I Got A Botox Facial & I’m Ready To Book My Next Appointment

Standing Appointment is our review series that investigates the best new and notable cosmetic treatments in the aesthetics space and determines whether or not they are worth trying for yourself. This week, one writer tries a Botox facial for the glass skin effect.

As a beauty editor, one of my bucket list items is to take a whirlwind trip to South Korea and spend an afternoon at one of their renowned med spa clinics — with all their cutting-edge technology — to get that coveted glass skin look. At the top of my list of treatments to try has been what’s unofficially known as a “Botox facial.” It’s touted for delivering an immediate glow, refined pores, and smoother, more youthful skin, all without any hint of the “frozen” look.

It’s the skin refresh I’ve been dreaming of, so when I found out that I didn’t have to fly across the globe to get it because Peachy — an innovative preventative skin care studio known for specializing in wrinkle treatment — was now offering it stateside, I was the first in line to get it done. Not only was one of their New York City locations smack down the street from my office, but there’s zero downtime, so no one could even tell I had it done right before swiping in for work. Now that it’s been a few weeks since getting the treatment, I can share all the details. Ahead, everything you need to know about a Botox facial and my firsthand experience getting it done

What Exactly Is A Botox Facial?

A Botox facial (also commonly referred to as SkinTox, or even MicroBotox in some circles) is a noninvasive treatment that utilizes teeny, tiny microneedling with micro droplets (i.e., a diluted version) of a neuromodulator to help reduce pore size and have an overall smoothing effect on skin. It should be noted that while this treatment is often referred to as a “Botox facial,” not every facial actually uses the same Botox neuromodulator, and may leverage a different version, like Xeomin (more on this later).

“When injected, Botox blocks neurotransmitters released from a neuron from signaling a facial muscle, reducing wrinkles,” says New York City-based double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Melissa Doft, M.D. “But it can also reduce pore size by weakening the muscle connected to the pilosebaceous unit in a hair follicle, reducing oil production and thus reducing pore size.”

The dilute formula of Botox delivered through microneedling like Aquagold, she says, “is able to reach the dermis and epidermis but should not reach the facial muscles, thus the benefit is in pore reduction and possible reduction of redness.”

What Are The Benefits Of Botox Facial?

The instant effects, which make this treatment so covetable, are an overall glow, smooth skin, enhanced skin laxity, and a facial lift. One study even showed a significant decrease in acne and prominence of pores after two weeks of intradermal injections.

“Large clinical trials have demonstrated that Botox, when injected intradermally, can significantly improve overall skin quality,” says Peachy co-founder Carolyn Treasure. “This includes reducing pore size, controlling sebum production, decreasing facial erythema (redness) and flushing, and improving skin texture and laxity.”

While lasers and other facial treatments may work through different mechanisms, according to Treasure, “The Botox Facial with Aquagold is differentiated not only by exact mechanism of action but also recovery time — it is minimally invasive and effectively painless with little to no downtime.”

Aquagold, for clarity, is the actual microneedling device used at Peachy for this treatment. “The Aquagold device consists of 20 ultra-fine, 24K gold microchannels — the microchannels are thinner than a human hair,” says Treasure. “This device allows for precise and controlled delivery of Botox into the dermal layer of the skin. The microchannels themselves also act to stimulate collagen production which helps minimize static lines, or the faint permanent etchings that occur.”

What Are The Potential Risks & Side Effects?

Some people may experience a minor tingling sensation during the treatment, slight redness (similar to how your skin might look after emerging from a sauna), or minor swelling immediately after. These side effects usually disappear within a day or two.

Who Should Get This Treatment?

A good candidate is someone with fine lines at rest, larger pore size, scarring, and looking for an allover tightening and lifting look. While you might notice an immediate glow, full effects usually settle in after about two weeks. And although you can technically opt to get the treatment done about every six weeks or so, Doft says most people will get them every three months.

The only person who would not be a good candidate is someone who is looking to get pregnant, is pregnant or breastfeeding, or anyone with an active infection or acne flare-up.

How Much Does A Botox Facial Cost?

Prices vary depending on where you’re located and where you’re getting it done, but the treatment can range from $300 to $600. Peachy offers it for $375.

My Experience Getting A Botox Facial

Leading up to my appointment, I was beyond excited, but when I arrived and started filling out my paperwork, I admittedly started to get nervous. What if the neuromodulator isn’t as diluted as I’m expecting it to be and I end up with results that don’t look natural? Or worse, what if I don’t see a difference in my skin at all?

After getting my pictures taken with their AI Treatment tool, which analyzes pore size and static lines to help tailor my appointment, I sat down for an initial consultation with my nurse practitioner. Clearly, my worry started to surface because the first question that rolled off my tongue was: “This isn’t going to make my face look frozen, right?”

She quickly reassured me, “It’s a superficial treatment and is not injected deep into the muscle [like typical Botox] so it won’t be relaxing that muscle.”

After further reiterating that “I’m just here for the glow” and skin texture benefits, I felt a little more at ease. Although you can choose your preferred neurotoxin, the recommended one at Peachy to pair with Aquagold is Xeomin. According to my nurse, it has no accessory proteins so there is less risk of developing neurotoxin resistance. Accessory proteins are essentially like extra particles left in the product and that may trigger your body to develop antibodies to it. Since this treatment can be done more frequently than traditional wrinkle-relaxing injections, we went with Xeomin.

After explaining the process, we were ready to go. I’ve had microneedling done before and for other treatments it ranged from uncomfortable to unbearable, so I braced myself for something similar. This wasn’t that at all. In fact, the stamping with the Aquagold device was very tolerable. It felt almost like a light exfoliation or like a light pinching.

She went over my face and neck about three or four times. The pain started at about a one, and with each pass went up a notch, but never really exceeding a three on the pain level, in my opinion. I probably could have fallen asleep during the treatment, but in about 20 minutes, it was over. Afterwards, as warned, my skin had the slight bit of redness, an almost windburned look, that calmed down after about half an hour.

The After Care

The great thing about the Botox facial is there is truly no downtime. For maximum results, I was told to avoid makeup, skin products, or exercise for at least four hours after the treatment, but preferably the rest of the day. After the Botox facial, most people typically experience slight redness for around 15-20 minutes.

My Takeaway

I was told to expect an immediate glow one to two days later, which my skin definitely had. I was told full effects would appear in 10 to 14 days. The weeks in between felt slow as I was waiting for glass skin. I felt even a zit or two pop up on my cheek and near my nose which hasn’t happened to me in a long time, which made me wonder if it’s anything to do with the tightening effect on my pores (could my skin be getting congested?).

Personally, I didn't notice "the glow" right at the two-week mark as much as I did between weeks three and four. After being sick and off camera the day before, I joined a virtual call completely makeup-free and was almost taken aback by how dewy my skin looked on camera. Up close, my pores definitely appeared smaller, but they were still visible.

Overall, has my skin texture improved since the treatment? Absolutely. Does it resemble the glass skin I’ve been dreaming of? Not quite yet. While there’s a visible difference in my pores, there's still some noticeable unevenness in my texture, so I wouldn't say it's at the glass-skin level I was hoping for after just one treatment.

Given the minimal pain, quick treatment time, accessibility, and price point, I’m definitely planning to return in a couple months for another treatment. Here’s hoping I’ll get there soon.