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Nervous About Trying Botox...

asked 1 year ago by 660418anon in Montreal
Latest answer by Lisa L. Sowder, MD
Question viewed 653 times
Tags: droopy, scared

I have consulted with a plastic surgeon, who has suggested the following: 1. 24 units for crows feet. 2. 15 units for a brow lift. 3. 16 units for horizontal forehead lines. I would like to carefully try Botox to see if it right for me and am not sure which procedure to start with. 2 & 3 seems "conservative" enough but I am very concerned about eyelid drooping!! Is there anything about the dosage or which procedure to do that you could recommend?

16 answers to Nervous About Trying Botox...

+1

The only way you will know if you like botox is if you try it.

Botox or Dysport do great in most patients but the only way you will know if you like it is if you try it.  Let you doc recommend the amounts per area. Cost is roughly $300 for the forehead; $500 for the forehead and frown lines; and $675 for the forehead, frown lines and smile lines on the sides of the eyes.  Sincerely, David Hansen,MD
David Hansen, MD

Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

www.DrDavidHansen.com

+1

Botox anxiety

Make sure your doctor knows what he/she is doing.  Have him/her take photos of the wrinkles you do not like, start with a smallish dose and make sure you follow-up in a month or so.  Your doctor will want to see what sort of effect the dose he/she used had on the areas treated.  Botox effect is dose related but also very individual.  Close follow-up is important.  Eyelid drooping is a real bummer but really rare and also temporary.  Lisa Lynn Sowder, M.D.... more
Lisa L. Sowder, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Apprehension with Botox Treatment for Facial Wrinkles

Hi 660418anon in Montreal, It's completey normal to have a certain level anxiety with any cosmetic treatment, including non-surgical facial enhancements such as Botox Cosmetic. Botox has been used for years for the treatment of facial wrinkles. Eyelid drooping is very uncommon, temporary, and treatable. Plastic surgery is elective to improve one's appearance. No reason to jump in all at once. Start slowly, and increase treatments as desired. You'll appreciate... more
Houtan Chaboki, MD

Washington DC Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Botox results are dependent on injector technique

Botox results are more dependent on the experience and the technique of the injector than on the actual units used. The placement of the injections is crucial. When the glabella is injected, gentle pressure below the injection site prevents the inadvertent downward spread of the Botox and is useful in preventing a droopy eyelid.  The Botox should be injected very superficially when used for a brow lift, also to prevent drooping. As far as the forehead goes, Botox can sometimes cause... more
Richard Weiss, MD

Newport Beach Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Botox is safe if you have an experienced physician

Botox has a huge safety margin. The number of units is not so important as much as the experience of you physician. Botox ist ein sehr sicheres Arzneimitte mit einem großen Sicherheitsprofil. Die Anzahl der Einheiten ist nicht so wichtig wie die Erfahrung des Arztes. Spezialisierte Dermatologen haben im allgemeinen viel Erfahrung mit dieser Behandlung.
Robert Kasten, MD

Mainz Dermatologic Surgeon
+1

Why not start conservatively with you first Botox treatment?

Botox has been used for a couple of decades for cosmetic use and has a very good track record for safety.  When talking with a patient trying Botox for the first time, I often suggest starting conservatively -- pick the area that concerns you the most and have it treated.  For many people this is the glabella (between the eyebrows where I usually use 25 units).  From your photos, I see activity in the forehead muscles, and this is also a popular place to treat (I... more
Jonathan Sonne, MD

Naples Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Botox

You should feel comfortable with the doctor before having Botox.  As for the units, it really depends upon what you are having treated.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Botox and avoiding eyelid droop

(Please see the Amazon.com  link to an easy-to-read book on Botox I wrote, and the links to Botox videos that follow the end of the text below...) People who already have a slight hooding of the upper eyelid skin should be concerned about further droop if the forehead is treated with Botox, as the muscle of the forehead is used to help lift up the eyebrow/eyelid complex. Many people have forehead lines because their forehead muscle is constantly contracted to provide this lift for th more
Ronald Shelton, MD

Manhattan Dermatologist
+1

There are very few problems that may arise after a Botox treatment.

I read your concern, and I think your plastic surgeon has suggested realistic dosages of Botox for the areas to be treated. The likelihood of a temporary eyelid droop is 2% or less. Bruising may occur around your crow's feet in 10% of injections. I hope this is helpful for you.
Eric M. Joseph, MD

West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Botox is safe and has been time-tested

First make sure that you are comfortable and confident in the skills of your physician. Are your concerns being heard?  If not, consult with a different physician. it is typical to start a novice Botox patient with injections to the vertical (frown) lines between the eyebrows. You can come back to the provider after 2 weeks or so to check results, then get different areas of concern injected at that point. As I tell my enthusiastic patients," I can always inject more".... more
Anifat Balogun, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Botox is incredibly safe - Find an experienced injector

Botox itself is incredibly safe. The main issue is the injector. An experienced Botox injector will have a very low likelihood of causing a complication for you. The key is properly injecting the correct muscles and this takes experience to master.
Stephen Weber, MD

Lone Tree Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Avoiding brow ptosis with Botox

You best bet for a satisfactory result is to choose an experienced injector who will avoid the problem or minimize the potential by using excellent technique.
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Nervous about Botox

The amount of Botox used and the areas injected, really depends on what is bothering you about your appearance, and what you would like addressed/treated. If you are nervous- remember that the effects will wear off in time.
Purvisha Patel, MD

Germantown Dermatologist
+1

How about consulting a different injector.

If you are nervous about treatment and your doctor can't meet your concerns, consider a different doctor.  The bottom line is that you should be comfortable and your doctor should assist you in this processes.  The dose of BOTOX recommended may be appropriate but you are interested in starting small and within your level of comfort.  There is nothing wrong with feeling that way.  What you need now is a doctor who understands your concerns.
Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Be conservative with first time botox

The first thing to keep in mind is that Botox has a 20-year clinical history and an excellent safety record. First-timers usually do the area between the eyebrows, called the glabella, where vertical worry lines form. However, you didn't mention this as part of the plan. I would suggest that regardless of what area is highest priority for you, consider doing just the one area.
Richard Baxter, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Nervous about Botox: Botox is a Toxin, but so is Aspirin

My advice to patients who have not had Botox before and are nervous it, is to start with about 20 units in the glabella.  The glabella is the one are with FDA indication for cosmetic use and gives a relaxed appearance to the central brow.  I typically treat the crow's feet area with 20 units, and this can be performed in isolation without other areas.  I generally do not recommend treating the frontalis (horizontal lines) without treating the glabella, because a... more
Stephen Prendiville, MD

Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

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