Botox Expectations

Generally, most patients benefit from a standard dose of 20 units of Botox to treat frown lines. The reason being, to create the frown, there are several muscles involved that need to be dosed. To use less than ideal will result in little or no effect which would definitely be wasted time and money combined with disappointment.

As mentioned by the panel members, most people will not begin to see the effects for 24 to 48 hours. Thereafter, it may take up to 14 days to see the full benefits. It would appear that your practitioner did not take the time to provide you with correct information and patient education for your expected outcomes.

If you just received your Botox injection yesterday, you would not expect to see any results yet as it has only been one day since your treatment. To see the effects of the Botox it takes on average 3-5 days from the injection day. The complete results are usually noted at about 7 days.

The average amount of Botox used for the “11” lines between the eyebrows is around 20-25 units for a female. Males will usually require more units as their facial muscles are often thicker and stronger. Ultimately the number of units you need depends on the size and strength of your corrugator muscles.

We tell our patients to call us between 10-14 days if there is any question as to their results. We will then bring them back in for after pictures to compare the results and perform a touch-up procedure if necessary.

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The full effects of Botox can take as long as 2 weeks time. In general, it takes about 5-7 days before you see the effect of the paralysis. Even then, the lines dont go away that fast. Depending on how deep the lines are, it may take months and several treatments before the lines show improvements. I usually inject 20 unit in the glabella (the "11" lines).

Botox is not just a one time shot. It requires maintenance to achieve the results desired. Hope that helps.

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Thank you for your question.

For the 11 lines (glabellar area), 20 units is a pretty standard dose. For those with stronger muscles, it can go up to 25 units, and the reverse would apply for those with weaker movement or with history of multiple botox procedures. 

I have seen individual cases where one specific treatment of Botox "doesn't take" and there is minimal to no effect. Whether this is due to injection technique or inactive botox from the bottle, it is unknown. Some people are actually somewhat resistant to the effects. But again, these are all rarer reasons for a treatment that doesn't work.

Try your treatment one more time - again, 20 units is pretty standard and should work. It may be the case that you need slightly more, but rarely more than 25 units. I really hope that you get a great treatment that works well for you.

Good luck!

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The average number of Botox units I use to treat the glabellar frown lines (the so-called "11's") is 20 units.  For most patients, the effects begin to show within 48-72 hours.  Some patients may get the same results with less Botox, other patients require slightly more.

I caution patients to wait at least 3-4 days before judging the outcome.  If the level of paralysis or areas of paralysis are insufficient at that point, I will re-examine the patient to see whether a "touch-up" injection will be beneficial, but I usually wouldn't administer an additional dose of the Botox until one week after the first dose.

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Botox injection should be performed by an experienced practioner in an ethical and professional manner.  A frank discussion regarding risks, benefits, and intended number of units should be discussed between patient and physician. In general, twenty to thirty units should be injected into the glabella, upper nose, and mid forehead.

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