Botox on facial flushing. Could another approach make a difference?

Dear thomas54,
Thank you for your question. Botox can be a very beneficial treatment for rosacea or flushing. It is typically injected in small amounts very superficially. I recommend you seek re-evaluation with your injector to see if they felt confident in their technique and would agree your skin was not responsive to the Botox and would recommend trying other treatment options or whether they would consider another repeat treatment with modified technique. 

Botox is not the only treatment to treat rosacea; it can be used and useful, but it is not usually recommended at first. The number of units used should be enough to improve your condition; however, maybe the technique used wasn’t the right one. You can treat your condition with a combination of laser and topical treatments; however, your condition should be evaluated entirely by a professional to decide which one will be better for you. Go for a consultation with a board-certified dermatologist with previous experience treating rosacea with botox if you want to try it again or ask for further recommendations.

Thank you for your question. Botox can be a very beneficial treatment for rosacea or flushing. It is typically injected in small amounts very superficially. I recommend you seek re-evaluation with your injector to see if they felt confident in their technique and would agree your skin was not responsive to the Botox and would recommend trying other treatment options or whether they would consider another repeat treatment with modified technique. 

Botox is not a treatment for anything that is difficult to treat.Botox work on muscles only and wrinkles of the skin caused by the muscle action.Botox is not a treatment for erythema

Everyone has unique expressions. We move our facial muscles in a repetitive way and over time those repetitive movements cause wrinkles and fine lines. When you start to experience the signs of aging, Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin are available to diminish unwanted wrinkles and creases in your face.Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin lock the release of a chemical called acetylcholine, which triggers the muscle contractions that create wrinkles. Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin essentially paralyze the muscles and stops them from contracting. Results from these treatments are visible within 3-7 days with results that can last anywhere from 3-4 months.
Sorry to hear that you did not have any luck with the redness. A good treatment to address the redness is BBL (Broad Band Light), it is a laser treatment. Next step for you is to see a board certified dermatologist to discuss your questions or concerns. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question thomas54. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.It is difficult to make an assessment without a formal exam where the entire medical history is reviewed. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.Although Botox is most commonly used to treat wrinkles associated with facial expressions, it is more and more being used for other concerns such as pain, excessive sweating, and enlarged pores. I am not aware of Botox being used for rosacea as the mechanism of action of Botox will not affect the blood vessels involved in rosacea. In our office I treatment my rosacea patients with IPL photofacial treatments combined with topical products such as sunscreen and niacinamide. Avoiding triggers is key as well.With any injection, there are risks such as pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique. We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary asymmetric smile.

After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side effects such as droopy eyelids. Although there have been no definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.

Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!