While technically speaking, yes, you can go in the sun after Botox treatment, it is still very much advised for you to avoid it in this case. It is crucial to limit sun exposure at this rather critical point in time when your skin needs to heal properly.
There are also several precautions that you can take, regardless of if you’ve had Botox but even more so, since UV rays cause the elastin fibers in your skin to break down causing it to sag, stretch, wrinkle, as well as other visible signs of aging in the face.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the effects of the sun, heat, and tanning have on your skin after getting Botox, as well as how to protect yourself from any irreversible mistakes.
Going in the Sun After Botox
It is advised to avoid spending unnecessary time in the sun after receiving Botox treatment. This doesn’t mean that you have to behave as though you’ve suddenly become a vampire, but tanning is an absolute no-go for the first few days until your skin heals.
Read on if you would like to delve into deeper detail as to why and how the sun can cause complications to your face at this delicate time.
What Does Tanning Do to Botox?
Your skin is even more susceptible to bruising and tearing after Botox and tanning would cause it to require additional time to heal due to the sun’s damaging UV rays which is one of the main reasons it should be avoided after Botox.
It is even more important to avoid not just the sun, but heat in general until all swelling and redness has disappeared, otherwise it will take longer for your skin to heal, and this could cause complications.
Does Heat Affect Botox?
In a way, yes, heat of any kind does affect Botox.
It can make Botox wear off faster because it can disperse if the temperature of your body is not kept at a cool temperature. Thus, that includes the sun as well as tanning beds which can also damage the skin due to UV rays.
In worst cases, Botox shots can swell up if sweat seeps into the injection sites, causing irritation and maybe even infection. This only really happens if your body temperature goes up right after treatment.
Tanning and direct sunlight should be avoided for the first 48 hours, and you can go back to your regular outdoor activities about two weeks afterwards.
Protecting the Skin After Botox
Post Botox patients should apply sunscreen that is a minimum of SPF 30 very frequently. Although, it’s always better to be over protected than under protected so don’t hesitate when it comes to using SPF 50.
It is extremely imperative to put some on 20 minutes before going outside, again moments before going outside, and reapply every 2 hours.
Wearing a hat, glasses, and some light clothing such as a scarf to protect the treated area helps as well.
UV rays aren’t the only problem; avoid spray tan for at least 6 hours after treatment to reduce the risk of infection.
