How Soon Can I Touch Up Botox and Fillers?

If you’re new to the world of injectable treatments like Botox and dermal fillers, one of the questions you might have is, how often do I need to have touch ups? After all, you probably know when Botox wears off completely (four months) and when fillers wear off completely (roughly a year). So should you try to get them touched up? The answers might surprise you. 

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How soon to touch up Botox?

When you get Botox for the first time it is really incredible. Your skin smooths out and wrinkles relax away. You might wonder why you have to wait three to four months before getting more. But though it might be tempting, you shouldn’t try to do super frequent touch ups for Botox. Why? Because more frequent doses can allow your body to develop a tolerance. This effect is still being researched and is unlikely. But you really don’t want to do anything that elevates your risk of being resistant to Botox. 

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However, if your first dose doesn’t give you the results you want—especially if it’s your first time ever getting Botox injections—many providers will have you come back two weeks afterwards for adjustments. These adjustment sessions typically add just a few more units where needed. It may be that one side of your face is more active—this is super common! And so you may need a little more on one side of your face than the other. 

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Additionally, experienced providers are often conservative with how much they inject at first, knowing that a two week adjustment is possible. They want your results to look natural, so they will tend to err on the side of ‘less is more’ and wait to see if more is needed later. They will also need to learn how your face works and adjust the dosage for what’s right for you–Botox is a personalized, customized treatment that’s unique for each patient. But don’t try to get another large dose until 3 months after, otherwise you risk making the treatment less effective in the long term. And it would be such a tragedy to not be able to use Botox, right?! We get anxious just thinking about it.

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How soon can you touch up filler?

Fillers are a bit different, mostly because there’s more variation in formula type. Fillers last a long time on average—up to a year in many cases, and sometimes longer. Unlike Botox, the body doesn’t appear to build up antibodies to fillers. In other words, touch ups won’t give you an immune response-related resistance like Botox potentially could. Filler is metabolized (broken down) slowly by the body over time. 

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This means it’s often appropriate to top up your filler, so that you can keep your results looking consistent over time. Depending on the treatment area, the desired results, and the product formulation itself, you may need touch ups every three months or as infrequently as every eighteen months. And if you’re getting lip filler for the very first time, your provider will likely start you with a smaller amount–like half a syringe or one syringe–and then add more over time. This keeps your results looking the most natural and prevents over-filling. For lips, you can typically touch up after about six months. Note that if you have a faster than average metabolism, you may notice your filler wearing off faster, because you’re metabolizing it faster. But everyone’s body is different, and your treatment provider will advise you when it’s best to get touched up. 

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So in conclusion, follow your injector's schedule, and if you aren't getting the results you want, consider getting more filler or more units of Botox next time!