Can Botox Last Longer Than Six Months?

Creases of the skin of the forehead are from muscle contraction / frowning. If one learns not to grimace or frown during the relaxation phase of the Botox, then even after the Botox no longer relaxes the muscles, the skin creases may stay away for a long time. If you looked in the mirror and consciously raised your eyebrows by using the forehead muscle, you would see that the Botox is no longer effective, but you were effective in not making this facial expression even after the Botox wore off. 

On average, Botox will last around 3 months. However, this can vary from patient to patient  Many times, Botox can “re-train” the muscles so they do not make the movements as often causing the wrinkles in the forehead.  If Botox lasts over 6 months for you, I would consider yourself lucky. Thanks and good luck!

Everyone has a different duration of effect with their treatments - and if yours is lasting this long, be glad! Repeated treatments on a regular basis often help lengthen the time between treatments as explained by both Dr. Novick and Dr. Swengel.

In general, the effects of neuromodulators, such as Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin, last about four to seven months (typically five to six months), and most people who return as needed will typically have to do so at these intervals in order to restore correction. However, there have been reports in the literature (and corroborated by my own clinical experience) that if an individual undergoes a series of about five neuromodulator treatments at a fixed four month interval (regardless of whether there is any return of the expression lines), the interval between treatments may be subsequently significantly lengthened.

A number of explanations have been proposed for this. These include that repeated treatment leads to atrophy of the the injected muscles and hence to more prolonged improvement. Another possible explanation is that repeated suppression of particular muscle groups allows for recruitment of other muscles and a kind of retraining not to make the types of expressions that led to the wrinkling in the first place. Whatever the actual explanation, undergoing the series can prove beneficial in this way--but only if the initial series is performed at the fixed four-month intervals.

Another method for prolonging the Botox effect is to combine its use with the injection of a filler. For example, it has been found that combining Botox with a hyaluronic acid filler in the scowl line area between the eyes can result in a one year correction--even after just one combined treatment session. I have personally found this to be the case, as well, in treatment the crow's feet lines on the sides of the eyes and the forehead worry lines. I have likewise found this combination, injected as microdroplets of each, especially useful for treating those difficult crepey, prune-like crinkles on the lower cheeks. 

Everyone is different, so there may be some variation as to how long Botox lasts.  I have definitely seen it last for more than 6 months in some patients.  I'm not sure if there was a difference in your last treatment as to how it was injected or how much was used.  Some people who have been treated over a long period of time do notice that it lasts longer.  Having had the Botox can also retrain people as to how they use their facial muscles, and this may contribute to its longevity.  

I have certainly seen Botox last up to 6 months for some patients. For the vast majority of people, Botox lasts around 3-4 months but there are a few people who are fortunate enough to have it last longer. In your situation, it's hard to explain without knowing the technique and dose of Botox you received. Higher doses of Botox will last for a longer duration of time. Also people who have received Botox for a long time sometimes lose the habit of raising their eyebrows or frowning, which may be why your Botox effect has lasted longer.  I would wait until you see muscle movement before going for another treatment.  

 

Botox roughly lasts up to four months. There’s nothing wrong if you notice your Botox is lasting longer; how deep of wrinkles and how strong a patient’s muscles are will determine how well it takes and how long it will last. We have also noticed that the more regularly patients get Botox the better results they will have each time. “Dr. D”

Botox or other botulinum toxins (e.g. Dysport, Xeomin) generally last about 3-4 months, but this is a range with some people getting a longer duration. Many people have found that after a few treatments, with the muscles weakening/atrophying, the Botox tends to last longer such as 5-6 months. Dr. Benjamin Barankin, Toronto Dermatology Centre.

The length of time Botox lasts does vary and I like to discuss with my long term patients why they often find they are going longer with repeated treatments.   The perfect balance of Botox and muscle relaxation is between the amount of muscle(or mass) and the number of units placed into that muscle.  When too little Botox is used, the muscle is able to recover more rapidly than when the balance is right on.  As the dose(units used) goes higher in a muscle, the effect lasts longer.    So this balance is what is always in play everytime someone receives Botox.  As you can appreciate, when someone has had Botox for years and kept forehead muscles relaxed through those years, those muscles atrophy just like shoulders and biceps do when you stop going to the gym. Those thinner muscles just don't need as much.  There also is the subtle effect of learning not to use those muscles.  That combination often allows 'frequent flyers' of Botox to often go longer between injections over time.   Lucky you!

Botox contains the same properties in every vial of product in every office throughout the world. However, people's individual bodies break down the substance at very different rates. It may wear off in 3 months, or take up to 6 or even 8 months, depending on the area. Some of my patients claim that the more they get receive Botox injections, the longer and longer it lasts. I have not seen clinical trials to back this up, but it is something reported anecdotally.