregnancy, or breastfeeding. Some conditions and medications do not mix with Botox, Xeomin, or Letybo, and we may move your appointment so your safety comes first.
- If you have an event coming up, leave about two weeks. It gives the effect time to settle and any small bruise time to fade.
Tox · After
The first hours and days.
For the first day or so, let the product settle where we placed it and leave the area alone.
The first few hours
Stay upright and leave the area alone. No rubbing, pressing, or face-down naps. You can go back to your day.
The first day
Skip hard exercise, saunas, steam rooms, and hot yoga, and keep your hands off the area we treated.
The first two weeks
Hold off on facials, microneedling, and vigorous scrubbing or exfoliating where we treated. Gentle, everyday skincare is fine.
Tox · What to expect
How it settles in.
Everyone’s a little different, but most people follow roughly this timeline.
That afternoon
You can return to normal. You will not see a change yet, and that is expected.
Three to seven days
Softening usually begins. Movement starts to feel gentler in the areas we treated, though it is not finished yet.
Ten days to two weeks
Most of the change has settled in. This is the point to judge how it went, and when we like to check in with you.
Four to six weeks
You should still be holding steady here. If movement is already coming back, tell us, because it usually points to something we can adjust next time.
Two to three months
A little easing is normal by now. Losing the effect completely this early is not, so let us know if that happens.
Three to four months
The effect eases off gradually and movement returns. When you are ready, you come back in.
Tox · A few normal things
Small things that pass.
A few after-effects are common, and they go away on their own.
- Tiny raised bumps right after, where the product went in. They usually flatten within an hour. Leave them be, no massaging.
- A small bruise is possible, more so if you bruise easily. It usually fades within a few days, and makeup is fine over it.
- A little redness or mild swelling that eases the same day. A cool compress, held gently and never directly on bare skin, can help.
- A dull headache now and then after several injections. It usually passes within a day.
- A little unevenness while things settle. Muscle strength is not always equal side to side, so one area can come along faster than the other. It usually evens out by about two weeks, and we can touch things up if needed.
You will go home with written aftercare and our number. Call us with anything that does not feel right, or anything that worries you. We would always rather hear from you. Rarely, the effect can spread beyond where we placed it, so if you notice a drooping eyelid or brow, or any trouble swallowing or breathing, seek medical care right away.
More on what we offer is on Services, and a few common questions are answered on the services page.
PDRN mesotherapy
Before and after PDRN.
PDRN goes in through lots of tiny, shallow injections, so the prep is similar to tox and the aftercare is mostly about leaving your skin alone for a couple of days.
Before your appointment
- Tell us about any fish or seafood allergy when you book. PDRN is made from salmon DNA, so an allergy usually means it isn’t a good fit for you.
- Tell us if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or about any new medication or diagnosis. We may suggest waiting.
- Skip alcohol for about a day before, since it can make bruising more likely.
- If you bruise easily, some people pause fish oil, vitamin E, and high-dose ibuprofen for a few days first. Only do this if the person who prescribed or recommended them says it’s fine, and never stop a prescribed medication on your own.
- Stop retinoids and exfoliating acids on the area for a couple of days beforehand.
- If the area is sunburned, irritated, or broken out, let us know before you come in. We may move your appointment.
- Come with clean skin if you can. If you have an event coming up, leave at least a week so any bumps or bruising have time to clear.
After your appointment
- The first day
- No makeup for 24 hours, and keep your hands off the area. Skip alcohol for the rest of the day.
- The first two days
- Avoid hard exercise, saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga, and very hot showers. Wash with a gentle cleanser and use a plain moisturizer.
- The first week
- Leave out retinoids, exfoliating acids, scrubs, and fragranced products. Wear sunscreen and stay out of strong sun.
- The first two weeks
- Hold off on facials, microneedling, and laser on the area.
What’s normal
- Small raised bumps where the injections went in. They usually settle within a day or two. Don’t press or massage them.
- Redness, mild swelling, or tenderness for a few days. A cool compress, wrapped and never directly on bare skin, can help.
- A bruise here and there, which can take a week or so to fade. Makeup is fine over it after the first day.
When to call us
Call us if redness or swelling is getting worse instead of better after about three days, or if the area turns hot, painful, or starts to drain. If you get hives, swelling of the lips or tongue, or any trouble breathing, get emergency care right away.
Ready when you are
Come in for an appointment.
Appointments are in San Rafael. We’ll go over your options and dosing with you before anything starts.