Botox Q&A

64%

WORTH IT RATING

854 Reviews

Ask a Question

View Before and Afters

Average Botox Cost: $425

Learn about Botox

3,016 people and 923 doctors are talking about Botox

Get Free Email Updates

Under Eye Still Puffy 9 Months After Botox

asked 1 year ago by MichelleSims in West Hollywood, CA
Latest answer by Ronald Shelton, MD
Question viewed 1,215 times
Tags: crows feet, under eyes, puffiness

hi! i had botox injected for the first time on the crows feet area 9 months ago. the next day i had a puffy bag section under my left eye that i have never had before in my life (i am 40) i've never had bags under my eyes, and only had a few fine lines before getting the botox. it's 9 months later and that little puffy bag is still there. will it ever go away? did the botox permanently paralyze that muscle and it is not able to get rid of the fluid under that eye now? help!!

20 answers to Under Eye Still Puffy 9 Months After Botox

Bags Under Eyes Because of Botox?

Hi Michelle. While it is possible to have the side effect you are speaking about, it's very unlikely that any bags under the eyes that exist 9 months after your treatment are related to the Botox. This is because the Botox has worn off after 3-4 months. We would suggest checking with yourpractitioner to see the "before" pictures. This should shed some light on your situation. Good luck.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.celibre.com

Long lasting puffiness under the eyes after botox

Dear Michelle, Although your problem is very rare, I believe you and I will offer a possible explanation (although all my colleagues are correct too). Botox weakens muscles, and if injected around the lower lids, the orbicularis muscle in particular. Every time this muscle is activated, in addition to closing your eyelid, it also pumps fluid out of the region. Thus by weakening the muscle, there is the possibility more fluid can accumulate under your eyes, especially... more

Yoash R. Enzer, MD
Providence Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.doctorenzer.com

BOTOX can cause bags

Michelle, Sorry to hear of your problem, but you are not the only one who has experienced this. Botox relaxes the orbicularis muscle when we treat crowsfeet. If the injections are carried down under the eye it can improve the lines, but may lead to "bags". The muscle can help support the fat behind the lower eyelid, so weakeness can temporarily allow the fat to "protrude". However, weakening the muscle can lead to less efficient clearence of the... more

David Magilke, MD
Portland Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botox can not cause puffiness nine months after eyelid treatment

The botox injecitons will wear off after 4-5 months maximum. If tear troughs are injected with fillers, such as the hyaluronic acids, Juvederm or Restylane, puffiness can be seen for more than a year. see video

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Botox is worn off already, so I don't think it is to blame

As Botox only lasts for 3-4 months, it has worn off so something else is to blame. I would suggest going back to see the physician who injected you. In the mean time, learn more about Botox in the link below.

Babak Azizzadeh, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Puffy eyes after botox

At 9 months the botox should have worn off. Also, any swelling that occurred immediately after injection would have resolved over a few days. I'm not sure why you still have some bags. I'd recommend you see a plastic surgeon you trust and have them see you in consultation to see what can be done to help you. Dr. Cat Begovic M.D.

Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Under eye puffiness

No, the puffiness can't still be related to your Botox injection 9 months later. That seems extremely unlikely. Did you go back to the MD that injected the Botox for some clarification?

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botox effect lasts for 3-4 months

Botox works by interrupting the signal the nerve sends the muscle to contract. The effects of Botox last approximately 3-4 months, then dissipate, because the body develops new channels of communication between nerves and muscles. The swelling that you may get after injections should resolve in a few days.

