I had a Botox Brow Lift a week ago and I have not seen any change. Is there a possibility it won't work?

Question

I had a botox brow lift a week ago. My doctor said it could take up to a week to see any change, but I have not had any improvement. Is there a possibility that it is not going to work? I see my doctor again in 2 weeks. I am just so discouraged. He says I really need a surgical/endoscopic brow lift with blephoraplasty, but I did this to hopefully hold off on the surgery.

Catherine Winslow, MD · Answer

Hello! Botox can take 10-14 days for maximum effect. However, Botox will only allow the brow to lift 2-3mm tops, and is not a replacement for a browlift. It is worthwhile to give it more time, but understand that surgical results are only achieved with surgery. Good luck!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This is tough to tell without pictures. It can still be too soon to tell what your results will be. It can take 1-2 weeks for final results with Botox. It may be that more filler is needed in a different area, or a brow lift should be considered. Give it some more time and contact your doctor. if you're unhappy with your results to discuss next steps. Best, Dr. Emer

Andrew Campbell, MD · Answer

Botox relaxes muscles. If we relax muscles that are pulling the brow down, then we can cause a brow lift. The problem is, not everyone has tension or pull in those muscles. As such, not everyone gets a brow lift with Botox. The only way to see if you will get a brow lift with Botox is to try it. If you don't get a lift, consider Ultherapy for a non-surgical solution. Virtually everyone gets at least a minor browlift with Ultherapy and there is absolutely no downtime. If you have a very experienced injector, filler can be used to create a browlift by volumetrically enhancing the brow and the forehead. The result will be temporary, but it does work. If you want more than that, surgery is the only other option.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Facial Rejuvenation SpecialistQuintessa Aesthetic Centers

Richard W. Westreich, MD · Answer

To lift a brow with Botox, a doctor targets muscles that pull the eyebrow down and doesn't target the muscles that pull it up (forehead). It is dose dependent, so some patients need more underneath the brow to get a lift. If the forehead is overtreated you won't get much of a lift. When done properly, 2-4 mm lift is the average result.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  Botox results take upwards of 10-14 days to reach maximum effect, so best to allow your results time to mature over a few more days.   That said, Botox brow lifts are not as reliable as other areas of treatment and if your eyebrow sagging or upper eyelid skin is extensive, Botox may not work at all. In this instance a surgical eyelid lift and brow lift may be a better option.  Hope this helps.

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Botox is used cosmetically to remove wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing muscles. Botox can be used to life the eyebrow 1-3mm. If you desire a further eyebrow lift there are other options, such as skin tightening and surgery. It can take up 2 weeks to see the full effects of Botox. After 2 weeks more Botox can be added. Remember to always see an expert injector. Best of Luck!

Hardik Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Botox is used cosmetically to remove wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing muscles. Botox can be used to life the eyebrow 1-3mm. If you desire a further eyebrow lift there are other options, such as skin tightening and surgery. It can take up 2 weeks to see the full effects of Botox. After 2 weeks more Botox can be added. Remember to always see an expert injector. Best of Luck!

Ravi Jain, MBBS · Answer

Hi,

A great chemical brow lift such as a botox brow lift is possible in  patients who have powerful muscles which pull the brow down (depressor muscles) as well as having powerful muscles which lift the brow (elevator muscles). So in a treatment, the injector will typically try to reduce the strength of the depressor muscles by injecting botox into them. Botox takes anything from 24 hours to 2 weeks to take effect in people so you may need to wait a bit longer. However, if after 2-3 weeks you still have no significant change, you should schedule a review with your injector. But bear in mind, a great lift is not always possible.

Haena Kim MD, FACS · Answer

One of the most important things to remember with injectables is that you simply won't get the same effect as a surgical result. Botox is great at lifting and opening the eye area, and in some patients the results can be drastic. When we relax the muscles around the eye area we are selectively targeting the muscles that depress and lower the inner portion of the eyebrows. Some patients also get a nice elevation of the lateral, or outer portion of the eyebrows with strategically placed botox.

Unfortunately, if there is a lot of soft tissue excess and you have a heavier tissues and anatomy, your results may not be as impressive. I would give the botox a solid 7 days to kick in, and re-evalute your results at your follow up. We also all forget what we look like before and after injectables and sometimes photographs before and after highlight the result better.

Good luck!

Shaun Patel, MD · Answer

If you have significant brow ptosis, then Botox probably will not help. At most, you can expect a few millimeters of brow lift with Botox injection at the tail of the brow. The best brow lift results are seen when Botox is also injected into the glabella (brow depressor muscles), central frontalis, and crow's feet. Not everyone responds to Botox for brow lift because the lateral orbicularis oculi does not pull the lateral brow down in everyone and so relaxing it may not help. You can consider filler injections into the brows as well as energy based devices such as Thermage and Ultherapy to help raise the brows. The best results are usually, however, seen with surgical correction.

I had a Botox Brow Lift a week ago and I have not seen any change. Is there a possibility it won't work?

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