With so many non-invasive beauty procedures available, it’s hard to figure out how to coordinate them and whether it’s safe to combine them all on your face.
Lip fillers, Botox, microblading, permanent makeup – the list goes on. It can be tempting to try it all to enhance your youthfulness, but should you really do them all at once?
Two of the most popular non-invasive beauty procedures, microblading and Botox injections, are often done in tandem. That’s because microblading and Botox usually go in the same area – the forehead and eyebrows. So, if you’re getting them both, it’s important to coordinate them properly.
You don’t want to damage your face, and you certainly don’t want one to affect the other in a wonky way. After all, these are both long-lasting procedures, so if you don’t do them right, you risk having side effects for a long time.
So, how do you properly coordinate Botox and microblading? It’s perfectly safe for you to get both done, but you have to make sure you’re getting microblading done first with the right amount of time in between.
In this post, we will discuss the best way to coordinate the two procedures so that you have the most beautiful results.
What You Need To Know About Botox
Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Although it’s a toxin, when used in small doses and in a medical setting, it can be perfectly safe.
Botox injections are used primarily to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. The toxin is injected into your muscles and causes them to become temporarily weakened and paralyzed. This leads to a smoother appearance in certain areas like your forehead and helps prevent further wrinkles from forming.
Botox is the brand name for the injections. Some other brands that make similar injections are: Dysport, Myobloc, and Xeomin.
In general, Botox effects last for 4-5 months, after which your muscles will start to regain their movement and your face will return to its previous state.
This comes into play when you are planning to coordinate your Botox injections with other beauty procedures, like microblading, because you need to keep in mind how long the effects of each procedure last.
To summarize, Botox (and similar injections):
- Are injected into the muscle
- Reduce fine lines and wrinkles by “freezing” the muscle and nerves
- Last 4-5 months
- Take 3-7 days to heal and settle
What You Need To Know About Microblading
Microblading involves a licensed technician applying a pigment into the upper level of the dermis in the eyebrow hair growth area.
Microblading can be described as a semi-permanent form of brow tattooing. If it sounds scary, don’t worry – it’s really not.
It’s a great way to get darker and more filled-in eyebrows for 1-3 years. It can save you a ton of time in the morning that you would normally spend filling in your eyebrows. Plus, your technician will measure out the eyebrows using special formulas that give you the most flattering and symmetrical eyebrow shape.
Although it’s not permanent, microblading lasts a lot longer than Botox, which is an important factor to keep in mind.
To summarize, microblading:
- Is a form of permanent makeup
- Is deposited under the top layer of the skin using tiny blades and ink
- Enhances your eyebrows, fills them in, and gives them a symmetrical shape
- Lasts 1-3 years before the pigment fades
- Takes 2-4 weeks to fully heal
Can You Combine Botox And Microblading?
Yes, it is perfectly safe to combine Botox injections with microblading.
They don’t really interfere with each other because they affect different tissues. Botox goes into the muscle, while microblading goes into the upper level of your skin.
That being said, if you’re getting Botox in the forehead area, it is close enough to your eyebrows that you will need to space out the two procedures to give each enough time to heal before getting the other one done.
Most dermatologists and estheticians recommend a minimum of 2 weeks between the two procedures.
Get Microblading First
Most experts agree that if you’re planning on getting both of these procedures done, you should get microblading done first, then follow up with Botox in 2-4 weeks.
The reason you want to start with microblading is that it lasts longer than Botox. Your microblading technician needs to use your facial features in order to create the right kind of symmetry for your eyebrows.
If your facial features are affected by a recent Botox injection, your technician will create an eyebrow shape that might not look as good on your natural features. And once the Botox fades after 3-5 months, your eyebrows might not look so great on your natural features.
It’s best to do the eyebrows first, and then have your Botox provider inject the drug in such a way that it doesn’t interfere with or disturb the shape of your eyebrows.
This will ensure that even after the effects of the Botox fade, your eyebrows will still match up to your features for another few years.
Of course, if you plan on getting Botox continuously, without allowing it time to “fade” enough to change your facial features, then the order in which you get these procedures done doesn’t matter as much.
How Soon After Microblading Get I Get Botox?
Since microblading can take 2-4 weeks to fully heal, it is best to wait until it’s fully healed before you get Botox or any other procedures done.
Microblading is a lot like getting a tattoo – you will essentially have open wounds on your skin. They need to be protected to avoid an infection, which can result in permanent scarring.
This is why it’s best to wait the full 2-4 weeks before you get Botox done. Usually your microblading technician will schedule a follow-up appointment with you to ensure everything healed well, at which point he or she will clear you to get other work done.
We do not recommend getting Botox done sooner than that, and definitely not on the same day!
How Soon After Botox Can I Get Microblading?
If you already got Botox done, don’t worry – you can still get your eyebrows microbladed as long as you give your Botox enough time to settle. Typically, that means waiting at least 3-4 days.
We would recommend waiting until your Botox follow-up appointment, which is usually a week after your procedure, just to make sure everything healed well and your doctor has cleared you to get other work done.
At this point, it should be perfectly safe to go get your microblading appointment. Make sure to inform your microblading technician that you recently had some Botox injections done.
This will help him or her assess your features with that in mind so that your eyebrow shape comes out in the best way possible with the anticipation that the Botox will likely fade long before the eyebrows do.
You can also consider getting Botox touchups throughout the life of your microblading, which is about 1-3 years. This can help keep all of your features looking the same if you are worried about how it might affect the appearance of your eyebrows.
How Best To Coordinate Microblading and Botox
As we mentioned, you could combine microblading and Botox in a few different ways as long as you give it enough time between procedures for your skin to heal.
The optimal way to coordinate your microblading and botox procedures is as follows:
- Research providers and call around to schedule your appointments
- Microblading appointment
- Microblading follow-up appointment (2-3 weeks later)
- Wait a minimum of 2 weeks
- Botox appointment
- Botox follow-up appointment (1-2 weeks later)
If you follow these steps, the whole process will take about 6 weeks from your first microblading appointment to your last follow-up with your Botox provider. This is a general rule of thumb, however, keep in mind that your skin might need more or less time to recover.
Always make sure to tell your providers about any other procedures you have done or plan on doing in the near future. They are the experts. You can rely on them to help you coordinate your appointment better and keep tabs on the condition of your skin to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Final Thoughts
Non-invasive beauty procedures like Botox and microblading have made it easy and safe to alter your appearance, enhance your natural beauty, and slow down the effects of aging.
Something that used to be available to celebrities can now be achieved by regular people who simply want to look good. That being said, it’s important to do a lot of research and plan your procedures in advance. The last thing you want to do is ruin your beautiful face, so it’s always best to err on the side of caution.
Don’t rush into procedures without consulting with experts first. Don’t procrastinate if you need to have work done before a certain event – always make sure to give yourself plenty of time for your skin to properly heal between each cosmetic treatment so that everything is done as safely and effectively as possible!
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