Frequently Asked Questions

APT Injection Training offers a wide range of Botox and dermal filler training and certification courses that are open for all registered medical practitioners, including, in general,  doctors, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, nurse practitioners, and dentists. Each province or state has a specific list of medical professionals whose scope of practice includes aesthetic injectables, so if you don’t find yourself on the above list, please contact us for more information. Depending on your injecting experience, APT Injection Training has a customized Botox training course for appropriate individuals interested in building a career in medical aesthetics.

APT utilizes a balance of online pre-course material classroom instruction and hands-on injection training. We believe that this approach gives our students the best opportunity to read, learn and consolidate theoretical knowledge before attending the hands-on Botox training session where the focus is on practical skills.

We use a strict 2:1 trainee to trainer ratio in all of our hands-on training settings. This allows our students to get the most out of their training, with intimate access to their trainers to learn and ask questions. It provides maximum safety and comfort for our models and ensures all learner questions and concerns are answered.

In Canada, only licensed medical physicians, nurse practitioners( depending on province) and  dental surgeons  that have received botox® training may inject botox® independently. Registered nurses (RN) or practical nurses (RPN) who have completed toxin injection courses are also eligible to administer botox® cosmetic treatments under the supervision and recommendation of a physician or nurse practitioner ( depending on the province).

In 2017, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that botox® treatment is the most frequently performed minimally invasive cosmetic medical procedure with around 7.23 million procedures in that year  in the United States alone. The demands for botox® and cosmetic injectors are expected to increase every year.

Professional rates may vary depending on experience ,expertise and individual position agreements. According to Ziprecruiter, cosmetic nurse injectors earn an average of $72,674 per year.

This can vary province by province but in general, registered nurses and registered practical nurses need to work with either a physician or nurse practitioner to inject. Physicians can inject independently. Nurse practitioners can sometimes work independently (depending on the province). Dentists can inject independently.

That depends. In general, no, pharamcists can not inject.  However, certain provinces, like Alberta, allow pharmacists to inject botox®. It is best to check your mandated scope of practice with your College.

Cosmetic nurses or aesthetic nurses are registered nurses or registered practical nurses who specialize in cosmetic treatments and who have taken injection training. Under the supervision of prescribing physicians or nurse practitioners  in some provinces, nurses can provide different types of cosmetic treatments. These include botox® injections, dermal fillers, collagen replacement therapy, sclerotherapy, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, photo facials, and tattoo removal, laser therapy, microneedling in addition to a variety of other procedures depending on the clinic.

Botox® and dermal fillers are both widely used for their anti-ageing benefits. botox® effectively targets dynamic muscle movement or lines of expression. It relaxes and stops the muscle from working and creating creases. In general, it is the treatment of choice for the upper face although can be used in certain instances in the lower face. On the other hand, dermal fillers do exactly what they say – they “fill” spaces and thus are used to address lines at rest and for revolumizing areas that have lost volume or sagged due to the natural aging process. They are also used for definition, stimulating collagen and in some cases, enhancing features ( like lips) to restore ideal facial proportion. Ideal proportion is always the goal for both botox® and dermal filler treatments.

While botox® (onabotulinumtoxinA) is arguably the most popular brand for toxin injection treatments there are other brands that exist in the market include XEOMIN (incobotulinumtoxinA),  DYSPORT (onabotulinumtoxinA) and  Nuceiva (prabotulinumtoxin A).  All brands provide excellent results and may have certain individual advantages.  Your injector can best decide the right product for you.

In the U.S., botox® was approved by the FDA for patients between the ages of 18 to 65 years old. Patients should not be allergic to any of the ingredients of botox®, or whatever toxin brand will be used. Typically, botox® is used to treat dynamic wrinkles ( those caused by moving your muscles) in the upper face like your frown lines or crows feet.

While botox® is considered relatively safe for everyone, there is a specific group of individuals who are not ideal candidates. Primarily women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive should seek alternative treatments or postpone their plans of getting botox®. It is also not advisable for those who have been diagnosed with a neurological disease or any medical condition that affects your nerves or muscles, such as Al Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), myasthenia gravis, or the Lambert-Eaton syndrome.

