When to Book Botox and Filler Before the Holidays

Once the holiday invitations start showing up, so does the planning. A work party, a family photo, a flight home to people you haven't seen all year. You want to look rested and like yourself.

The timing depends on the treatment. Wrinkle relaxers and filler both need time to settle before they look their best, and the week before a big event is not the week to try something new. Here's how far ahead to plan, based on how these treatments behave and how we approach them at our Normandy Park clinic.

The short version

Treatment	Book this far ahead	Why
Wrinkle relaxers (Botox, Daxxify, Jeuveau), if you've had them before	3-4 weeks	They take 5 to 7 days to start working and up to 14 days to fully settle
Wrinkle relaxers, first time	About 4 weeks	Leaves room for a follow-up visit before your event
Dermal filler	At least 2 weeks	Shows right away, then softens over 1 to 2 weeks as swelling settles
Lip filler	2 to 3 weeks	Lips tend to swell more and need a little longer
AuraLux, lightest setting (3DMIRACL)	At least 2 weeks	Designed for very little downtime
DiamondGlow	The week of your event	Event friendly, with no recovery to plan around

Wrinkle relaxers: Botox, Daxxify and Jeuveau

We offer three wrinkle relaxers, also called neuromodulators: Botox, Daxxify and Jeuveau. All three soften expression lines by relaxing the specific muscles that cause them. All three also need time before you see the full result.

Plan on two weeks before your event. It takes about 5 to 7 days to start working and up to 14 days to fully settle. Booking two weeks out means you show up with the finished result instead of the halfway point.

If it's your first time, give yourself closer to four weeks. Our dosing is conservative on purpose. We would rather start with less and adjust at a follow-up than overdo it, and four weeks leaves room for that follow-up before your event. The same goes if you're treating a new area or switching products. Our first-timer's guide to injectables walks through what that first visit is like.

Which product is right for you depends on your goals, your anatomy, how long you want results to last and how you've responded in the past. Botox and Jeuveau typically last about 3 to 4 months. Daxxify is designed to last longer for many patients, closer to 5 to 6 months. Either way, a mid-November appointment should carry you well past New Year's.

Filler: give it at least two weeks

We use hyaluronic acid fillers, including the RHA Collection, which is designed to move with your expressions. Filler shows right away, which makes it tempting to book a few days before an event. Swelling is the reason not to. Results soften and settle over one to two weeks, and bruising can happen.

Book filler at least two weeks before your event. For lips, give it two to three weeks. Lips tend to swell more than other areas and need a little longer to look like themselves.

A note on bruising and deeper skin tones

Bruising is a possibility with any injection. On melanin-rich skin, a bruise or any irritation can sometimes leave a dark mark that lingers after it heals. That's one more reason to keep injections well clear of an important date and to follow your aftercare closely. We’ll spend time going over what to do after your appointment to lower that risk.

The week before is not the time to try something new

When we asked every provider on our team what they wish clients knew, each of them said some version of the same thing: I will probably recommend less than you came in asking for. You can read more about each of them in Meet the Team.

That goes double in December. If you've never had filler, the week before a party is not the week to find out how your lips swell. If you've never had a peel, skip booking your first one days before family photos, since peels can flake for a few days. Treatments that target dark spots can make them look darker before they lift. Save the new things for January, when there's room to heal on your own schedule.

What does fit the week of an event is a treatment your skin already knows, or one with no real recovery at all.

For glowing skin, not just smoother lines

Wrinkle relaxers and filler handle lines and volume. For brightness and texture, two treatments fit around a holiday calendar.

DiamondGlow is the easy one. It exfoliates, clears out pores and infuses targeted serums in a single treatment with minimal downtime. It's event friendly, so you can book it the week of a party.

AuraLux is our newest laser, with three treatment levels. The lightest, 3DMIRACL, focuses on overall tone and texture and is designed for very little downtime. If you want it in the mix before the holidays, book it at least two weeks ahead. The deeper Refresh and Renew settings involve more visible recovery, so we would plan those for January once your calendar clears. Fall and winter are a good season for laser work in general, since less sun means less risk of pigment rebounding.

Your 2026 holiday booking dates

If you have a specific date, count back from it. Here's what that looks like for three of the big ones this year. These are the latest dates, not the ideal ones. Earlier is always easier!

Event	Wrinkle relaxers (had before)	Wrinkle relaxers (first time)	Filler	Lip filler
Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26	By November 12	By October 29	By November 12	By November 5
Christmas, Friday, December 25	By December 11	By November 27	By December 11	By December 4
New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31	By December 17	By December 3	By December 17	By December 10

Booking at Inclusive Aesthetics

Every injectable appointment starts with a consultation to review your goals, medical history and timing. If treatment is right for you, we can usually go ahead the same day. Tell us your event date when you book and we'll plan around it.

We're at Normandy Park Towne Center, 19987 1st Ave S, Suite 103, a short drive from Burien, Des Moines, SeaTac and Seattle. Evening and Saturday appointments are available.

Book online or call (206) 495-2256.

Frequently asked questions

How long before an event should I get Botox?

Two weeks if you've had it before. If it's your first time, plan for about four weeks so there's room for a follow-up visit.

How long before an event should I get filler?

At least two weeks. For lips, two to three weeks, since lips tend to swell more.

Will Botox from November last through New Year's?

For most people, yes. Botox and Jeuveau typically last about 3 to 4 months, and Daxxify may last closer to 5 to 6 months for many patients. Results vary.

What can I book the week of my event?

DiamondGlow is event friendly and has minimal downtime. If you already get wrinkle relaxers regularly and know how your skin responds, talk with your provider about timing.

Where can I get Botox near Burien or Des Moines?

Inclusive Aesthetics is in Normandy Park Towne Center, a short drive from both. We offer Botox, Daxxify, Jeuveau and dermal filler with a conservative approach for every skin tone.