If your provider is a good one, your first Botox appointment should feel less like a procedure and more like a conversation. We start by sitting down with you, asking how your face moves, how you sleep, and what bothers you when you look in the mirror. None of that is small talk — it shapes the plan.

The consultation

We map the muscles in your forehead, between your brows, and around your eyes while you make a series of expressions. From there we discuss dosing in units, not in syringes, so you understand exactly what's going where. If you're after a softer, "still-yourself" result, we'll often start a touch lighter than the textbook number and bring you back at two weeks for a top-up if you want it.

The treatment itself

The injections take roughly ten minutes. Most patients describe the sensation as a quick pinch followed by a small pressure. We use very fine needles and ice when needed. You can drive home, return to work, and pick up your kids the same day.

The first two weeks

You won't see anything for three to four days. By day seven, the muscles begin to soften noticeably; by day fourteen, you'll see the final result. Tiny bumps at the injection sites resolve within an hour. Bruising is uncommon but possible, especially if you take fish oil or ibuprofen in the days before.

What we ask of you afterwards

• Stay upright for four hours.
• Skip strenuous workouts and saunas for 24 hours.
• Avoid pressing on the treated areas — no facials that evening.

That's it. The rest is just letting it work. If anything feels uneven at the two-week mark, we adjust at no charge.