Botox and bone loss?

As we age, bone mass is lost from the facial skeleton. I don't believe there is a contribution to bone loss from the use of Botox. In our Seattle practice, we use Botox to reduce the bulk of the masseter muscle and this reduces bi-mandibular facial width. But this is not a bone-loss effect.

I agree with the previous comments. I have not seen any study that can relate the use of Botox and loss of bone. Aging is the main cause for bone loss on the face, and a patient who does not use Botox at all, will see some bone loss, just as part of the aging process.

While I understand your concern, I don't think you need to worry about bone loss with Botox. These studies don't point to bone loss in humans. Botox results last 3-4 months. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

There are no studies suggesting Botox causes bone loss in other areas, including the orbital bone. I do not believe people have sunken orbit due to Botox injection. This is bone mass loss due to aging and genetic. As we age, we lose volume in bone, muscle, fat and skin--some of us more and earlier than others due to our genetics. One of the first signs of aging is volume loss below and above the eye, causing tear trough and superior sulcus hollowing, respectively. Another aging effect of the eye is droopy eyelid, or blepharoptosis, which makes the eye appear smaller. Droopy eyelid is due to stretching of the muscle that normally elevates the eyelid. This can be repaired by a muscle tightening procedure. Fortunately, volume loss can also be mitigated with dermal filler, which has completely changed the face of aging. 

I believe you are referring to the study out of New York University in cooperation with the TMJ association that showed low bone density in the TMJ area in patients that were injected with Botox.  It was a small study and a much larger study addressing the safety of Botox treatment for TMJ is in progress.  As far as studies regarding the bone around the eyes, I am not aware of current studies examining this.  Overall, in general, we do tend to loose bone mass as we age.

I agree with the doctors' answers in regards to bone loss with Botox. I am not aware of it and can't see the correlation. What I can say is that over a prolonged period of time and regular Botox injections the affected muscles can become weaker just because they have been placed "at rest".

The short answer to your question is: No, you shouldn't worry too much about bone loss with cosmetic uses of Botox. And, Botox does not cause people to have sunken or small looking eyes.
The long answer is more interesting. There are studies showing a connection between Botox and bone loss, but they are probably not relevant to cosmetic Botox use.
First, bone loss occurs when bone is not stressed, and bone growth occurs when it is stressed. This is why a tennis player's racket arm has thicker bones than his other arm. Botox paralyses muscles. Weaker muscles means less stress on bone, resulting in bone loss. 
Several studies have looked at Botox use in jaw muscles - in rats and in humans - and they have found that bone loss does occur. However, the implications are unclear. Since an overactive muscle causes bone increase, perhaps the bone loss caused by paralyzing the muscle is just returning the bone back to its "normal" size. The amount of bone loss with normal Botox doses may not be enough to have any significant effect. Also, the human studies have very few patients, and are relatively short-term. So we don't know if the bone loss is temporary.
Finally, in cosmetic uses of Botox, the muscles that are targeted are small - unlike the powerful jaw muscles. These muscles are not generally responsible for stressing the facial bones, so it is unlikely that paralyzing them would cause bone loss.

Hello sugarlumpspony,Botox does not cause bone loss. There has not been any studies directing towards that theory. I wouldn't worry about that. Cheers

Hi. There is no known problem with Botox and bone loss. Causes of bone loss include lack of exercise,  medications (like steroids and anti-convulsants) , genetics, and illness that decrease absorption of Vit D and other fat soluble vitamins.  To prevent bone loss exercise daily and eat a balanced diet. Enjoy the results of Botox without worry. 
Dr. Eros

I have used Botox for more than 25 years and have never had a patient experience bone loss in any area treated and over a period of years