Yes. Some people seek botox® injection treatments to address specific medical conditions. These include chronic neck spasms (cervical dystonia), lazy eye (strabismus), excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), hemifacial spasm, cerebral palsy, or an overactive bladder. botox® injections may also help alleviate chronic migraines and relieve the symptoms of TMJ.

When done with a certified cosmetic injector, botox® is generally safe and effective. But as with any procedure, some patients may experience minor side effects post-treatment. These may include redness, swelling, and bruising on the treatment site, which resolves on its own.

Typically, the effects of botox® may become noticeable in three (3) to four (4) days. In some cases, patients have to wait 10 to 14 days before the maximum results of their botox® treatment became obvious. As a result, follow up appointments are usually scheduled at the 14 day timeframe.

Patients are not supposed to move or touch the treatment site for 4 hours. Do not touch or rub the area injected as that may put pressure on the skin and may move around the injected product. Avoid any form of strenuous physical activity as advised by your doctor or cosmetic injector. This includes brisk walking, jogging, hot yoga, or working out the exercise equipment at the gym.

Making the decision to get cosmetic enhancements is a personal choice. It is never too early or too late for anyone to get botox®. But here at APT, we have seen remarkable results in prevention for patients who get botox® injections in their early 30s.

No. botox® cannot impede the nerves and muscles permanently because of the way the body works, which metabolizes the drug and eliminates it from the system. Thus, effects of botox® are expected to last 3-6 months.  Some areas may not last as long as dosing may be quite low in certain areas to maintain natural animation.  Feel free to talk to your injector who can individualize the treatment for you.

Botox® treatment benefits can last from three to six months.

Definitely not. botox® impressively delays the onset of skin ageing – it is like “ stopping the clock”. Once the effects of the patient’s last treatment wear off, the skin goes back to normal. It does not get worse at all. However, because the patient has grown accustomed to the smoothness of their skin, he/she may like continued treatment.  Other , normal ageing of the skin continues , such as that caused by sun damage, so botox® is typically part of a comprehensive skin care regimen.

Therapeutic botox® applications, for example, for the treatment of migraines or to address symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ), are often classified as an insured benefit by the majority of medical insurance providers in Canada. On the contrary, the same cannot be said for botox® procedures done for aesthetic enhancement purposes.

There is a prevalent misconception that botox® gives unnatural results. The truth is this only happens where  either too much product is injected or injected in the incorrect area for the desired result being sought by the patient.  This can happen in upper forehead injections that subsequently affect the position and movement of the brow. Expert injectors know how to accurately dose and inject botox® to achieve subtle, youthful, and attractive benefits. When you pay for botox®, you aren’t just paying for the cost of the product, but rather the skill and expertise of how it is injected.

botox® banishes fine lines and wrinkles on the skin and makes it super smooth. When the light hits the skin, it creates a flawless and glowing appearance often associated with youth.

Typically there are no restrictions to travel after botox®.  However, since it can take 14 days to take full effect, it is always optimal to be able to attend a follow up appointment to ensure perfect results. As the skin is being broken by a needle, there is a theoretical chance of an infection and thus , most injectors recommend waiting for 24 to 48 hours to fly to err on the side of caution.

Yes. botox® injection treatments shrink and paralyze the oversized pores that produce excessive oil that causes major skin breakouts.

You can’t reverse botox®.  However, often times, bad botox® can be “ corrected”. It is always best practice to see your injector at 14 days post your treatment to make any tiny adjustments that may be required. So while we can’t “reverse”, and sometimes the only option is time, you should always make an appointment with your injector if you have any questions or concerns regarding your treatment.

Patients may not like what they see or see no difference in their appearance the first time they check themselves out in the mirror after botox® treatment. This is normal because the drug takes some time to effect – typically 3-14 days for full effect.  It can be different with each person, each time so a follow up appointment at 14 days with your injector is always ideal.

Yes. Patients can have the treatment once and never again – totally an individual choice. Your expressions will not look worse once you stop.  Patients may decide to stop getting botox® injections at some point if they prefer to try a new cosmetic treatment or stop everything altogether. Nevertheless, because botox® is not permanent, ageing symptoms, such as fine lines and wrinkles, should be expected to come back and go deeper as you become older.

Sometimes. It depends on the reason for the sagging jowls and the action of the underlying muscles. Oftentimes, dermal fillers are also required to help with sagging jowls.  It is best to book an appointment for a comprehensive consultation with your injector who can outline all the available treatment options.

