“I can no longer smile”
Botox: NOT worth it
Cost: $600
Pain: Painfree
Pain: Painfree
Botox satisfaction: Poor
I recommend my Botox provider: Name not provided
Why: MD IS VERY EXPERIENCED AND A BOTOX TRAINER. THIS RESULT MAY BE DO TO HAVING THE FRAXEL DONE TO SOON AFTER BOTOX INJECTIONS.
i had botox injected for frown lines between eyes and crows feet followed by fraxel laser the next day. it has been over two weeks since my injection and i am unable to smile! my upper lip curls under when i try to smile and i look like a rabid squirrel! i feel like a freak. returned to see my md who is an experienced botox trainer and thy have never had this happen before.
has anyone else had this experience and how long did it take before your smile returned? i am depressed, anxious and cry when i wake up each morning an look at myself in the mirror. never again!
Apr 8, 2009Comments and replies (15)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.
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5 posts
19 Apr 2009
I also had the same procedures done and my right upper lip is non movable. They said it was from the oral injections for the laser. They said it would come back in a few months. I think it is because of the Botox. I can feel it. I just can't move it.
5 posts
21 Apr 2009
Thanks Margie for your comments. It helps to know I'm not alone in this. What was the date of your procedure? It has been four weeks for me and I still have no movement in my upper lip. I'm trying to remain positive and hope I will see some progress in the nest few weeks. I have a big family wedding to attend in early June and hope I look better before then. Thanks again.
12 posts
20 Jun 2009
I have the same problem and mine just started last week. I can not move my upper lip and just like you said I look too like that rabid squirrel, this is awful. I dont want to go any where let alone Smile. :( I see your post was back in April, its not June 21, how is your lip at this point? I have been searching the internet high and low and this is not as common as the droopy eye. I haven't had much luck finding anyone with this same problem. Its very scary and depressing. I hope your better now!!
12 posts
13 Jul 2009
16 weeks sounds like forever when you cant smile at anyone without them wondering what the heck is wrong with you???? but at least I do know there is hope down the road for me. I am glad your finally seeing your smile come back. I had never heard of this before it happened to me. My biggest fear was always the droopy eye, and had no idea this could happen from being injected no where near the mouth. I will think twice before ever doing this again. thanks for your encouraging words!
5 posts
22 Oct 2009
Hi, Please tell me you are better now? I had botox a week ago in the upper part of my nose for the small horizontal lines and now now no lip movement. It's scary and I look horrific. My kids keep asking me what is wrong. How long does it take to come back? I am so embarrassed and depressed.
5 posts
23 Oct 2009
My smile is completely back and my eyes are also back to normal. It did take almost a full 5-6 months before I looked myself again. Hang-in there! It will improve. I do not recommend Botox use for anyware on the face except for the lines between the eyes above the nose. Only fillers should be used elsewhere on the face. Hang-in there!
12 posts
23 Oct 2009
Dear Nosmiles1 I am so so sorry you are experiencing this too. I so feel your pain! It is embarassing and makes you want to just hide in your home until you get that touch of your smile back... I do have my smile back 100% now, thank goodness. I had my botox done the first of June and I think I started noticing a smile creeping back slowly the first of August, and feel like I got the full smile back the first of Oct. so, slowly but surely I have regained full upper lip movement. I know how you feel and it seems like an eternity to wait even a couple of months when you feel that way! Hang in there, keep me updated on how your doing. I know I was trying to find anyone and everyone who had this happen to them because I just needed to talk to them and needed to know that this didnt just happen to me.
12 posts
24 Oct 2009
I know what you mean, i did the same thing, you couldnt see my teeth and also lifted on my lip so often, i kept feeling it sticking to my teeth and kept wanting to dab vaseline on them in hopes it would not make it stick as badly and help it to lift better, but as you can already guess, it didnt work. I got my last botox right before my 30 year class reunion, in hopes to look better and beieve it or not, the worst of the effect hit me that day into the night, you should see my pictures, UGH!!! i was and still am mortified at how I looked. It even effected the look of my eyes. It totally had my whole face disfigured. My friends that I am close to and told them what i had done and what was happening to me, they claimed i didnt look as bad as what i felt, but i think they were just being kind since this was so embarassing and I felt like all eyes were upon my deformed face. I dont mean to say all of this to upset you, but to join you and completely feel for you in what your experiencing now. AND also,to give you hope that your smile WILL come back, I too worried it was permanant, but thank God botox is not! I use to complain how often i would have to go get it redone, now I am so very very thankful that it only lasts a few short months. My family mainly my girls would give me a hard time with this, which somtimes i had to laugh at it or I would go crazy, my oldest daughter who is 22 could imitate my face and how i looked and smiled to a tee.. at times it would really bother me but other times she would make me laugh about it. There was this one time that it really cracked me up when I was out to eat with her and I asked if i had something in my teeth, and she gave me a little chuckle and said "I dont know, i cant see your teeth" (and did that expression of my smile and eyes) we both got to laughing so hard and even harder when i lifted my lip with my hand and said how about now? I got some advice from someone on here about staying away from the mirror, i tried to take that advice, but it was hard. How can you not want to look at this? I was in such disbelief that this even happened because i had no idea this was even a reaction to botox when its not injected around your mouth, then I could have possibly understood, but in the nose and eye area??? I had never heard of this before. Again, hang in there, it WILL get better, i know it doesnt seem like it at the moment, but it will. Keep me posted. I hope every now and then you can find a laugh or two in between the tormenting moments of all this. Hang in there! Bunnny Lines
12 posts
25 Oct 2009
I have to add to your comment about not telling your husband up until now. I totally avoided my parents every chance I could, my mother would have went nuts if she knew i had been doing botox, so I had never told her, and i wasnt going to start now. :) I would sit at ballgames for my daughter when they would come to them and sit at their side, not in front of them, and chew on sunflower seeds with my fingers up around my mouth constantly in hopes of covering any type of emotion that my mouth wouldnt react to. I would put cups up to my mouth, sit with my hand propt up against my lips, anything i could think of to avoid any type of "what is wrong with your mouth"? I was gong to blame it on my dentist HA! I even told him i was going to do it and he said, that was a good one. If i had of realized what was going on with my mouth, I would have NOT gone to my reunion, I was already there when I realized what was taking place, and still wasnt real sure until after it was over. At one point in that night I went up to a good friend of mine who does botox too and said to her, I CANT move my mouth! I am so glad your husband is being supportive, my husband was too. He felt so bad for me and tried to make me feel better with nice remarks that he would try to make me feel better. My niece told me I looked like the GRINCH that stole Xmas. UGH! and I Did! Try to have a good day, I hope you get to stay in and not face anyone, and if you do have to, I hope they dont notice what your going through.Maybe invest in some sunflower seends :) :) Hang in there! I hope in your next note your telling me that your seeing a difference! Talk to you soon BunnyLines