When will I notice the results of the Botox?

The time that Botox takes before it becomes noticeable from patient to patient is generally 4 -7 days.

If you do not observe a difference after 7 days, I would suggest that you call the physician to have him recheck you. He/she can generally inject more units if needed.

Generally, I find that Botox takes full effect within 48-72 hours after injection.

In many cases, I have treated patients who have been dissatisfied by previous Botox injections by another practitioner, with the most-common complaint being that "it didn't work" or "it didn't last".  The common denominator in these situations is that the patients were treated "by area", and had no idea how many units of Botox were used.

Like any other medication, Botox should be administered in a recognized and standardized dosing form.  Some medications are administered by grams, milligrams, or ounces; Botox is administered by "units".  When properly diluted and prepared for injection, the physician should know precisely how many "units" of Botox are contained in 1cc of solution.  That way, when for example the "11's" or frown lines are treated with 20 units in 1cc, both the doctor and the patient know what dose was used.  In my office, Botox is charged to the patient at $15 per unit.  If the dose was effective (as it usually is) for a given area, both I and the patient know how much of a dose will be required at the next visit, and what the cost will be.

Many offices do Botox treatments "by area", meaning that the patient is charged a fee for the frown lines, another fee for the crow's feet, and another fee for the forehead, as examples.  In this scenario, the office may be charging the patient much more than $15 per unit, since the dilution of the Botox as it is prepared is generally much greater than 20 units per 1cc.  The office makes a greater profit per vial of Botox, but patients may not receive an effective dose, nor do they know the actual dose they receive.

A final factor is the skill of the injector.  In some cases, the Botox may be administered too superficial or too deep relative to the muscle causing the unwanted frown or wrinkle line, in which case it will be marginally effective.  Very rarely, there may be problems with the potency of the medication as received from the manufacturer.

Botox is a great treatment for lines in motion, especially between the eyes, on the forehead, and at the “crow’s feet” area. It takes between 3 and 10 days for most patients to experience the effects of Botox. A few patients will take only 2 days; some will need up to 14 days before they’re seeing great results.

Many first-time Botox patients are so excited to see results they go on “Botox watch”: they constantly are looking in the mirror, waiting for the "big change". In reality, the wrinkles in motion improve gradually over a couple of days.

Right after their injection, some patients might say, “I can see it working already!” In reality, what they’re seeing is some mild swelling of the area where the injections were placed. I use very small amounts of fluid in my injections, so this doesn’t occur too much in my office. Again, it takes a few days for Botox to truly take effect.

I advise patients to return for follow up pictures in 10 days or more. This is best to make sure we’re getting the results we want.

Remember- It’s Your Face! Make sure to seek out a Medical Doctor who treats patients him- or herself for Best Results!

In general, a patient should notice some effect of the BOTOX Cosmetic within 4-7 days of it being injected.  However, this time may be shorter in some individuals.  The complete effect is generally seen by 14 days after the date of the injection. 

One of the most frequent misconceptions is that BOTOX Cosmetic will work immediately.  It is important to understand how BOTOX Cosmetic works. 

After BOTOX Cosmetic is injected into the muscle, it takes time for it to bind to the receptor responsible for sending the signal to release a chemical that results in muscle contraction.  Until this binding takes place, the patient will not see an effect.  This process takes a different amount of time in different people. 

I recommend that all patients be seen two weeks after being injected with BOTOX Cosmetic.  This will allow your physician to critically evaluate the results.  If you are pleased, it will allow the physician to know this so he/she can repeat the injection technique in the future.  If you are not completely satisfied, a dose adjustment ("touch up injection") can be performed to meet your expectations.  This will also allow your physician to adjust his/her technique in the future.

Remember that BOTOX Cosmetic will not remove lines or wrinkles that are already etched into the skin.  For this, one should consider skin resurfacing (e.g., chemical peels, laser, dermabrasion) and/or injectable filler materials (e.g., Restylane, Juvederm).

Be sure your physician has the proper training, credentials, and experience.  Communicate your goals before your injection.  This will allow your physician to meet and hopefully exceed your expectations.

You should notice the Botox starting to work in 2-3 days. Over the course of 7-10 days, the effect will become stronger. In my practice, I ask patients to return at two weeks as that point they should be seeing maximal effect. As is mentioned in other forums, lines between the brows can be due to either muscle motion or tethering of the skin to deeper structures. This means that for maximal effect you may need Botox + some type of filler. More permanent options are available.

Botox takes betwen 4-7 days for it to work.  Now, if the lines are deep furrows, they may actually be dermal depression lines that will not completely respond to Botox. Sometimes surgical techniques to release these lines from the undersurface can help. Sometimes tiny amounts of injectable fillers or fat grafts can help as well.