filler-casualty

Hi Lilly,
I didn't know if your reply was specifically to my post, but I just wanted to respond to your message. It took longer than usual for the Botox to wear off for me because I'd had Botox in the eye area twice before, but Botox generally wears off after three months. The crooked smile I had, was due to Botox being injected too low in the eye area. It paralyzed the zygomaticus muscle, which runs from the upper cheek (under the eye) to the corner of the mouth, but the risorius muscle (at the side of the mouth) will still be activated as normal, so this creates a stretched appearance to the mouth and a slight drooping effect. My Botox has finally worn off now. My mouth still appears a little stretched, but this was due to filler being injected in the area above my lips and cheek and not solely to the effect of the Botox. The drooping/asymmetry and 'joker's grin' effect has disappeared though. I am pursuing a claim for negligence, as I don't think the Botox or filler was injected in the correct area,or competently, although it would appear that the there is a whole grey area in regard to how much knowledge of facial anatomy a cosmetic practitioner has to know before treating a patient. I'm sure you feel very self-conscious about the result of your treatment, but it's not especially obvious in your photograph, if that any consolation. My advice would be to leave it all to wear off and not be tempted to correct any perceived asymmetry with further treatments of Botox or filler, as this may complicate matters for you. I'm not going to bother with Botox again, and since I've also found out every batch of it is tested on mice (their stomachs are paralyzed and then they're killed) I find that unacceptable and can no longer justify using it. I'm quite happy to have a few wrinkles and I just think 'sod what anyone else thinks' lol. So anyway, stay positive, maybe do a short daily visualization imagining the Botox wearing off and your face exactly as you'd want it to look and maybe try Carole Maggio facial exercises to tone your muscles once it's worn off. Hope this is of some help. Best Wishes!

Hi..I was just online, hence the instant reply. I've been doing her exercises and they seem quite good so far- have to admit though, I've abandoned the under-eye strengthening ones, as it was giving me small bags directly under my lids- not sure if that would be the case for other people. Yes, it's definitely hard to learn, especially the face rejuvenating exercise- where you lie down & stretch your face out-and sometimes the visualisation is hard too.. I am still not seeing much signs of the botox wearing off the zygomaticus muscle (if that's what's happened) and my mouth still stretches out to the side in a bit of a joker's grin. It's hard to believe it takes so long to wear off that muscle(it's been six months) as the eye area has small lines again. It seems a very long process. Anyway good luck with it all and keep me posted how you get on woith the exercies if you want.

Hi, I'm doing Carole Maggio's facial exercises now. I've just sat and read through the book and I'm impressed so far with what I've read, there's a logic to what she is saying and she seems to have researched her subject thoroughly. I am going to reserve judgement and try them for myself, as there are fifty seven muscles in the human face, I imagine facial exercises are not a dissimilar process to working out the muscles of the body. Did you buy the accompanying DVD? I haven't bought it yet, but I intend to as I think it helps to ensure you're doing the exercises correctly- failing that, there are a few vids on youtube showing Carole doing the excercises. I'm also going to use visualisation techniques to imagine my face and muscles going back to normal (and even improving), this is something Carole encourages along with the exercises anyway, but I have found these techniques to be useful in the past and it reinforces positive thinking. It'd be nice to hear how you get on anyway, keep me posted. Take care

Hi again 'Tried but Failed', I just read your hyaluronidase posts- what an absolute nightmare you've been through- so sorry to hear this, I know firsthand the stress and feelings powerlessness you can experience, once a procedure(s) has gone wrong and you try to find ways to resolve the situation. My advice for anyone considering hyaluronidase, is to weigh up the risks very carefully- I'm convinced hyaluronidase caused some damage to the natural hyaluronic acid in my lower cheek (above the naso-labial line) and like you, I suffered an allergic reaction to it- where my face puffed up on one side, as though I was experiencing some kind of anaphylactic shock. I have since read that this is not an uncommon reaction to hyaluronidase. If the botox has caused you face to droop, it may be helpful to try facial exercises (although the botox may need to be completely gone from the muscle before they have an effect) but they may strengthen the muscle structure of your face, if the muscles have been weakened. I have read Carole Maggio's 'Facercise' book has had great results for under the eye area/cheeks and generally for strengthening the muscles of the face- creating a natural facelift. I've bought it myself and am going to begin doing the exercises a.s.a.p. Like you, my botox is taking a long time to wear off, I'm told that this is because I've had botox in the past, so consequently it lasts longer. Good luck with resolving the cosmetic issues you've experienced.

Hi 'Tried but Failed', thanks for your response to my post. You mentioned you had the filler dissolved, was hyaluronidase used to do this and (because it is an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid) did you have any problems following the treatment i.e. hollows/depressions in your skin where it had effected your natural hyaluronic acid? or drooping in your face because some of the structure had gone (due to the hyaluronidase)? etc. I'm still trying to fathom out whether it was the hyaluronidase that caused my cheek to droop, due to the fact that she injected it right at the top of my naso-labial line/lower right cheek (causing it to sink) or whether it was because the zygomaticus muscle that was effected (as the expert I consulted suggested). You're right in pointing out, that too many procedures done at once is not a wise thing to do. In addition, I think it's too traumatic for the face to deal with all at once. As far as taking legal action is concerned, I am currently pursuing this route. I'm using a no-win, no-fee legal team (in the U.K.)who seem to think I have a good case, as there has been cosmetic negligence confirmed by an expert (in cosmetic surgery and facial reconstruction) and by the cosmetic nurse herself: admitting she didn't know what had happened, how to rectify the problem (she kept injecting more filler) or that she had even heard of the zygomaticus muscle (so clearly had very little knowledge of facial anatomy). It's been six months that I've had to live with a 'stroke-like' effect on my face and frankly, that is unacceptable. If these people are prepared to set themselves up as cosmetic practitioner's, I think that they have to be accountable if they botch things up. Hope things continue to improve with your face, it would be nice to hear how things progress, as I think this site offers a lot of support to people, who are concerned that the effects of a cosmetic procedure gone wrong, may be permanent. Best of luck..