Frequently Asked Questions

Before Your Treatment

To help minimize bruising, swelling, and other side effects, please follow these guidelines before your appointment:

Avoid medications and supplements that may increase bruising or bleeding for 7 days before treatment, including aspirin, NSAIDs (Motrin®, Advil®, ibuprofen, Aleve®), vitamin E, fish oil/omega-3 supplements, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and St. John’s Wort. Never stop a prescribed medication unless your prescribing healthcare provider has approved it.
Avoid alcohol for 24 hours before your appointment.
Hold retinol/retinoid products for 2 days before treatments involving the skin. Depending on your treatment and skin sensitivity, I may recommend stopping them earlier.
Please let me know about any changes to your health, medical history, medications, allergies, or recent procedures that could affect your treatment.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please let me know before scheduling so we can determine which treatments are appropriate for you.
Please reschedule if you are feeling unwell or have an active infection, rash, cold sore, open wound, or significant blemish in or near the treatment area.

When in doubt, reach out! I would always rather answer a question before your appointment so we can make sure your treatment is as safe and comfortable as possible.

Day of Treatment

Please arrive with a clean face whenever possible—no makeup, skincare products, or self-tanner on the treatment area.Don’t worry if you’re coming straight from work or another commitment; we can cleanse your skin before treatment.

Please eat normally and stay well hydrated before your appointment, especially if you tend to feel lightheaded with needles or blood draws.

Wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access to the treatment area, particularly for treatments involving the neck, décolletage, or scalp.

Come prepared to review any changes to your medications, medical history, allergies, or health since your last visit. Your safety always comes first, so please let me know if anything has changed—even if it seems minor.

And finally, give yourself a little time. I never want your appointment to feel rushed. We’ll review your goals, answer questions, take before photos, and make sure you feel comfortable with the treatment plan before we begin.

Neurotoxins

What is Botox?

Botox® is one brand of neurotoxin, a medication that temporarily relaxes targeted muscles by reducing the nerve signals that cause them to contract. When we relax specific facial muscles, we can soften expression lines and help prevent repetitive movement from creating deeper wrinkles over time.

Although “Botox” is often used as a general term for wrinkle-relaxing injections, it’s actually a brand name. There are several FDA-approved neurotoxins available in the U.S., including Botox®, Dysport®, Xeomin®, Jeuveau®, Daxxify®, and Letybo®.

Botox Cosmetic® was FDA-approved for cosmetic use in 2002 and has become the most recognizable name in the category.

At BOTOXbidz, I routinely offer Botox®, Dysport®, Jeuveau®, and Letybo®. Xeomin® and Daxxify® are also available by special request. Each neurotoxin has slightly different characteristics, and we can choose the option that best fits your goals, anatomy, previous experience, and preferences.

The goal is never to freeze your face—it’s to soften movement while keeping you looking naturally like you.

How does Botox work?

Neurotoxins work by temporarily blocking the nerve signals that tell targeted muscles to contract. When those muscles relax, the repetitive movements that create expression lines are reduced, allowing wrinkles and lines to soften.

The treatment is precise—we target specific muscles while allowing the surrounding muscles to continue moving naturally. This is how we can soften wrinkles without changing what makes you look like you.

How long does Botox last?

Neurotoxin results are temporary and can last anywhere from approximately 2–6 months, depending on the product, treatment area, dose, muscle strength, metabolism, and individual response. For most patients, results typically last around 3 months.

Dose matters. In general, an adequate dose helps support both the quality and duration of your result—but everyone’s anatomy and treatment goals are different, so there is no one-size-fits-all number of units.

Over time, your body restores communication between the nerves and muscles, allowing muscle movement to gradually return. This is why your results slowly wear off rather than disappearing overnight.

With consistent treatments, repetitive muscle movement is reduced over time, which can help keep existing expression lines softer and help prevent deeper lines from developing.

How long do Botox injections take?

The injections themselves only take a few minutes, but I allow additional time to review your goals, assess your facial movement and anatomy, take photos, and create your treatment plan.

Neurotoxin is injected with a very fine needle into carefully selected muscles, and most patients experience only brief, minor discomfort. No anesthesia is typically needed.

Most appointments take approximately 30 minutes from start to finish, making neurotoxin one of the easiest treatments to fit into a busy day.

Which muscle relaxer is right for you?

Each neurotoxin has its own slightly different “personality.” Factors such as your anatomy, muscle strength, treatment area, desired result, previous experience, and personal preferences can all help determine which product may be the best fit.

There isn’t one neurotoxin that is “best” for everyone. We’ll talk through your goals and choose the product and dose that make the most sense for you.

And if you already have a favorite? I’m always happy to take that into consideration too!

When should I schedule a treatment?

If you’re preparing for a wedding, vacation, photos, or special event, I recommend scheduling your neurotoxin treatment about 4–6 weeks beforehand. This gives your treatment a full 2 weeks to take effect and leaves plenty of time to assess your results and make any adjustments if needed.

For regular maintenance, most patients schedule treatments approximately every 3–4 months, depending on how quickly their movement returns and their individual goals.

When it comes to expression lines, prevention is often easier than correction. Consistent treatment can reduce repetitive muscle movement and help prevent lines from becoming deeper and more noticeable over time.

Have a big event coming up? Earlier is always better than last minute!

Dermal Fillers

Where are dermal fillers used?

Dermal fillers are used to restore or enhance volume, soften lines and folds, improve facial balance, and subtly enhance your natural features. They can replace volume that has changed with aging or be used strategically to improve facial contours and proportions.

Common treatment areas include the lips, cheeks, nasolabial folds (smile lines), marionette lines, chin, and pre-jowl area.

Filler can also be used to improve facial symmetry and create smoother transitions between different areas of the face.

