Very little change after Botox on forehead

I'm 38, and 12 days ago, I had Botox on my horizontal forehead lines. I only see very little difference. Is this normal? Is it possible it will 'kick in' in the next 2 days? I did drink alcohol at a friend's party the night before the procedure and wondered would this have any impact on how it works? The physician also said that I would need an extra dose (which she applied) as the lines were already visible at rest--so I am especially disappointed that I can still see those lines!
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12 answers to “Very little change after Botox on...”

A: Ineffective Botox

Peter A. Aldea, MD

Dear Annie, As the post above attest, there could be MANY reasons why your Botox treatment may have been a disappointment to you. By 12 days you would have seen a complete effect of the Botox. So - the period of elapsed time is not the answer. Nor do I believe that your surgeon would have partially treated... more

A: Not enough Botox?

Peter Newen, MD

It is difficult to answer this question without actually seeing you. There are many factors that come into play here. If you did not receive enough botox, then you would still be able to move your forehead muscles and make the lines. However, if you are not able to move your forehead, but still see lines... more

A: Botox takes a while

Phillip Langsdon, MD

If you have had forehead lines for a while, it will take a while to soften them up. Of course, Botox is designed to treat the underlying muscles that cause the wrinkles, but it does not actually change the skin. So, after the muscles are paralyzed, and done so on a continuous basis (meaning you have to keep up... more

A: Most likely, you did not get enough Botox.

George J. Beraka, MD

Hi! Cannot be sure without seeing you, of course.  But almost all of our Botox patients in New York get significant improvement with 25 units after 12 days.

A: It may take a few treatments

Kenneth R. Francis, MD

Annie, It may take a few treatments of Botox to eventually smooth your forehead.  Look in the mirror and try to raise your eyebrows.  If you are unable to raise them, then your Botox is working.  Patience.

A: Sun damaged skin, etched-in wrinkles take more than one treatment of Botox

Mary Lupo, MD

Your doctor did nothing wrong, nor is Botox not being effective. If you give high doses to the forehead, the brows will drop. We often need additional treatments to improve lines that are not just from facial muscle movement, but from sun damage too. Laser and filler are two complementing treatments to Botox... more

A: It took 38 years to make those lines.

Leslie H. Stevens, MD

Botox does not treat wrinkles, it treats the muscles that make them. Therefore one should not expect prominent horizontal lines of the forehead to go away after one injection. Be patient, with continued ,regular use of Botox, the lines should soften because the muscles that created them have been weakened.

A: botox for the horizontal lines on the forehead

Lenore Sikorski, MD

Botox for the horizontal lines on the forehead is tricky. If you put too much in you drop the eyebrows and create a heavy upper lid.  Put too little in and you don't get an effect.  I would recommend going back to the doctor and getting a little more Botox.   If you don't respond to... more

A: Lines visible at rest may take several treatment cycles to abate

Robert A. Weiss, MD

Botox works well for dynamic lines and usually will help within 2 weeks.  Lines that are present at rest may take months to remodel and may take up to 3 cycles of Botox over a year to remodel and smooth out,

A: Try Botox again

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

There could be many explanations. In my mind, the practical issue is to get good results next time you have Botox. Ask your doctor to administer freshly prepared botox in sufficient concentration. If the forehead has many strong lines, you might need 25-40 units to get a complete correction. Best of luck!

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