Your First Botox Appointment in Carmel, Indiana: What to Expect

A first Botox® appointment at Wise Aesthetics in Carmel, Indiana begins with a consultation, and the treatment itself takes 15 to 30 minutes. Your provider reviews your goals and medical history, maps how your facial muscles move, and in most cases treats at the same visit. Results develop over about two weeks and typically last 3 to 4 months. Individual results vary.

If you have been thinking about Botox® or another wrinkle relaxer and are not sure what the visit involves, this guide walks through it step by step.

What Botox® and other wrinkle relaxers do

Botox® is the name most people know, and it belongs to a group of treatments called wrinkle relaxers, or neuromodulators. These are prescription injectables that temporarily relax specific facial muscles. When those muscles move less, the expression lines above them soften.

Wise Aesthetics offers four: Botox® Cosmetic, Dysport®, Xeomin® and Daxxify®. Each is FDA-approved for specific facial lines in adults. Botox® Cosmetic, for example, is FDA-approved to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines, crow's feet and forehead lines. Providers also use these products in other areas. That is called off-label use, and your provider will tell you when a recommendation falls into that category.

Before you book

A few things make the first visit go smoothly:

• Timing. Schedule at least two weeks before an event, so the full effect has time to develop and any minor bruising has time to settle.
• Medications and supplements. Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, fish oil, vitamin E and similar products can increase bruising. The usual guidance is to avoid them for 7 days beforehand. If any of these are prescribed, or you take a prescription blood thinner, speak with your prescribing clinician before stopping anything.
• Alcohol. Avoid it for 24 hours before treatment.
• Skin treatments. Hold off on facials, peels, waxing and exfoliating treatments in the area for a week beforehand.
• Arrive with clean skin, free of makeup and lotion.

The consultation

Every first appointment begins with a conversation. Expect your provider to ask:

• What you would like to change, and what you would like to keep
• Whether you have had Botox® or another wrinkle relaxer before, which one, and how it went
• About your medical history, allergies and current medications
• Whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Your provider will then ask you to frown, raise your brows and smile. This shows which muscles are doing the work and how strong they are, which determines where the product goes and how much is used. Two people with similar lines can need quite different plans.

This is also the time for your questions. Good ones include: which product do you recommend for me and why, is any part of this plan off-label, what should I expect at two weeks, and what happens if I would like an adjustment.

The treatment

Treatment itself is brief. Your provider cleanses the skin and places a series of small injections with a very fine needle. Most clients describe a quick pinch. A numbing agent can be applied if you would like one.

Afterward you may see small raised bumps at the injection points. These typically settle within an hour. Bruising is possible and usually minor.

What to expect to pay

At your first Botox® visit at Wise Aesthetics, expect to pay from $600, or from $500 as a member. The amount depends on the areas you want to treat and how your muscles move, which is why two clients can leave the same practice having paid different amounts. Your provider will confirm your plan and its cost at consultation, before any treatment.

The first two weeks

Aftercare is simple:

• Stay upright for 4 hours
• Skip strenuous exercise for 24 hours
• Avoid facials, facial massage and at-home devices on the area for 2 weeks

Do not expect to see a change when you leave. Botox® and other wrinkle relaxers take time. Most clients notice the first softening within several days, and the full result at about two weeks.

Maintaining your results

Results are temporary. For most clients they last 3 to 4 months, depending on the product, the dose, the area treated and your own metabolism. Many clients plan visits on a quarterly rhythm. Your provider will suggest a schedule after seeing how you respond to your first treatment.

Common questions

How much does Botox® cost in Carmel, Indiana?

At Wise Aesthetics in Carmel, expect to pay from $600 at a first Botox® visit, or from $500 as a member. The amount depends on the areas treated, and your provider will confirm the cost of your plan at consultation, before any treatment.

Will I still be able to move my face after Botox®?

The aim is to soften lines while keeping natural expression. Your provider sets the dose with that in mind and will talk through the look you prefer.

Is there an ideal age to start Botox®?

There is no set age. What matters is whether expression lines bother you and whether treatment is appropriate for you, which is a conversation for the consultation.

Can I be treated at my first visit?

In most cases, yes. If your provider needs more information about your medical history first, they will tell you.

Botox® in Carmel, Indiana

Wise Aesthetics is located in Carmel and welcomes clients from Fishers, Westfield, Zionsville and Indianapolis. The practice is open Monday and Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and Tuesday through Thursday, 9 am to 6 pm. All treatments are provided under the medical direction of Dr. Rajiv Sood, board-certified plastic surgeon.

To schedule a consultation, book online or call 317-569-6448.

Individual results vary. This article is general information and is not medical advice. A consultation with a licensed provider is required to determine whether treatment is appropriate for you.