Botox and Fillers Before an Event: Why Two Weeks Matters
The most common injectable mistake before a wedding, a party or a holiday photograph is not the dose or the product. It is the date. Wrinkle relaxers need time to reach their full effect, and fillers need time for swelling and any bruising to settle. Booked about two weeks before the event, both are at their natural best on the day.
The most common mistake with injections before a wedding, a party or a holiday photo is not the dose or the product. It is the date. Wrinkle injections need time to fully work, and fillers need time for any swelling or bruising to go down. Booked about two weeks before the event, both look their natural best on the day.
Injection timing: the essentials
The short version
Have wrinkle relaxers and fillers about two weeks before an important event
Have wrinkle injections and fillers about two weeks before an important event.
Begin working within several days and reach their full effect at around two weeks
Start working within several days and are fully working at about two weeks.
Visible at once, but swelling can alter the shape for days and a bruise can take a week or more to fade
You see them straight away, but swelling can change the shape for days, and a bruise can take a week or more to fade.
Two weeks leaves time to review the result and make a small adjustment if needed
Two weeks leaves time to check the result and do a small top-up if needed.
Start earlier, so you know how your own face responds before the date that matters
Start earlier, so you know how your face reacts before the day that counts.
Dr. Gallacher, a board-certified dermatologist, assesses and treats each patient
Dr. Gallacher, a board-certified dermatologist, assesses and treats you herself.
How wrinkle relaxers develop
How wrinkle injections work over time
BOTOX Cosmetic, Dysport and Jeuveau are purified forms of botulinum toxin type A. Injected in tiny doses, they quieten the signal from nerve to muscle in a chosen area, so lines made by repeated expression, such as frown lines and crow’s feet, soften.
BOTOX Cosmetic, Dysport and Jeuveau are purified forms of a protein called botulinum toxin type A. Given in tiny doses, they quieten the signal from the nerve to a chosen muscle, so the lines made by repeated expressions, like frown lines and crow’s feet, soften.
That quietening is not instant. The toxin has to be taken up at the nerve endings, and the effect appears gradually: most people notice a change within several days, and the full result arrives at around two weeks. Inject the week before an event and you may arrive with the effect still building, sometimes more on one side than the other for a day or two.
That quietening is not instant. The toxin has to be taken up by the nerve endings, and the effect builds slowly: most people notice a change within several days, and it is fully working at about two weeks. If you have it the week before an event, it may still be building on the day, and sometimes one side catches up a day or two after the other.
The first published report of this use, by the Canadian ophthalmologist Jean Carruthers and dermatologist Alastair Carruthers in 1992, described improvement in frown lines lasting for months. The treatment has been refined ever since, and its history is in The Story of Botulinum Toxin. The aim now is an expression that looks rested, not frozen.
The first published report of this use, by the Canadian doctors Jean and Alastair Carruthers in 1992, described frown lines softening for months. The treatment has been refined ever since, and its story is in The Story of Botulinum Toxin. The aim today is a face that looks rested, not frozen.
How fillers settle
How fillers settle
Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as the RHA Collection and Restylane ranges, restore volume and shape the moment they are placed. What changes in the following days is the tissue around them.
Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as the RHA Collection and Restylane ranges, add volume and shape the moment they go in. What changes over the next days is the tissue around them.
Swelling is normal after filler and is greatest over the first two or three days, particularly in the lips and under the eyes. A bruise, if there is one, can take a week or more to fade completely. Hyaluronic acid also draws in a little water as it settles, so the final softness and shape are clearer after about two weeks than on the day itself.
Swelling is normal after filler and is worst over the first two or three days, especially in the lips and under the eyes. A bruise, if you get one, can take a week or more to fade completely. The filler also draws in a little water as it settles, so the final softness and shape are clearer at about two weeks than on the day.
This is why a filler appointment two days before a party can feel like a gamble, even when the result will be lovely a week later. Two weeks removes that gamble. More detail is on the Dermal Fillers page.
That is why filler two days before a party can feel like a gamble, even when the result will be lovely a week later. Two weeks takes the gamble away. More is on the Dermal Fillers page.
The two-week window
The two-week window
Two weeks is the point at which both treatments can be judged honestly, and it still leaves time to act on what you see.
Two weeks is when both treatments can be judged properly, and it still leaves time to do something about what you see.
| Time after treatment | Wrinkle relaxers | Fillers |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | Small bumps at injection points for minutes to an hour; no change yet | Shape visible at once; swelling and tenderness begin |
| Days 2 to 4 | Effect begins to appear | Swelling at its most noticeable, then easing |
| Days 5 to 10 | Effect strengthening; sides may still be evening out | Most swelling gone; any bruise fading |
| Around 2 weeks | Full effect; the right time to review | Filler settled; the right time to review |
| After review | Small adjustment if needed | Small top-up if needed |
| Time after treatment | Wrinkle injections | Fillers |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | Small bumps for up to an hour; no change yet | Shape shows straight away; swelling starts |
| Days 2 to 4 | Starts to work | Swelling at its worst, then easing |
| Days 5 to 10 | Getting stronger; sides evening out | Most swelling gone; any bruise fading |
| About 2 weeks | Fully working; time to check | Settled; time to check |
| After the check | Small top-up if needed | Small top-up if needed |
A review at two weeks is where natural results are made. A slightly stronger brow on one side, or a lip that settled a touch flatter than planned, can be balanced with a very small adjustment, and that adjustment then has time to settle before the event. Without the margin, there is nothing to do but hope.
