Do Botox and Filler Hurt?

Everything that we do in aesthetic medicine hurts! If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t work. Unless you have no sensory nerves in your face (which some people don’t), the little sensory nerves in your face will feel a tiny poke, similar to a little bee sting. It’s tolerable AND uncomfortable. Things that are not uncomfortable in the aesthetic world often don’t do me any good. Whether that’s laser hair removal, facial lasers, or Botox and fillers, if it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t give me the results I want. When I am getting injected by my nurses, I remind myself that I WANT this treatment. Slow breathing and getting in the zone can significantly affect the degree of pain you feel. We also provide topical numbing, ice, and vibration tools that help with pain, so it is more tolerable. This medical director (me) is a huge weenie and empath, so the more pain control methods we have, the better. However, numbing cream is not a good idea for Botox as it’s done and over within 2 to 4 minutes with minimal pain. Numbing is best used for fillers and most lasers. We ask that patients arrive 15 minutes before their filler appointment to numb and 30 minutes before a laser appointment.