I Had Botox 3 Days Ago in my Forehead and Now I Have Horrible Pain. Normal?

Thank you for your question and your photos. Pain, swelling and flu-like symptoms are not
typical side effects from a Botox injection.
I recommend that you follow up with a certified injector that can
evaluate you completely. I wish you the
best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear that you've had to experience this. This side effect should resolve within the next few weeks. However, there is no guarantee that you will not experience this side effect again next time you have a treatment with Botox. You may want to try taking Tylenol to ease your discomfort

Is this a headache, or a pain in a focal area of the forehead right at a site of injection?  Does the pain hurt more with certain activities? Does the pain shoot in different areas?  Is there a bump at an injection site? Did the bone get bruised? Is there a collection of blood (hematoma) or an irritation of a nerve? Please see your doctor for them to evaluate you in person as this is not a common reaction.

It is not uncommon for some people to experience a headache for up to a week after a Botox treatment.  However, it if is stonger than a headache or persists for more than a week, please consult your doctor.

The length of time these last varies with the individuals.  In my personal experience, the treatment can trigger migraines in some individuals.  My theories regarding why these heads develop related to muscle tension that is caused by the injection process itself.  A way to test this theory would be to simply inject people with saline in the same area and see if the headaches occur with the same frequency.  This type of data may actually have already been collected in some of the FDA studies designed to evaluate the cosmetic use of botox.  The discomfort should resolve in a few days.

Now this does not mean you should just sit around and wait for that to happen.  Call your injecting physician and make them aware of what is going on.  They may recommend medication or physical measures to help you feel comfortable.  I have had patients who ultimately decided that the post botulinum toxin headache was not worth the treatment benefit.  That is a very rare outcome.

Thank you for your question. What you have described is very rare and mostly likely the needle hit a sensory nerve. There is no need to worry as there is no long term effect. The nerve most likely has a small bruise on it and will take some time to heal. I recommend following up with injector for evaluation if this persists. Best of Luck!

Although Botox can cause headaches this is generally considered a rare side effect. The exact cause of Botox headaches is not certain but it is believed that the most likely cause is from over contraction of certain muscles in the face. Botox can definitely cause headaches but in most cases they are mild and short acting. This side effect should resolve within the next few weeks.

Dear Ms. Tel:A mild or, very rarely, a severe headache can occur after treating a patient's frown lines, and there is a logical reason why this can happen.  The frontalis muscle of the forehead, which is responsible for lifting your brows, is interwoven with the corrugator and procerus muscles (glabellar complex"), which are responsible for drawing your brows together and down. When you relax the muscles of the glabellar complex, the frontalis is then free to contract more, since it is not opposed any longer by the glabellar complex.  This can result in a headache that is akin to a tension headache, which typically responds to Tylenol or Aleve, as well as gentle heat or massage.  If you had both the glabellar complex and the forehead treated the same day, especially if the glabellar complex was treated with Dysport, which takes effect more quickly, and the forehead with Botox or Xeomin, it could be that the glabellar complex released more quickly or thoroughly than the frontalis. These headaches resolve quickly and typically do not recur with subsequent treatments.  Having treated many hundreds of patients, I would say it is uncommon for one to get a headache like this because I have seen it happen in only a few patients.Having said that, I do hope you let your dermatologist check it out. The other reasons the experts mentioned could have caused the problem, although I have never seen a patient with a hematoma, or "bone bruise" in my practice. How did it turn out for you?

The vast majority of people don't have any pain or discomfort after their Botox. Unfortunately, in a small percentage of patients, the needle injection hits a nerve or blood vessel, or even just the act of injecting a muscle, which causes a migraine or headache that can last sometimes up to 1 week, and rarely longer. I would try regular anti-inflammatories or acetaminophen if not contraindicated to settle down the symptoms. Ice packs can help too. This always resolves with a bit of time. ~ Dr. Benjamin Barankin, Toronto Dermatology Centre.

Botox can cause headaches, migraines, and flu like symptoms. There is no way of knowing ahead of time if this will occur. Always read and educate yourself on the risks involved with any cosmetic/medical procedures. It is rare that excruciating pain lasts longer than 24 hours.