The two-week check is where natural results are made. One eyebrow sitting a little higher, or a lip that settled slightly flatter than planned, can be balanced with a very small top-up, and that top-up then has time to settle before the event. Without the extra time, there is nothing to do but hope.
If the event is part of a wider season, such as several parties through December, aim the injections at the first important date. The result of a wrinkle relaxer typically lasts around three to four months, so it will carry well through the rest of the holidays.
If you have several parties through December, aim the injections at the first important one. Wrinkle injections usually last around three to four months, so they will carry you through the rest of the holidays.
Getting ready, and what to avoid
Getting ready, and what to avoid
A few simple steps reduce the chance of bruising and make the appointment smoother.
A few simple steps make bruising less likely and the visit smoother.
Tell us about every medicine and supplement you take. Some, including aspirin, other anti-inflammatory painkillers and certain supplements, can make bruising more likely, but never stop a prescribed medicine without asking the doctor who prescribed it. Alcohol the evening before can also add to bruising. A cold sore, a skin infection or an active rash in the area is a reason to postpone.
Tell us about every medicine and supplement you take. Some, such as aspirin, other anti-inflammatory painkillers and certain supplements, can make bruising more likely. But never stop a prescribed medicine without asking the doctor who prescribed it. Alcohol the night before can also add to bruising. A cold sore, a skin infection or a rash in the area is a reason to wait.
After treatment, avoid rubbing or massaging the treated areas, strenuous exercise and lying flat for the rest of the day after wrinkle relaxers, and follow the specific aftercare for filler. If anything unexpected happens after filler, particularly pain, colour change or blanching of the skin, call the practice at once. These are rare, but they are taken seriously.
Afterwards, do not rub or massage the treated areas, skip hard exercise and do not lie flat for the rest of the day after wrinkle injections, and follow the aftercare you are given for filler. If anything unexpected happens after filler, especially pain, a change of colour or the skin going pale, call the practice straight away. This is rare, but it is taken seriously.
Where injections fit in a holiday plan
Where injections fit in a holiday plan
Injections are the middle step of a well-planned season, after the treatments that need longer to heal and before the finishing touch.
Injections are the middle step of a well-planned season, after the treatments that need longer to heal and before the finishing touch.
Skin tightening and low-downtime lasers come first, six weeks or more ahead, because they need time to heal and build. Injections follow about two weeks before the event. A DiamondGlow facial in the final week adds surface glow. The whole sequence is set out in Your Pre-Holiday Skin Calendar.
Skin tightening and gentle lasers come first, six weeks or more before, because they need time to heal and work. Injections follow about two weeks before the event. A DiamondGlow facial in the last week adds glow. The whole order is in Your Pre-Holiday Skin Calendar.
Natural-looking results also depend on judgement as much as product: how much, where, and when to stop. Why that is a technical skill is explored in Why Natural-Looking Is Technical.
Natural-looking results also depend on judgement as much as on the product: how much, where, and when to stop. Why that takes real skill is explained in Why Natural-Looking Is Technical.
Questions patients ask
How long before an event should I get Botox?
How long before an event should I get Botox?
About two weeks. Wrinkle relaxers begin working within several days and reach their full effect at around two weeks, which also leaves time for a small adjustment.
About two weeks. Wrinkle injections start working within several days and are fully working at about two weeks, which also leaves time for a small top-up.
Can I get Botox a few days before an event?
Can I get Botox a few days before an event?
You can, but the effect may still be building on the day and there is no time to adjust. If you are already a regular patient who knows how you respond, it is less of a risk than for a first treatment.
You can, but it may still be building on the day, and there is no time for a top-up. If you have had it before and know how you respond, it is less of a risk than a first time.
How long does filler swelling last?
How long does filler swelling last?
Swelling is usually greatest in the first two or three days and largely settles within about a week, though lips and under-eye areas can take longer. A bruise can take a week or more to fade.
Swelling is usually worst in the first two or three days and mostly gone within about a week, though lips and under the eyes can take longer. A bruise can take a week or more to fade.
How long will the result last through the holidays?
Will it last through the holidays?
Wrinkle relaxers typically last around three to four months, and hyaluronic acid fillers from several months to over a year depending on the product and area, so a treatment two weeks before the first event will cover the season.
Wrinkle injections usually last around three to four months, and fillers from several months to over a year depending on the product and area. So treatment two weeks before your first event will cover the season.
Can I have injections and a facial in the same week?
Can I have injections and a facial in the same week?
It is best to keep them apart. Avoid facials, massage and pressure on treated areas for the first days after injections; a DiamondGlow facial in the week of the event, about ten days after injections, fits well.
Better to keep them apart. Avoid facials, massage and pressing on treated areas for the first few days after injections. A DiamondGlow facial in the week of the event, about ten days later, fits well.
- Carruthers JD, Carruthers JA. Treatment of glabellar frown lines with C. botulinum-A exotoxin. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1992;18(1):17-21. Source
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