Emily Altman, MD
Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

Botulinum toxin does not cause "bags" under the eyes nine months following treatment

My colleagues are correct. Botulinum toxin can rarely change the appearance of the lower eyelid (drooping or malposition) but it does not cause bags. Botulinum toxin does not permanently relax facial muscles. Rather, it weakens these muscles for a period of about three months. If you were only treated with botulinum toxin it is highly unlikely that this medication is to blame for the "bag" under your eye. You would possibly benefit from a lower eyelid blepharoplasty to remedy this... more

Stephen Weber, MD
Lone Tree Facial Plastic Surgeon

Puffiness after Botox

I agree with all the physicians above. Botox will not cause the puffiness, especially 9 months after. This is why we always do a before and after picture. Once we inject, every patient, including myself, become very critical of every wrinkle and defect of the face and we notice them more after injections. SO, you probably had the puffiness there before but did not notice it. Dr. Behnam.

Ben Behnam, MD
Santa Monica Dermatologic Surgeon

Botox and bags

The botox did not cause the bulging that you describe especially after 9 months. While the botox injections might have reduced the orbicularis muscle activity in the corner of the eyelids, there is a high likelihood that the puffiness were present prior to the procedure but became more apparent as you were less concerned with the crows feet.

John Pak, MD, PhD
Chicago Oculoplastic Surgeon

I am certain that you believe this but it is not true.

Michelle Ouch, 9 docs disagreeing with you. But they are right. This is why we take before and after photos. There is no debate that you may have bags under the eyes but these are normal for someone who is 40 years old. So now that we have cleared up that misconception, the next question is what are you going to do about your lower eyelid bags? My recommendation, lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. Surgery should not be your first... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Puffy Eye 9 Months after Botox

Botox would not cause a puffy bag 9 months after injection. Please consult with a plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, or an opthalmologist for an evaluation and diagnosis.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Puffy eyes and Botox

I have never heard of Botox causing a puffy eye. It is unlikely that this is the cause. You may have just noticed it more after the injection.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Botox causing puffiness?

Without before and after pictures, it is very difficult to give you specific advice are draw any association between the Botox and your phenomenon. The good news is that Botox is ALWAYS temporary and usually is gone within 3 to 4 months or at most 6 months. Sometimes, and I am not saying that this is what happened with you, patients look at their faces more critically after having plastic surgery and start noticing things that were already there but never caught their attention.... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

I Had Botox 9 Months Ago & My Under-Eye Area Is Still Puffy!

Botox for crows feet generally does not result in puffiness. The Botox really only lasts for a maximum of 6 months. When Botox is done around the lateral eye, it slows the movement of the periocular muscles, so this can result in some temporary bunching of the muscles when we smile, but it wouldn't cause edema . I have heard some reports of this phenomenon, but I have not witnessed it at my practice. I would advise having your ophthalmologist examine your eyes to rule out any other... more

David Colbert, MD
New York Dermatologic Surgeon

Did your doctor take pre-treatment photos?

Pre-treatment photos, taken under standardized symmetrical lighting conditions, are very useful to objectively analyse problems like yours. That's why I [and an increasing number of my colleagues] get these baseline photos before treating people with BTX-A or fillers. If such pre-treatment photos are available, they would be very helpful, in particular when compared with post-treatment photos taken under similar conditions.

Kevin C. Smith, MD
Niagara Falls Dermatologic Surgeon

Botox effects are temporary

While it is possible that relaxation of the muscles adjacent to the eye with Botox could reveal an area of fat protrusion, the effect would be temporary. The Botox itself is rapidly cleared so it wouldn't cause long-term swelling.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Puffy after Botox?

Are you certain you had Botox? Botox and Dysport are delivered in a small amount of water. The swelling from the injection resolves in a few days. Both cause temporary paralysis of the muscles, and it is this that decreases the folding of the skin. While the glabellar frown lines can often be eliminated, laugh lines are reduced about 50% for most people. The cheek muscles will still pull the skin upward towards the eye causing some persistent wrinkling in the crow's feet area... more

Joseph Mele, MD
Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

Lower lid bag after Botox

Botox cannot permanently paralyze anything. Your body sends out new nerve endings to the affected muscle in about 3 months. That bag was going to happen anyway whether Botox was used or not.