Skin Botox pain in Suwon: with so many injection points, how much does it hurt?
If you have been looking into skin Botox and are worried about pain because you heard it involves injections in many spots, it helps to first understand where the pain comes from. Skin Botox is a treatment in which diluted botulinum toxin is injected in very small amounts, spaced closely, into the shallow layer of the dermis rather than into muscle; it is also called Dermotoxin.
With skin Botox, each needle prick is small, but because there are many injection points, people tend to feel the stinging continue, and the dermis has more densely packed sensory nerves than the muscle layer, making it more sensitive to the needle. At our Suwon clinic, we first look at your concerns and the areas to be treated during consultation, apply numbing cream for 20 to 40 minutes, and then design the injection points before proceeding.
In this article, we go through how skin Botox differs from regular Botox, differences in pain by area, preparation to reduce pain and the treatment steps, swelling and recovery care, and side effects.
Skin Botox pain: key points
- Skin Botox places the product in small, closely spaced amounts in the shallow dermis to address fine lines, skin texture, pores, and oiliness.
- The forehead and jawline, which are close to bone, and the sides of the nose and the mouth area, where the skin is thin, are more sensitive, while the middle of the cheeks tends to be less so.
- Numbing cream is applied for 20 to 40 minutes before treatment, and the procedure takes about 10 minutes.
- The bumpy swelling usually subsides within 2 to 3 hours, and the effect lasts an average of 1 to 2 months.
How is skin Botox different from regular Botox?
Regular wrinkle Botox is injected into facial expression muscles to reduce the force with which they fold the skin. Skin Botox spreads the same product widely in the dermis just beneath the skin to reduce the activity of tiny muscle fibers, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands in the skin, so rather than noticeably changing expressions, it is closer to addressing fine lines, skin texture, pores, and oiliness.
It can be used across the whole face, including the forehead, between the brows, around the eyes, the cheeks, and the jawline, and the injection points vary with your concerns. If oiliness and pores are the concern, it is placed densely in oily areas such as the forehead, nose, and inner cheeks; if fine lines are the concern, it is placed more shallowly around the eyes and on the forehead. The wider the area, the more injection points there are, and the longer you feel pain.
How does skin Botox pain differ by area?
Even at the same depth, the pain you feel differs with the structure of each area.
| Area | Skin and structure | Pain felt |
|---|---|---|
| Forehead, jawline | Close to bone | A strong tingling sensation when the needle touches |
| Sides of the nose, mouth area, under the eyes | Thin skin with many nerves | Stinging feels stronger |
| Middle of the cheeks | Thicker, fuller tissue | Feels relatively less painful |
As the product goes in and the skin swells up, there is a brief, tight, pressing sensation. On days when you are tired, around your period, or when your skin is dry and sensitive, the same stimulus can feel stronger; the stinging fades quickly once the needle is out, and there may be mild throbbing for a day or two.
Preparation to reduce skin Botox pain and the treatment steps
How pain is reduced
The most basic step is applying numbing cream for long enough. If the cream is on for too short a time, the numbing will not take evenly, so it is best to arrive a little before your appointment time; also avoid drinking alcohol the day before, as it widens blood vessels and can increase bruising and swelling.
During the treatment, it helps to breathe evenly and relax your face. Clenching your teeth or squeezing your eyes shut tenses the muscles, making the needle feel stronger and making it harder to keep the injection depth even, so if you are especially sensitive to pain, we decide together whether to proceed area by area with breaks or to reduce the extent of sensitive areas.
Treatment steps at our Suwon clinic
- Personalized Consultation
- Numbing Cream
- Design
- Disinfection
- Treatment
Numbing cream is applied for 20 to 40 minutes, the procedure takes about 10 minutes, and you can return to your daily routine right away. The effect lasts an average of 1 to 2 months depending on how much you use your facial expressions and on lifestyle habits, and for ongoing care, treatment is repeated every 2 to 3 months.
View skin Botox treatment information
Skin Botox swelling and recovery care
- You can wash your face and wear makeup starting 2-3 hours after treatment.
- For 3 to 7 days after treatment, avoid heavy drinking, smoking, saunas and Korean bathhouses, hot baths, and strenuous exercise.
- Do not rub the injection sites hard, and avoid strong massages or meridian massage for one month.
- Cooling the skin with a cold pack after the treatment can ease any remaining stinging.
Right after the treatment, the injection points rise into small bumps; this embossing effect subsides within 2 to 3 hours and may last 1 to 2 days depending on your skin. Small bruises and swelling at injection points are mild and subside soon, but if you have an important event, it is better to schedule the treatment with some time to spare.
Side effects and precautions for skin botox
Common reactions include bumpy swelling, redness, small bruises, and swelling, most of which subside within a few days. The degree of pain and reaction varies from person to person depending on skin condition and area.
If product placed in the forehead reaches the muscle, the brows may feel heavy or forehead expressions may look unnatural, and if a lot goes under the eyes, the under-eye roll (aegyo-sal) may look flat when you smile, so less is used in these areas or they are skipped. When needle stimulation, numbing cream, and touching your face with your hands combine, small pimples may appear for a few days. Please tell us before treatment if you have inflammatory acne or dermatitis, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a muscle disorder.
If your eyelids droop, you have difficulty swallowing, or the injection site becomes increasingly red and hot, please contact the clinic right away.
What should be checked before skin botox?
If any of these apply, start with a consultation on the treatment area
- I have lots of fine, crinkly lines on my forehead and around my eyes.
- By afternoon, my forehead, nose, and cheeks get oily and my pores stand out.
- I am especially sensitive to needle pain.
- I want to keep my under-eye roll (aegyo-sal) as it is.
If two or more apply, it is best to first check the areas and extent of injection and the amount for sensitive areas. Whether to treat, and the method and extent of treatment, are decided together in consultation after a doctor's examination.
In short, skin Botox pain varies with the area and the condition of your skin that day, so the key is to allow enough time for numbing cream and to decide the extent of sensitive areas in advance.
FAQ
Q. Is skin Botox very painful?
A. Each prick is small, but because there are many injection points, people tend to feel the stinging continue. Numbing cream is applied for 20 to 40 minutes before treatment, and thin-skinned areas such as the sides of the nose and the mouth area, as well as the forehead and jawline, which are close to bone, are more sensitive.
Q. Can skin Botox be done under sedation?
A. Skin Botox at our Suwon clinic is done without sedation, after applying numbing cream for 20 to 40 minutes. If you are worried about pain, let us know during consultation, and we will decide together whether to proceed area by area with breaks or to reduce the extent of sensitive areas.
Q. When does skin Botox swelling go down?
A. The embossing effect, where injection points rise into small bumps, usually subsides within 2 to 3 hours and may last 1 to 2 days depending on your skin. Small bruises and swelling at injection points are mild and subside soon.
Q. Can I break out after skin Botox?
A. When needle stimulation, numbing cream, and touching your face with your hands combine, small pimples can appear. If you avoid touching the treated area and keep your face clean, they usually subside within a few days; if they keep getting worse, please let the clinic know.
Q. Will skin Botox under the eyes make my under-eye roll (aegyo-sal) disappear?
A. If a lot of product goes under the eyes, the under-eye roll may look flat when you smile. If you want to keep it, let us know during consultation; we will avoid that area or reduce the amount, and decide the injection range while looking at your smile together.
Q. How can I find out the cost of skin botox?
A. The cost depends on the areas and extent of injection and on what is combined with it. We will explain it after confirming in consultation which parts of the face will be treated and how widely, and you can also check the items for each option on the treatment information page.
This content is provided as general treatment information and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a medical professional to decide whether and how to proceed with a treatment.