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Does Botox Offer Long Term Benefits?
asked 9 months ago by Chris_T
Latest answer by Ronald Shelton, MD
Question viewed 439 times
Tags: benefit, long-term
Is Botox a pause button? And does it retrain muscles to the extent that I will have less visible wrinkles upon cessation of Botox cosmetic? I assume that if a muscle atrophyies because it hasn't been used for 10 years, combined with other muscles growing dominant - that the effect could be lasting without the use of Botox? If paralyzed muscles haven't developed, will the wrinkles simply return to what they were before Botox use, or will they return as if Botox was never used? Thanks!
15 answers to Does Botox Offer Long Term Benefits?
+1
Botox Benefits
All good feedback from panel members. While it's true that, consistent use of Botox & Dysport lends to possibly longer duration or less dosing, our faces are designed to animate. Hence, maintenance treatments to maintain desired outcomes are a expected. However, most will agree that this is a good, long-term investment in one's appearance.
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Botox or dysport doesn't usually offer any longer term beneficial effects.
Once you stop using botox or dysport, the muscle movements go back to the way they were before you got the botox. Unfortuneately, there is no long term benefit once you stop it. Sincerely,
David Hansen,MD
+2
Long term benefits of Botox
You ask an excellent question. In general the effects of Botox wear off after several months and patient's muscle return to their normal activity. However, If one were to start using Botox early on, it is quite possible one could prevent the development of those permanently indented lines that occur from chronic frowning, raising one's forehead or crow's feet. This is what you might hear when doctor's discuss the difference between static lines as opposed to dynamic facial...
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+2
Does Botox offer long term benefits?
Yes, Botox and Dysport offer long term benefits. For some , the injections break the habit of frowning or teeth grinding. For others, the process of injecting gradually mnimizes the tendency to do these. However, it does not get rid of these habits so the injections need to be maintained.
For other injections, such as for increased sweating, the treatments offer improvement that lasts for up to six months. In some instances, the injections can last longer
+2
Long term botox
While your thought process is logical it doesn't seem to work that way. The muscle function and wrinkles will return. It's probably because unlike muscle atrophy that occurs when a nerve is cut and the entire muscle is permanently denervated, with Botox there is probably always some degree of muscle activity at motor end plates not totally blocked as well as recovery going on at a variable rate. As the effect wears off it may not be enough to spoil the effect until that reaches a...
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Michael L. Schwartz, MD
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon
+2
Botox can work like a pause button.
I believe you are correct when you mention Botox working like a pause button. It will reverse time a little (wrinkles that took years to develop improve), but once you stop, you will move forward again. Now, will they return to what they were before you started? Well, I think this depends on how long you have been consistently using botox. I have found that with chronic users of botox, static wrinkles (wrinkles present even when you stretch the skin) do improve....
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Daniel I. Wasserman, MD
Naples Dermatologic Surgeon
Naples Dermatologic Surgeon
+2
Does Botox give long term benefits?
No, Botox and Dysport will temporarily reduce unwanted lines and wrinkles but once you no longer use these products, the effects will decrease and ultimately be gone completely allowing the miuscles and lines to return as they were before the toxins were used.
+2
Are there long term benefits from Botox?
It's true that with longer term use, the muscles get smaller and there is less Botox required. When Botox is not used for a long time, the function of the muscle will return as will the wrinkles caused by its action. It may take some time to develop them again because of the decreased bulk of the muscle, but eventually it will come back.
+2
Long Term Benefits from Botox
Botox Cosmetic provides temporary softening of the underlying muscles which helps reduce overlying dynamic wrinkles - wrinkles which occur with movement of the muscle. Over time, there is also an effect on the static wrinkles - wrinkles which are present at rest. When you stop using Botox, the dynamic wrinkles return. However, there are benefits from the long term use of Botox which include reducing stress on your skin and helping the reduction of static wrinkles....
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+1
Wrinkles can disappear with botox but return less apparent after botox cessation
If the botox is stopped, after it has been regularly used for many years, the muscles will awaken and as they contract the skin overlying will crease and wrinkle again, but the lines won't appear as bad as they were prior to the botox first being used.
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+1
Botox Fort Lauderdale
That really is a great analogy. The truth is that the muscles injected do atrophy to some degree depending on the amount injected & time intervals. I will frequently recommend my patients alternate during their sessions going lighter in a region we may have gone heavier before to allow for recovery of resting tone.
Will Richardson, MD
Fort Lauderdale Dermatologic Surgeon
Fort Lauderdale Dermatologic Surgeon
+1
Long Term Effects of Botox
With regular use of Botox, I generally find you may be able to slowly extend the time between treatment cycles-- often to about every 6 months-- after treating for a few years. This probably has to do with some general long term weaking of the muscle, as well as some "retraining" of the body in the use of facial musculature. You never see significant atrophy, because the effects of Botox fade gradually--- and we see a gradual restoration of muscle activity. So...
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+1
Long Term Effects of Botox
The question of whether or not Botox and filler treatments will increase the risk of worsening of the lines after they have worn off has come up frequently. In my experience, the opposite has been the case. Wrinkles can be made to disappear using Botox and the new hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane. They not only eliminate lines but will also prevent new ones from forming. Eventually, when everything has worn off, I believe you will still be much improved and will be...
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+1
Does Botox Offer Long Term Benefits
Botox or any other neuromodulator partially or completely paralyzize the muscles. By doing so it prevents or reverses the effects of facial muscles in animation. By doing so on a regular basis you reduce the formation of deep wrinkles and slow down the againg process. Once you stop the use the muscle regain their function and the wrinkles will form. So as long as you use it it has a beneficial effect on skin aging ! Good luck
+1
There is no evidence of this.
Intuitively it sounds reasonable. However, we have no evidence that this is actually the case. What is true is that getting this treatment will help you look and feel better and that is really what it is all about. There is no free lunch out there.
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