People have a lot of questions about Botox—is it safe, how long does it last, how much does it cost, etc. A lot of these questions stem from a rumor or some horror story they heard on the evening news, but we understand why people ask. We’re more than happy to answer any questions our patients may have about Botox or any other procedure for that matter.

One specific question, which we hear a lot is “does Botox hurt?” The simple answer is if there is any discomfort, it is usually minimal and brief. In fact, most plastic surgeons will use a cold pack or a local anesthetic to numb the area that is to be injected so that pain or discomfort is as minimal as possible.

The entire Botox injection procedure usually takes about 10-20 minutes, so there is no downtime associated with the procedure like you might expect with a more invasive procedure like a breast augmentation or liposuction. Very rarely, the injection site may become inflamed, which can result in localized pain. There are some people with a history of bruising easily that might have some slight bruising at the injection site. But both of these cases are rare.

The Botox procedure does involve a number of injections. This means needles, and for many people this equals pain. While many people have an associated fear of needles, the Botox injections use fairly small needles, so the pain is pretty mild.

According to the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation, there have been over 11 million Botox procedures performed in the United States since 2002. It is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures performed every year. Furthermore, 92 percent of patients surveyed in the Facial Injectables Consumer User Survey said they were very satisfied with their experience. If Botox were extremely painful, we don’t think those satisfaction numbers would be so high.

If you have any questions regarding the Botox procedure, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Nuvista Plastic Surgery. Dr. Petersen is a Board Certified plastic surgeon and a highly trained and experienced professional who can help alleviate some of your fears and give you more information about the procedure and any potential side effects.