Botox May Have Ruined my Eyes to the Point of Requiring Surgery -Austin, TX

I went in to my Dermatologist's office almost 1 year ago before a trip I had scheduled to visit an old boyfriend in Colorado (where I used to live). I had just turned 39 years old and my confidence levels were shaky as I had just divorced after a year long separation. Finding myself thrown back into the dating world as a single Mother of a young child I figured I needed to try my best to look as good as I can.

I have been blessed with beautiful skin, but I was noticing some minor crows feet forming around my eyes and some very mild fine lines on my forehead, but, what was bothering me most was my frown line in the middle of my eyes.

I went to see my Dermatologist who is part of a team of plastic surgeons and told him that I just wanted to have my frown line treated, but I also mentioned the mild lines on my forehead and crows feet. He said that they were running a "botox special" and suggested I treat my forehead and crows feet as well.

I did. That was 2 weeks prior to my trip. The day after the treatment my brows, - Dropped. My eyelids were completely swollen and not even visible. I knew it was very bad because when I put my mascara on my swollen lids flattened my long lashes out.

I frantically called my Dermatologist as my trip was coming up in 2 weeks. He said to come back in so he could 'fix it.' He injected More botox underneath my eyebrows and this did make my eyes appear to open more fully but I still hated the effect and felt like I just did not look like myself. It made me feel self conscious on my trip. I kept staring at my eyes and the only thing I could think of, was - "Thank God this is a temporary procedure and I can't wait to look like myself again."

I kept watiing...and waiting....and waiting to return to normal. I Never did.

I waited, - Patiently. I figured that for some reason the Botox was staying in my system longer. At 9 months, I was feeling very uneasy as I stared in the mirror. My eyelids were no longer swollen but they appeared flabby and creased unnaturally as I smiled. My eyes looked years Older and tired.

My 'crows feet', - Normal smile lines were uneven (Still are).

The worst of all though, - when I smiled my eyebrows Puffed Up, - the muscles above my eyebrows appear to be very enlarged. It gives my eyes what I could describe as a caveman appearance. My forehead used to be perfectly flat. My eyebrows look Deformed when I smile.

I made an appointment for an evaluation with the Dermatologist all the while thinking, wow, I guess the botox is still just in my system, how long will it take??

When I went in, to my utter shock and disbelief my administering dermatologist told me that my eye muscles had "atrophied" as a result of the botox and that he needed to administer More botox to fix it.

Atrophied? I could not believe it. I was crying in his office, telling him I just wanted my eyes to return to normal.

He said to trust him that he could fix it. He administered more Botox directly under my eyebrows again.

My eyelids swelled again and they are Still swollen 2 months later, - today. They are also Uneven as he administered the botox in different places underneath my brows because one brow was Protruding more than the other. Now the Other brow is protruding higher than the other and one eye appears more open when I smile as you can see in the photo.

As a result of this last treatment, my eyes also look like they are different shapes, and the lids are Swollen. I imagine that this only caused More damage to my already damaged eyelids which looked saggy and creased unevenly after the botox wore off last time. Only time will tell - another 6-7 months? How they will look finally after the effect has totally worn off. The enlarged muscles are as prominent as ever when I smile and I think that this is permanent - that my eyebrow muscles developed unnaturally as an effect of the botox changing the structure of how my natural eye muscles used to function.

I am only 40 years old and I feel that I will need some sort of surgery potentially to correct this damage.

My eyebrows even look slightly swollen when I am resting my face in a natural position. I am so afraid to see how my eyelids are going to look this time after the botox wears off.

I want to sue both the administering Dermatologists practice And Allergen. I was Never warned of these potentially devastating and permanent side-effects before this procedure and my doctor stressed as do all the doctors on this site, that the affects of botox are temporary. I am a Year Out from the original treatment and it has been Permanent for me!

I feel self conscious smiling big or laughing in front of friends. My Caveman eyebrows look like a true Deformity. I look Years Older!!!

Has anyone suffered through an experience like this with botox and had any luck getting their eyes to return to normal? I am depressed. I don't want to date. I barely want to leave the house. I am glued to the internet searching for answers all the time.

I have an appointment with an Occularplastic surgeon coming up and with the administering dermatologist who has agreed to give me my $$ back from the original botched procedure that caused this permanent? damage. I will also see the owner of the practice to show him my eyes.

How can doctors be pushing this treatment as safe and temporary??? It has Ruined the last year of my life!!!!!!!!!

Has anyone else had enlarged 'caveman' eyebrow muscles as a result of Botox? Sagging, creasing eyelids? If so, did your eyes ever return to normal on their own or did you require surgery?

Please help! I am so upset and just besides myself with this.

The photo I posted was taken this morning smiling big like I would when I USED TO Laugh freely. :((