Botox and Potential Dangers of Platysmal Band Injections?

asked 4 months ago by KAP1 in London, N1
Latest answer by Julio Garcia, MD
Question viewed 275 times
Tags: platysmal, risk, safety

I'm a 45 year old woman considering botox for platysmal bands but very concerned about swallowing/breathing difficulties reported. However unlikely. I have googled any number of key words, but not been able to find what kind of dosage level the people had who had trouble? And would it be a sensible strategy to have the dosage in two batches - say 20 units one week with another20 the next? To establish that placement of the 1st ok and neither dosage of itself big enough to paralyse esophagus?

10 answers to Botox and Potential Dangers of Platysmal Band Injections?

Side effects of Botox injections into platysmal bands

Botox injections of platysmal bands can greatly reduce the appearance of vertical neck lines. To decrease the risk of side effects from platysmal band injection with Botox, very small amounts of Botox should be injected per site - approximately 1-2 units every 2 cm of the band. I would not suggest repeating the injections in a week as full action of Botox may not fully manifest until 2 weeks after injection. The most important point is that you have the injections performed by a... more

Emily Altman, MD
Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

Botox for neck bands and wrinkles

Your question makes good scientific sense, but the toxicity has not been studied so well as to provide us answers to give you. If there were a very high number of units needed (that should not be the case) then you could consider to have one side done and a week later to do the other so that the number of units is limited per session, but this is just not done on a practical basis. Most patients will see board certified dermatologists or plastic surgeons and have average number of... more

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Botox for Platysmal Bands of the Neck

The most important advice I can give you is that you consult with and get treated by a board-certified dermatologist or facial plastic surgeon. As mentioned by other physicians in their answers, it is impossible to answer your question regarding dosages and units without evaluating you in person. Dosages very from patient to patient depending on the location, nature of the areas involved, and the desired outcomes. We do a lot of botox to the platysmal bands in our practice with great... more

Channing R. Barnett, MD
New York Dermatologist

Botox treatment of Platysmal Bands

Please make sure that you are being injected by a board certified and qualified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in Botox injections. Doses vary from patient to patient and desired treatment effect, so without seeing you in person, it is impossible to give you an absolute number of units. However Botox treatment of platysmal bands can be very safe and effective. Good Luck.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Botox for Platysmal Bands

Platysmal bands can respond very well to Botox in some patients and not at all in others. I will have the patients grimace in such a way that forces their bands to become more prominent. Then I inject while holding the bands away from the rest of the neck. The number of units also varies from patient to patient. There is no set formula or number of units. I have used as little as 20 or as much as 80 depending on the number and length of the bands. This is... more

Sheri G. Feldman, MD
Beverly Hills Dermatologist

The issue has nothing to do with the location of the injections.

Typically platsyma bands benefit from 20 to 60 units of BOTOX. My typically platysma band treatment is in the 20 unit range. Diffusion of BOTOX is not the issue here. Like any BOTOX service, a small percentage of sensitive patients can have a systemic effect from BOTOX treatment performed for platysma bands. In my practice, the incidence of this sensitivity is about one case in 2500 treatments for a total treatment dose of 33 units of BOTOX. That incidence is an... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Botox bands and the platysmus

If you are worried and want to correct horizontal lines, get a physician trained in MicroBotox. Used intradermally, it has very little chance of causing the problems you worry about

Barry Lycka, MD
Edmonton Dermatologist

Platysmal bands respond well to BOTOX®

Platysmal bands respond well to BOTOX®. As Dr. Altman has pointed out, it is important to have this work done for you by a physician who is experienced, and who has a good understanding of the anatomy of the neck. I have found it very useful to ask my patients to contract their neck muscles in such a way that the vertical bands stand out. Then I hold the bands away from the neck while carefully injecting them with BOTOX®. By holding the bands away from the neck, I can make... more

Kevin C. Smith, MD
Niagara Falls Dermatologic Surgeon

Botox for platysmal bands

The problems you describe with Botox use for platysmal bands can be does related, but it is also location and diffusion related. If the material is placed or it spreads deeper than the skin, then the issues can occur, even if a minimal amount is used. I am afraid that your suggestion of staged injections will not make it any safer.

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Botox and Potential Dangers of Platysmal Band Injections?

Botox, Dysport and Xeomin are neurotoxins that relax muscle responsible for causing unwantd lines, wrinkles, hypertrophy or buching(chords) as in the anterior neck. Using them to relax the platysmal muscle, in the neck, can cause difficulties in swallowing. You may want to atart out with very small doses spread out along the anterior platysmal bands and if tolerated, slowly have more Botox injected in a month or so.