Is Botox the only non surgical procedure for platysma bands? (photo)

Botox is a very popular non-surgical treatment for loose neck bands due to its effectiveness, often called Nefertiti Lift. Other neuromodulator like Dysport or Xeomin would not necessarily be as effective as Botox. It will help in tightening/lifting the neck bands and it will last for 3 to 4 months. It will not address the loose skin. Choosing the right physician to inject you is key to the success and durability of the treatment. For severe cases, platysmaplasty surgery remains the most effective procedure giving patients long term benefits.Best,

A neck lift is another option.  It involves a small incision under the chin to identify the medial borders of the platysmal muscles and suture these together.  They are also transected for a bit to avoid them forming again..  

You would get some improvement from any nuerotoxin (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin) for platysmal bands. However, the results are 3-6 months and can be costly. You may consider consulting with a plastic surgeon regarding a neck lift.

Your photos show very prominent platysma muscle bands in your neck.  Bands can be passive (loose and saggy), active ( low but firmer with more muscle tone), or a combination of both.  Treatments differ depending on the type of bands you have and the degree of loose neck skin.  Botox and its alternatives (Xeomin or Dysport) can relax muscle tone and therebye improve the appearance of "active" muscle bands.  However, the effect only lasts about 4-5 months, and has some possible side effects.  On the other hand, surgery to tighten, lift and partially divide the platysma muscle bands, along with skin tightening (essentially a necklift) is generally considered the most successful and longest lasting treatment for neck bands.  Other than the neuromodulators, such as Botox, I don't know of any other worthwhile non-surgical treatment for neck muscle bands.  Interestingly, if you don't have any significant loose neck skin, you could just have the muscles tightened through a small incision under your chin using numbing medicine, local anesthesia, in a doctor's office.  You should first see an experienced plastic surgeon for a thorough analysis of your neck.

It is not clear to me from the question whether the term Botox was intended to cover all neuromodulators currently available (i.e. Dysport and Xeomin). In my nearly a quarter of a century using neuromodulators I have sometimes found that when one neuromodulator has not proven effective or sufficiently effective, substituting another, such as Xeomin, may prove to be.Moreover, occasionally the fault for lack of effect in treating platysmal banding may be the wrong technique or insufficient concentration or amounts of the neuromodulator injected. For best results I do not simply recommend the injection of the bands themselves, but a combination with a neuromodulator injection technique known as the "Nefertiti Lift,"  which, when performed properly, can result in additional, secondary upward pull on the neck. Finally, a technique known as The Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Necklift, which uses volumizing fillers to provide "deep support volumetry" in order to achieve lifting and projection, in properly selected individuals, can yield quite gratifying results, especially when combined with neuromodulators. I have been routinely performing this technique for nearly a decade. The technique takes only about fifteen minutes to perform and the results are immediate and typically quite gratifying often engendering an immediate "Wow!" effect.I was one of the first to try threadlifting in the U.S. when it was introduced and approved in the early 2000s. I gave it up after only two years, since the procedure was expensive, minimally invasive, engendered down time, and mostly because the results did not last at best more than 8-12 months.I am not much of a fan of expensive treatments with fraxels, radiofrequency, and ultrasound devices, which often yield unimpressive, subtle and inconsistent results and are proving themselves to be far more device manufacturer supported marketing hype than hard science.For more information on the above techniques, check out the archives of RealSelf.com.Consultation with a board certifed aesthetician physician with experience and expertise in nonsurgical neck rejuvenation is a must. Insist upon seeing his/her before and after photos of  nonsurgical neck rejuvenation in persons within your particular degree of banding and laxity.

Botox, Xeomin and Dysport are neuro-modulators that weaken the muscle. They all have similar potential side effects.  

The answer is that Botox is the only nonsurgical therapy for platysmal bands, but the results pale when compared to surgery.  If you are looking at Botox as a viable alternative to surgery for this problem, you will be disappointed. Ultherapy is completely ineffective for platysmal bands as is Thermitight and other energy based devices.

Thank you for sending your question and photo. Yes Botox, Xeomin and Dysport are the only injectable that can treat platysmal bands without requiring surgery.  Make an appointment with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to further discuss.

Thank you for your question and photographs.  As far as injectables, plastysmal banding is best treated with one of the wrinkle relaxers, of which Botox is the most commonly used.  This is a technique requiring experience to perform, so speak with a board certified plastic surgeon in your area who can help walk you through the expected benefits and risks of the procedure.  

As Botox (or Dysort and Xeomin), are products that weaken the muscle they are injected into, they are the best non-surgical treatment for platysmal bands.  There is no other injectable that would help.