Botox Aftercare: What to Do and Avoid in the First 24 Hours

Botox aftercare is simpler than the internet makes it sound. You can go straight back to work, nobody will be able to tell you have just had it, and there are only a handful of things to avoid for the rest of the day. This guide gives you our exact aftercare instructions, explains the reason behind each one, and answers the questions we get most often, from “can I work out?” to “I forgot and lay down, is my Botox ruined?”

Our Botox aftercare instructions

Why these rules matter (and how strict they really are)

The goal of aftercare is simple: let the Botox settle in the muscles it was placed in, and keep bruising and swelling to a minimum. Most of the rules are sensible precautions rather than hard science. A 2025 study of more than 5,000 people treated for upper-face lines with no aftercare restrictions at all found very low complication rates, and no drooping eyelids among the 4,000 who came back for review.

So if you slip up on one of these, it is very unlikely to ruin your result. We still recommend them because they cost you nothing, and a few, especially avoiding rubbing and alcohol, genuinely reduce bruising and the small chance of product moving where it should not.

When can I…? Your aftercare timeline

Activity	When it is fine
Go back to work	Straight away
Wash my face	Later the same day, gently, without scrubbing the treated areas
Wear makeup	Later the same day, applied with a light touch; avoid pressing hard on injection points
Lie down or nap	After 4 hours
Sleep on my side or front	That night is fine; on your back is a nice extra the first night if it is comfortable
Go for a walk	Straight away
Run, lift weights or do a class	After 24 hours
Sauna, hot tub, hot yoga	After 24 hours
Drink alcohol	After 24 hours
Get a facial or facial massage	After 24 hours at the earliest; ideally after your two-week check
Body massage (face down)	After 24 hours, or face up before then
Fly	Straight away; flying does not affect Botox
Go in the sun	Straight away, with your usual sunscreen; avoid getting overheated on the first day
Use retinol or exfoliating acids	The next day

Can you exercise after Botox?

Gentle activity such as walking is fine straight away. We ask you to wait 24 hours before strenuous exercise, such as running, lifting, spin or hot yoga. Hard exercise raises your heart rate and blood pressure, which can make bruising and swelling worse, and some positions put pressure on the face or keep your head low for a long time. The evidence that exercise moves Botox is weak, so if you trained hard by mistake, do not panic; just take it easy for the rest of the day.

Can you lie down after Botox?

Stay upright for about four hours after your treatment. Lying flat, and long periods with your head down, put pressure on the treated areas before the Botox has fully bound to the muscle. After four hours you can lie down, nap and go to bed as normal.

Before your appointment

A few simple steps reduce bruising and make treatment easier:

• Skip alcohol the day before if you can; it makes bruising more likely.
• Avoid optional blood thinners such as aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil and vitamin E for a few days beforehand, but never stop a medicine your doctor prescribed without asking them.
• Coffee is fine. A normal cup is not a problem before or after Botox.
• Come with clean skin or light makeup; we cleanse the area before treatment either way.
• Tell us if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a neuromuscular condition or had Botox elsewhere recently.

What is normal after Botox

• Small bumps at the injection points that settle within 15 to 30 minutes
• Mild redness or tenderness for an hour or two
• A small bruise now and then, which fades over a few days and can be covered with makeup
• A mild headache in the first day or two; acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the better choice for the first 24 hours
• A slightly “heavy” or tight feeling in the forehead as the Botox starts working, which settles within a couple of weeks

Botox starts to work in 3 to 7 days and reaches its full effect at about two weeks. That is when we see you again, to check the result is even and add a few units if needed. If you are curious how long your result will last, see how long Botox lasts.

Aftercare for other areas

• Jaw (masseter)Soft foods for the first day, then chew normally. Some tiredness when chewing tough foods is normal for a few weeks. See masseter Botox.
• Lip flipDrinking through a straw or whistling may feel odd for a week or two while you adjust.
• UnderarmsSkip deodorant and heavy sweating for 24 hours. See Botox for sweating.
• Neck bandsAvoid tight collars and neck massage for the first day.

These instructions apply to Dysport too; see our Dysport vs Botox guide. If you are breastfeeding, read Botox and breastfeeding before booking.

Questions after your treatment? Call us, or book your next visit. You can see every Botox area and price on our Botox in Carlsbad page.