Anti-wrinkle aftercare advice: the sheet to send every patient

Every anti-wrinkle patient should leave your clinic with the same written aftercare advice, every time. Verbal guidance gets half-remembered, and a patient who rubs the treated area or lies down for a nap an hour later may blame the result on your technique rather than their own aftercare. Consistent written advice protects the result, manages expectations about how long botulinum toxin takes to work, and protects you: if a complaint arises, you can show exactly what the patient was told and when. The sheet below is complete and uncontroversial. Copy it as it stands, adapt the details to your own protocol, and send it after every appointment.

The aftercare sheet

Your anti-wrinkle treatment is done, and the next few hours and days matter. Follow this guidance and contact your practitioner if anything is unclear.

For the first 4 hours

• Stay upright. Avoid lying down, napping or bending forward for long periods for around 4 hours after treatment.

For the first 24 hours

• Avoid alcohol, as it can increase the chance of bruising.
• You can apply makeup after a few hours if the injection points have closed, but use a light touch and clean brushes. If in doubt, wait until the next day.

For the first 2 days

• Avoid strenuous exercise. A gentle walk is fine; the gym, running and hot yoga are not.
• Avoid saunas, steam rooms, sunbeds and very hot showers. Heat increases blood flow to the skin and can worsen swelling or bruising.

For the first 3 days

• Do not rub, massage or apply pressure to the treated areas. This includes cleansing vigorously, applying tight headwear or pressing your face into your hands. Rubbing can spread the product beyond where it was placed.

For the first 2 weeks

• Avoid facials, facial massage, microdermabrasion and any treatment that applies pressure to the treated area.
• Avoid sunbeds and prolonged heat exposure where you can.

What to expect

• Small bumps at the injection points are normal and usually settle within an hour or so.
• Mild redness, tenderness or a small bruise can appear and will fade over a few days. Bruises can be covered with makeup once the injection points have closed.
• Some people notice a mild, dull headache on the day of treatment. This is common after a first appointment and passes quickly; paracetamol is fine if you need it.
• Results are not immediate. You may notice the first changes from around day 2 to 3, with the full effect taking up to 14 days. Do not judge the result before two weeks have passed.
• Your practitioner may offer a review appointment around the 2 to 3 week mark. If a top-up is needed, this is the window in which it is assessed; adjustments made too early or too late are less reliable.
• Results typically last around 3 to 4 months, though this varies between people and tends to settle into a pattern over repeated treatments. Book your next appointment when movement starts to return rather than waiting for lines to fully re-establish.

Normal versus not normal

Normal: mild swelling, tenderness, small bruises, a mild headache on the first day, and slight asymmetry while the product settles during the first two weeks.

Contact your practitioner if you notice: a heavy or drooping eyelid or brow, double or blurred vision, difficulty swallowing or speaking, a rash or signs of an allergic reaction, or anything that feels significantly worse rather than better as the days pass. If you have any difficulty breathing, call 999: do not wait for the clinic to open. These are uncommon, and most have straightforward management, but they should always be assessed rather than waited out.

If anything worries you, contact your practitioner; that is what we are here for.

When patients should contact you urgently

The escalation points worth repeating to your team: eyelid or brow ptosis, any visual disturbance, difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, and signs of allergic reaction. Breathing difficulty is a 999 instruction, not a callback. None of these should be triaged by reception as routine; they need practitioner review, and visual or airway symptoms need same-day attention. Equally important is the paper trail. Record that aftercare advice was given, in what form, and on what date. If a patient later claims they were never told to avoid rubbing the area, a timestamped record of the sheet being sent settles the question in seconds.

Make this automatic

AesthetiClinic emails this aftercare sheet automatically after every appointment, branded to your clinic, and records on the patient record that it was sent and when. No one on your team has to remember, and the documentation takes care of itself. See how it works on our features page, and pair it with our anti-wrinkle consent form template so the whole treatment journey is covered in writing.

General aftercare guidance for UK aesthetics practice. Your practitioner’s specific advice always takes precedence. Patients with urgent symptoms should contact their practitioner or seek medical care immediately.