My approach to filler is always conservative and intentional. A little can go a long way—the goal is never to change your face, but to enhance what’s already yours.

When should I get dermal fillers?

If you have a wedding, vacation, photos, or another special event, I recommend scheduling dermal filler at least 6-8 weeks beforehand. While you'll see a change immediately, swelling, bruising, tenderness, and temporary unevenness can occur, and filler needs time to fully settle.

Whenever possible, avoid scheduling routine dental work or cleanings for about 2 weeks before and after filler treatment, particularly when treating areas around the mouth. If you have upcoming dental work, surgery, or other medical procedures, please let me know so we can determine the best timing for your treatment.

Vaccinations: If possible, I recommend avoiding vaccinations, including the flu vaccine, for approximately 2 weeks before and after dermal filler treatment. This allows your immune system time to respond to the vaccine separately and makes it easier to distinguish vaccine-related symptoms from a reaction to your filler. If you've recently received a vaccine or have one scheduled, please let me know so we can determine the best timing.

If you are feeling unwell, have an active infection, are currently being treated for an infection, or have a rash, blemish, cold sore, or other skin irritation near the treatment area, your appointment may need to be rescheduled.

If you have a history of cold sores, especially when treating the lips or surrounding area, please let me know before your appointment. Preventive antiviral medication may be recommended and should be discussed with your prescribing healthcare provider.

Bruising and swelling are always possible anytime we inject the skin, so please don't schedule filler immediately before an important event.

And remember—we don't have to do everything in one appointment. I prefer to add volume slowly and intentionally. Depending on your goals, your treatment plan may involve more than one session to achieve a natural, balanced result.

A little can go a long way.

What Types of "Fillers" Do I Offer?

Not all injectables that restore facial support work the same way. At BOTOXbidz, I offer hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, Sculptra®, and Radiesse®. Each has a different purpose, and choosing the right product depends on your anatomy, skin quality, and goals.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Filler
HA fillers are injectable gels that provide immediate volume and structure. Hyaluronic acid is a substance naturally found in the body, and these fillers can be used to replace lost volume, enhance facial contours, soften folds, and improve facial balance. I commonly use HA filler in the lips, cheeks, nasolabial folds (smile lines), marionette lines, chin, and pre-jowl area. One advantage of HA filler is that it can also be dissolved with hyaluronidase if medically necessary or if an adjustment is needed.

Sculptra® | PLLA Biostimulator
Sculptra is different from traditional filler. It is made with poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and works by stimulating your body to produce its own collagen. Rather than creating an immediate “filled” result, Sculptra gradually improves skin thickness, firmness, structure, and support as new collagen develops. I primarily use Sculptra throughout areas of the face where collagen loss contributes to aging, including the temples, lateral cheeks, preauricular area, jawline, chin, and pyriform area near the nose. Results develop gradually over several months and are meant to look very natural.

Radiesse® | CaHA Biostimulator
Radiesse is made with calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA). In my practice, I primarily use it hyperdiluted as a biostimulator rather than as a traditional volumizing filler. Once diluted, it can be distributed more broadly beneath the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin and improve skin quality, firmness, and resilience. I especially love hyperdilute Radiesse for thin, crepey, or lax skin of the neck and décolletage.

So, while they sometimes get grouped together as “fillers,” they aren't interchangeable: HA filler adds immediate volume and structure, while Sculptra and hyperdilute Radiesse primarily work by encouraging your body to build new collagen over time.

The goal is never simply to add more volume. It’s choosing the right product, in the right place, for the right reason.

Are fillers safe?

Dermal fillers have a well-established safety profile when appropriately selected and administered by a trained medical professional. However, filler is a medical procedure and is not risk-free. I believe you should understand the potential risks before deciding to proceed with treatment.

Common and usually temporary side effects can include swelling, bruising, redness, tenderness or pain, itching, firmness, small lumps or bumps, temporary asymmetry, and bleeding or pinpoint marks at injection sites.

Less common complications can include prolonged swelling, infection, cold sore reactivation, inflammatory reactions, allergic or hypersensitivity reactions, persistent lumps or nodules, granulomas, delayed-onset nodules, filler migration, discoloration, prolonged firmness, malar edema, biofilm-related complications, and unsatisfactory or asymmetric cosmetic results.

Rare but serious complications include vascular occlusion, which occurs when blood flow through a vessel becomes compromised. A vascular occlusion can potentially result in tissue ischemia, skin breakdown, ulceration, scarring, or tissue necrosis.

Extremely rare but devastating complications can include visual disturbances, partial or permanent vision loss/blindness, and stroke if filler enters or obstructs blood vessels supplying the eye or brain.

With hyaluronic acid (HA) filler, an additional safety advantage is that the product can be partially or fully dissolved with hyaluronidase when medically necessary or when an appropriate aesthetic adjustment is needed. Dissolving filler also carries its own potential risks and does not eliminate all risks associated with the original injection.

Your safety will always come before an aesthetic result. I use a conservative approach, carefully assess your anatomy and medical history, and have protocols in place to recognize and manage complications should they occur.

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Aftercare

After your procedure, you will receive a text message with treatment-specific aftercare instructions so you have everything you need right at your fingertips.

Some redness, swelling, tenderness, or bruising can be normal after injectable treatments and will vary depending on the procedure and treatment area.

Please contact me right away if you experience significant or worsening pain, excessive or rapidly increasing swelling, unusual skin discoloration, blanching (whitening of the skin), mottling, excessive bleeding, increasing redness or warmth, drainage, fever, or anything that feels concerning or unexpected.

After dermal filler specifically, any vision changes, severe headache, weakness, difficulty speaking, or other sudden neurologic symptoms require immediate emergency medical attention.

When in doubt, reach out. I would always rather have you contact me with a concern than wonder if something is normal.