This depends on the patient and individual pain tolerance level. It is usually described as a tiny mosquito bite and many times, patients don’t feel the injections at all. If needed and requested, ice or a  topical anesthetic is applied to the treatment site to numb the area to make the procedure more comfortable although is typically not required.  Your injector will ensure your comfort!

Yes, there is a possibility for this to happen, but it is extremely rare. The effects of this are temporary and go away on their own.

At APT Injection training, we recommend that you exercise the area of the face that was injected by repeating facial movements for a short period of time after you are injected.  For example, if you had your frown line injected, we recommend that you frown and relax your face for about 10 minutes after injection.  This is based on a clinical study that showed that it helped with the uptake and efficacy of the treatment.  That said, we do not want you to touch or rub your face for several hours after injection. Doing so prevents the product from going to other areas of the face.

Absolutely. botox® is an excellent anti-ageing treatment because it helps relax the muscles frequently used for facial expressions and smoothen the fine lines and wrinkles they create. For very deep forehead lines, often a variety of treatment modalities are used to achieve the final result desired by the patient.

Yes. Although used for cosmetic purposes, botox® is classified as an FDA-approved prescription drug. It should be administered appropriately after medical consultation and evaluation of the patient’s overall health and wellbeing..  You should have a consent done with a physician or nurse practitioner (depending on the province) and the treatment can be administered by a registered nurse or registered practical nurse working in conjunction with a physician or nurse practitioner (depending on the province).

Yes. Cosmetic injectors can administer botox® on the upper tail of the eyebrow to lift it and give the eyelid a boost.

Yes , you can.  While there is a theoretical concern that coffee may contain ingredients that heighten the risk for swelling and inflammation, the overall risk for swelling and inflammation after botox® is very low. We have never seen an adverse impact  with coffee.  Drink away!

Yes. Dermal fillers that contain hyaluronic acid are classified as class III and IV medical devices in Canada. Injection of dermal fillers is  a medical treatment and thus should be administered by licensed registered medical personnel such as physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses and in some cases by dentists as well.

New dermal fillers are being approved every day.  The most popular brands include Juvederm, Belotero, Restylane, Revanesse and Teosyal.

Effects of dermal fillers can be seen immediately as they fill and occupy space.  However, since they need time to integrate into your skin and have any associated swelling and bruising to disappear, we typically say that it can take 2 weeks to see full results of filler treatments.

There are basically three different classes of fillers – Hyaluronic acid fillers ( including Juvederm, Belotero, Restylane, Revanesse and Teosyal), longer lasting fillers such as Radiesse, long lasting fillers like Bellafill and collagen stimulators such as Sculptra. In general, depending on the area of the face and your individual chemistry, hyaluronic acids are considered to last 6-18 months, Radiesse 12-18 months and Bellafill 5 years. . Remember that only certain fillers can go into certain areas ( like lips and tear troughs) so the best option is to have a thorough consultation with your injector who will be able to explain the various choices available to achieve your aesthetic results.

If you have used a hyaluronic acid filler, patients who are not satisfied with the initial results can theoretically have their dermal fillers dissolved. While the dissolving agent works rapidly, it can still take several visits to obtain the final result.  Thus, going “ slow and steady” in terms of a treatment program is a good idea.  Most importantly, it is imperative to have a thorough consultation with your injector about the aesthetic results you are seeking. This helps to ensure that the product doesn’t need to be dissolved. 

Hyaluron Pen is a small handheld device that purportedly introduces dermal fillers, such as hyaluronic acid into the skin. They also go by the names HyaPens, fog injection devices, SERA pens, and nebulizer injector guns. No, they are not authorized to be sold or used in the country by Health Canada and should be avoided because of their questionable safety and effectiveness. Multiple complications have been identified with these devices.

Dermal fillers do not cause sinusitis.  However, dermal filler injections are “ well patient “ procedures.  If you are suffering from sinusitis , your filler injections will be delayed to ensure your safety and comfort.

Yes. This is one of the risks ( albeit very rare) of dermal fillers and will be discussed with you during your consultation. When fillers get into the bloodstream, they can cause serious complications, including tissue damage and in exceptionally rare cases, vision problems.