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Botox - Are the Lines Supposed to Completely Disappear? AND my First Shot Lasted One Month

asked 1 year ago by Second Surgery in New York and Central Florida
Latest answer by Steven E. Rasmussen, MD
Question viewed 1,121 times
Tags: eyes, lines, nose, wrinkles, results

Thanks in for your time and courtesy on answering my questions. I had my first treatment of Botox for a line that goes across the bridge of my nose (between the eyes). My Dr gave me 2 quick shots of Botox on Dec 2. It is now January 11 and movement has returned in the area. Also, the line I wanted treated never disappeared. It was always there even after the Botox. How long does Botox last? What determines how long it will work for me? Should I be asking my Dr for a specific strength?

18 answers to Botox - Are the Lines Supposed to Completely Disappear? AND my First Shot Lasted One Month

How Long Should My Botox Last?

Hi SS. In terms of how long your Botox should last, one month is definitely too little. When properly dosed you should receive 3-4 months of benefit. In regard to the line that was being treated. It almost sounds by your description that the line is horizontal because you say it goes "across" the bridge of the nose. Botox is primarily used to treat vertical lines between the eyes, but may still work if you have a horizontal line. The other... more

Harold J. Kaplan, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.celibre.com

Botox - Factors to Consider

After years of repeating the same facial expressions, eventually expression lines will form in these areas even when the expression itself is not being produced. The only way to help prevent these lines from appearing at rest is to apply Botox to the muscles which form the expression to soften their movement. However, there are many factors which contribute to the result of your Botox treatment. When treating my patients with Botox, my goal is not to erase all of their lines, but... more

Frances Jang, MD
Vancouver Dermatologic Surgeon

Botox Duration and Line Disappearing

Botox/Dysport typically last 3-4 months in most patients. Lines that are deep, from years of facial expression, do not typically disappear with one time injection. They may soften over time with repeat injections, however they may never completely go away. Sometimes, combining a Botox/Dysport treatment with a filler, such as Restylane or Juvederm can give you a better result.

Lisa Kates, MD
Annapolis Dermatologist

You might need a little more botox

In this case, I would consider the following: A. You may need a few more units of Botox B. You may not have had the muscles that were causing the problem injected with the Botox (i.e. it was injected into a less effective place). Hope this helps.

Cheryl Eberting, MD
Salt Lake City Dermatologist

Botox not lasting long enough

Botox typically lasts 3-4 months, but I have seen it last longer in some patients. If you don't see any change after one month, then you should return to your injecting physician. It is likely that you were under-treated. You should be aware, however, that not all of the lines will 'erase' in many patients. If there are deep lines from years of activity, these may persist after a Botox treatment.

Ryan Greene, MD, PhD
Fort Lauderdale Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botulinum toxin should last about 3 months - some lines require dermal filler to be eliminated

Botulinum toxin should last about 3 months but every patient is different in terms of the number of units they require for good effect and the duration of effect. Botulinum toxin weakens muscles and softens lines created by muscle movement. It does not treat lines that are imprinted in the skin. These lines can require dermal filler to be eliminated. Sometimes botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are used simultaneously. Best, Stephen Weber, M.D., Ph.D. Portland Facial Plastic... more

Stephen Weber, MD
Lone Tree Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botox and lines

Botox cannot completely eradicate lines form muscle animation. Some of those lines are etched in form constant motion. They usually soften somewhat.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Some Limitations of Botox

When treating the glabellar region, Botox does an excellent job minimizing/eliminating vertical lines. These are lines that form as a result of repetitive muscle contraction. There are individuals who have thick muscles in the glabellar region, especially centrally, and the weigt of the muscle is being pulled down by gravity. This causes a small horizontal line above the brige of the nose (between the eyes). Botox will unfortunately do little to eliminate this line in most cases. Even if... more

Relief Jones, III, MD
San Antonio Ophthalmologist

Do Lines Always Disappear with Botox? No

The dynamic lines which are created by years of activity in the brow area are not always eliminated by Botox. Some patients have very deep lines which will be softened, while other patients have lines/creases which are effectively erased after treatment with Botox. Immobility of the forehead is possible with larger doses (number of units received) if desired. The average duration of Botox is about 3 months. Generally, a short duration of Botox (1 month) is related to an... more

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botox and skin creases

Skin creases may take a while to disappear as they were created over many years. If the crease is a static line, one that is there from sun damage not muscle movement, then it won't improve with botox injections. If the line is related to years of muscle contraction in that area, and if those muscles can safely be treated with botox injections without interfering with vital muscle function (such as muscles that allow us to smile and speak correctly) then that line may improve over time.... more

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Do lines treated with Botox completely disappear

Whether lines treated with Botox disappear depends on two factors: a. whether the lines are dynamic (they appear only when the face is in motion and disappear when the face is relaxed) or static (lines are present all the time.) Since botox works by interfering with the nerve's signal for the muscle to contract, static lines that are present when the muscle is not contracting will not disappear after botox injections. Those lines may require a filler like Juvederm or... more

Emily Altman, MD
Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

Static versus dynamic lines-you may need more than Botox

Botox works well on lines that you tend to see more on expression. These are dynamic lines. The lines that are present even when you're not trying to express yourself may not flatten out totally disappear with Botox alone. In the situation you may need to also add a dermal filler such as Juvederm or Perlane to augment the Botox. I usually don't inject both at the same sitting but tend to wait one week between injecting the Botox and injecting the filler. Whoever treated you may not... more

Joseph M. Perlman, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Botox duration

Botox lasts different amounts of time in different people, and it depends on the number of units injected, area treated, and expertise/placement of the injections. Typically Botox lasts 3-4 months, although some people get 5-6 months. With repeated treatments, many patients find that the Botox lasts longer and longer.

Benjamin Barankin, MD
Toronto Dermatologic Surgeon

How long does Botox last?

Without knowing exactly how much BOTOX you actually had (# of units), this is very difficult to answer. For the most part, if you are treated effectively the results generally last around 3-4 months and sometimes even longer. The problem is that many injectors try and keep the costs down and so do not inject enough. The end result is that your result doesn't last. I would recommend avoiding the cheapest injector and, instead, going for reputation. As a... more

Gregory A. Buford, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

Disappearance of lines after Botox

If you are not seeing the effects that you and your physician talked about after your treatment, make sure to contact your provider to discuss this. Most of the time, a small addition of Botox to the remaining active muscle(s) will quickly get you the results that you desire.

Steven E. Rasmussen, MD
Austin Dermatologist

Botox is best injected over several treatment sessions

Botox is best injected over several treatment sessions. Botox needs proper titration to achieve beest results and this can only be achieved with weekly visits until the right dose is determined and is effective.

Edward Lack, MD
Chicago Dermatologist

Botox- the dosage matters

Botox works well for the lines between the eyes, the "11". Usually the effect is stronger , if a good amount of units is used.

Robert Kasten, MD
Mainz Dermatologic Surgeon

Botulinum toxin: lines not completely gone and results lasted one month

Quite frequently it takes 30-40 years for lines to develop and it is unlikely that they will completely disappear with treatment. Furthermore, some pateints are very expressive and when they believe that the botox effect has worn off, I observe use of other "substitute" muscles that have been recruited and are responsible for the persistence or recurrence of the lines.