Being capable of determining if a swelling is oedema or inflammatory is straight forward. The main diagnostic factors are timing and inflammatory signs such as redness, irritation and discomfort.

Genuine oedema related swelling should not present until a few days at least after the procedure, possibly up to 7-10 days. This is because the muscle needs time to respond to the toxin and then the fluid needs to accumulate. This will be worse on waking. The swelling will improve after 14 days and symptoms eliminate completely as the toxin wears off.