Botox is one of the most popular injectables used today to turn back the clock and restore a youthful look, all without the downtime required by surgery. And while you can resume your normal activities right after treatment, there are a few doctor’s orders you’ll need to follow. If you’re wondering, “Can I drink alcohol after Botox,” here’s what you need to know.
Alcohol is a vasodilator, which means it stimulates the relaxation and expansion of the blood vessels. This widening of the blood vessels increases blood flow throughout the body, including near the surface of your skin. Alcohol, as well, causes fluid retention which can in turn increase the possibility of bruising and swelling after Botox.
A very small puncture that wouldn’t ordinarily leave a mark is more likely to leave bruising when you have been drinking alcohol. This is mainly because the tiny blood vessels are more prone to rupture. This is why drinking after having a Botox procedure is a bad idea. In this guide, we will explore this topic to better inform readers of an all too common mistake.
NOTE: We here are Liquor Stores are not medical professionals. Consult your physician with any questions.
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Botox and Alcohol Consumption: An Overview
As mentioned, alcohol dilates blood vessels and can impact the amount of bruising and swelling you’ll experience. But don’t worry, you won’t have to go without for very long. Before your Botox treatment, you should avoid drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours. And if you can abstain for the week before the procedure, so much the better.
After treatment, avoiding a drink for a couple of days helps you heal optimally and get the most out of your injections. Rarely, Botox injections can cause drowsiness and / or dizziness, and that doesn’t pair well with alcohol.
Botox is all about making your skin look amazing. Drinking alcohol, especially in large quantities, is very drying. Cutting back on alcohol or eliminating it altogether is a great way to take better care of your skin and your whole body.Waiting at least a day or two before drinking after a treatment is a good idea, because alcohol has blood thinning properties that can make your skin at the injection site more prone to bruising and swelling.
Alcohol also affects your skin, drying it out, and this can make your recovery more difficult and lengthy. Another reason to avoid drinking after getting a Botox treatment is that you may feel slightly dizzy. Not drinking makes it easier to identify that sensation as being related to your treatment rather than the result of a mojito.
So, How Long Should I Wait After Botox to Drink Alcohol?
It’s ideal to wait at least two days after your procedure to drink alcohol. You may want to wait a bit longer to shake the cocktail shaker, depending on how you and your skin are feeling.
Is There Anything Else I Should Avoid After Getting Botox?
Avoid taking any blood-thinning medications after your treatment and consult with your injector about other health considerations. You should also avoid putting on makeup and going out in the sun. Luckily, recovery from Botox is a pretty easy process.
So, other than avoiding these things, you can get up and go about your life however you wish to after injections.It’s important that you do not drink alcohol before any botox appointment, as besides the obvious side effects that alcohol can cause, it will also thin your blood.
This means that there is far more likelihood of you experiencing botox bruising. If you have a tendency to bruise easily, then avoiding alcohol will at least ensure that any bruising that does appear is kept to an absolute minimum.
The alcohol should not affect the outcome of your results, providing you choose a reputable, trusted and experienced botox practitioner such as a skilled independent nurse prescriber, but it will increase any bruising around the treated areas.
Therefore, in order to ensure you can begin enjoying the fantastic results as soon as possible, and with minimal bruising, we would most definitely advise that you do not consume alcohol in the lead up to your botox treatment – or any treatment where bruising or bleeding are potential side effects, for that matter.
Alcohol will dry out your skin
One of the negative side effects that alcohol can cause is dry skin, especially if consumed quite excessively. Dry skin is likely to result in cracks forming, and if you’re scheduled for a botox appointment then dry, cracked skin is only going to hinder the appearance of your final overall results.
Scheduling a botox appointment is all about enhancing the appearance of your skin, helping you and your skin appear fresher and younger. Having dry skin should surely be something you’re eager to avoid, especially on the day of your botox appointment, and during the healing stage that follows.
Alcohol will thin your blood
One relatively well known side effect of consuming alcohol (besides the lack of balance and boost in confidence!) is that it will thin the blood. It’s the reason we bleed quite heavily if we cut ourselves or find ourselves involved in an accident while alcohol is in our system. It’s also the reason that you’re advised not to consume alcohol in the lead up to having a tattoo.
The same goes for your botox procedure, as you should avoid consuming alcohol due to the natural thinning of the blood that is caused. Ideally, this should be 24 hours before your procedure at the very least, but if you’re able to avoid wine throughout the entire week beforehand, even better!
You shouldn’t expect to experience any heavy blood loss during the procedure as only a tiny needle is inserted into the skin, but as we mentioned before, thin blood can potentially increase the bruising. Following your botox treatment we really want any bruising to be kept to an absolute minimum, and when our clients follow this request it usually is very minimal indeed, allowing you to enjoy the results of the botox instead of worrying about when the bruising will begin to subside.
Why can’t you drink alcohol after your botox appointment?
This is really down to the exact same reasons as to why you should avoid alcohol before the treatment. Your skin and any treated areas will be healing during the hours and days immediately following your botox procedure.
During this time, the areas will still be susceptible to bruising, and thinning the blood with alcohol or indeed medication is likely to increase that bruising effect. If this happens, it will mean that you will experience a longer time of recovery, as the bruising will require extra time to subside than that of a client who does not experience such bruising.
Alcohol could increase any risks of swelling
Alcoholic consumption will result in the widening of your blood vessels, which can cause swelling and then lead to all sorts of additional complications.
The botox procedure is of course very straight forward, and one of the most common anti-aging procedures across the world, so provided you choose an experienced nurse or doctor then you should experience no real problems whatsoever, but avoiding alcohol altogether around the time of your treatment will at least ensure you really are minimizing any potential negative effects.
