Botox & Exercise

When it comes to Botox® and exercise, here’s found we’ve to be evident at our practice.

When can I Exercise After Botox?

For at least 4 hours after a Botox treatment:
 
1) Refrain from exercise, including running and any other forms of strenuous activity.

2) Do not engage in activities where your head is below your heart, for example at a yoga class, stretching class or simply bending over after a Botox treatment.

For optimal results, it is preferable to postpone exercise and strenuous activity for 24 hours after treatment.
 

 

Why Can’t I Exercise After Botox?

Reason 1) After Botox is injected, it takes time for the proteins to diffuse into the treated muscles. Therefore exercising vigorously after a Botox treatment can cause the product to be metabolized before its had time to fully diffuse. Hence the Botox becomes less effective.

Reason 2) If you engage in activities where your head is below your heart, or if you sweat during exercise and rub your face, Botox can migrate from the intended treatment sites.

Reason 3) In the event you get a bruise after Botox, the bruise can become worse if you workout immediately after your treatment.

If you’re reading this because you exercised immediately after a Botox treatment, don’t worry. You just may not get an optimal result and the Botox may not be as effective. However, it’s unlikely that your treatment will have been significantly compromised or you will experience adverse side-effects, just try to remember next time.
 

When should I plan my Workout?

Preferably plan your workout before your Botox treatment – either in the morning, or the day before, and have a ‘rest day’ the day of your treatment.
 

Will Botox wear off faster if I Exercise frequently?

When working out or doing strenuous activity, we have a tendency to tense our facial muscles.

The more we exercise, the more we tense our face.

Try it now… pretend you’re working out hard, or lifting a heavy weight. Do you feel your face tense up, grimace or frown?

For people who exercise regularly, these strong and repetitive facial movements can result in our body moving through the Botox faster.

This effect is even more pronounced for people who lift heavy weights during their work out. When lifting weights, people experience more tension through their faces.
 

 
Also, if you exercise frequently, including distance running, your metabolism becomes faster, which means Botox may last less time. This is because the body can metabolize the product quicker, breaking it down faster.
 
In contrast, people who don’t work out, or have never worked out, tend to have weaker facial muscles. Botox is more effective in weaker muscles and less product is needed. For people with weaker facial muscles, Botox can last significantly longer that Allergan’s four month guideline.

Will I need more Botox if I Exercise?

Over time, for the reasons above, strenuous exercise can strengthen and tone facial muscles.
 
There is a positive correlation between stronger facial muscles and the number of Botox units needed for an optimal result.
 
Therefore, if you exercise frequently, vigorously and hold a lot of tension in your face while you exercise, you may need more Botox at your treatment, and/or it may wear off faster after treatment.

DON’T STOP EXERCISING!
 
Exercise has so many benefits for your overall health, including your heart, weight, mood and energy levels. The minimal difference in longevity and the amount of Botox needed is definitely worth the trade-off. Plan your Botox treatment around your workout and don’t stop exercising!