Shouldn't 30 units of botox be sufficient for glabellar 11's? (Photo)

Hi Jesse.  It's very unusual for a glabella (area between the eyes) to take more than 30 units of Botox to relax.  The key here is that you are still able to animate the muscle after 30 units.  Our guess is that this means one of two things.First, it was bad injection technique and your injector did not hit the correct muscle group.  The second is that it was a bad batch of Botox or stored incorrectly.  If this is the case, it just means that the product was not working vs. the technique.  In either case, 30 units in 99.9% of cases should have been enough to put those muscles to sleep.  

30 units is typically enough but that is assuming Botox was appropriately injected into the proper musculature. I think the recommendations from my colleagues to try different botulinum products are also sound. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Some patients need much higher doses of neuromodulation to get a "full" effect and there are some patients, where despite very high doses, there is still movement and lines.  Those patients then need filler injected into the lines.  Another option is to try a different neurotoxin, as there are three on the market and some people respond better to one than the other.   Seek an expert who has much experience in using neuromodulation for wrinkles. I wish you the best of luck, Dr. Emer.

Botox is reconstituted with saline as it is a crystalline powder when it comes to the doctor.  Because of this, it can easily be 'diluted'.  This means that you have to trust that the facility is giving you what they say they are.  Sometimes, sadly, this isn't true.Also, some facilities don't inject the entire forehead, which allows other muscles to get into the act and that means your 11's don't go away.Lastly, there are folks who are Botox resistant.  Though rare, it does happen.As you can see, it is complex.  Perhaps trying another form, such as Dysport, could be a good idea next time.  Good luck!

Thank you for your question. Depending on the extent of movement you have, you may require more Botox. I recommend having a follow up with your injector for an evaluation. Best of Luck!