Botox Not Working After 16 Days?

I had Botox injections done 16 days ago. This was my first time ever getting it done. I had 15 units done between my eyebrows. I can still frown. There is absolutely no change. Very aggravating since I had to BEG my husband. And now hes saying the old "I told you so". I called the doctors office and they want me to come in for touch ups. I'm wondering if they are going to charge me more. If so my husband surely won't go for that! Grrrr any advise?

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no change 2 weeks post-op

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12 Doctor Answers | Asked by Kassi in Texas

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Botox treatment of frown lines in the glabella for the "11"

Prior to injection of Botox for dynamic lines related to muscle movement, the anatomy of the patient is studied, both at rest and with active muscle contraction. A sense of the muscle bulk (mass) is made and the doctor can gauge how many of units are needed and how many insertion sites. Many patients need more than 15 units for this region and the cost is more, depending on the total number of units. It is wise, however, to be conservative as one can always add more units. more

Botox not working after 16 days - likely too low a dose

I think the issue is that the dose given to you was too low. If you see an expert injector such as a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, they will ensure that you get the right amount of units, injected at the right depth, into the right anatomical place, and in combination with the right other treatments if necessary (e.g. fillers). Without seeing your frown lines, it is hard to say what would have been the right dosage, but I suspect it should have been double or so the dose you received... more

Benjamin Barankin, MD

10 reviews

Toronto Dermatologic Surgeon

Non-effect from Botox

The two most common reasons for your symptoms are inadequate amounts and inappropriate placement. The region that you mentioned can vary in muscle density - greater density, greater amounts of neuromodulator. If the doctors office wishes for you to come in for a touch-up, this is a good sign that they want to do right by you and it is reasonable to return. I am unable to speak to additional costs, but you can easily ask and I am certain that no caring provider would be offended... more

Botox Not Working After 2 Weeks

Botox takes up to 2 weeks to see the full effect. After 2 weeks, minimal improvement will be seen. For this reason, many physicians will recommend that patients return at 2 weeks to check the results. Having "no result" after the treatment of Botox can occur for several reasons, including: Too little Botox was used. For the treatment of the frown lines, most patients require 20-25 units of Botox. Some patients, can have a good result with 15 units. This is the... more

Robert S. Bader, MD

3 reviews

Miami Dermatologic Surgeon

Botox and frowning

Sometimes it take a little extra for the Botox to work. As for the fee, that is something to discuss with your doctor.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

The area treated was to soften the vertical lines or "11"s not prevent frowning

Fifteen units between the eyebrows may be a little light for some people, and perfect for others. It will soften the vertical "11"s. You would need additional botox in the forehead area to reduce the ability to frown. Other factors affecting results include technique, and freshness of the product. We use our botox within one hour of preparing.

Botox timeline

After two weeks, whatever Botox you had has reached its full effect. The area you had treated between your eyebrows is the glabella, and the muscles treated in this area erase the presence of the "11's," the vertical lines present in the area of the glabella. I usually treat the glabella with a higher dose than 15 Units, but that should be enough to produce some softening of the wrinkles. Hopefully you had some photos taken beforehand for comparison. Since... more

Botox isn't working...?

Well the reason you can still frown is because you didn't have the forehead treated - you had the glabella area treated between your brows which means you shouldn't have those 11 lines there, but you absolutely should be able to frown because your forehead wasn't treated! The forehead muscles (frontalis) is what causes you to move that area and be able to frown. 15 units is a rather low amount for the glabella area - I use at least 20 units here. If the office that treated you wants you to... more

Reasons Why Botox May not Be Working After 16 Days

15 units is certainly enough to at least make a noticeable difference in the "11's". There are several possibilities why you feel it has not worked. First, the longer it has been since the Botox was mixed, the more it loses it's strength. This is why it is important to go to someone who does a lot of injecting (their Botox should always be fresh). Secondly, the size and strength of each person's muscles vary. If you have large, strong muscles in this area, 15 units might not have been enough... more

Why isn't Botox working?

15 units between the eyebrows will not stop your forehead from furrowing. Without seeing a pre-procedure photo, it would be impossible to know whether the amount injected was suitable to address the problem. Injector technique may play a role and Botox should be injected by a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon who is knowledgeable about the facial anatomy. Additionally, Botox should only be purchased, as Dr. Siegel notes, from Allergan Corporation and diluted appropriately. more

Botox failure

There can be a number of reasons for this. First off is where you had it done. Be sure to use an injector that is board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon, or at least working for one. Fifteen units is a bit on the low side, I inject 20 units at least in the glabellar region. What do you mean you can still frown? Remember that the region you had treated are the 11's, or the deep rhytides between your eyebrows. You did not have your forehead... more

BOTOX Cosmetic not working

There are several reason why there is no change, although 15 units should produce some changes-There is a small percentage of the population that does not respond to BOTOX, the product that was injected was prepared too long ago and its lost its potency, or the product was just not potent enough due to manufacturing issues. Lastly, ensure that the product injected was BOTOX Cosmetic from Allergan. It is at the discretion of the injector what to do, personally I would re-evaluate and if... more