Day 5 after Botox and Uneven results. One side of my foreheads has taken & the other not at all. Is this normal?

Question

I had Botox 5 days ago from a very well known plastic surgeon. I seem to have the full effect on the right & nothing on left. This is creating an uneven look when I make facial expressions. The dr office said that certain muscles take at different times, but shouldn't I see something on day 5 from the left side? I have a follow up apt. on day 10, but I'm getting married in 2 wks. Should allow this doctor to re-inject on the 10th day if nothing has changed. Is this common?

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

Botox is great for diminishing forehead wrinkles.  It generally takes two weeks to see the full effect of Botox.  I would keep your appointment on day 10 and let the doctor examine you and see if you need a touch-up.  This often happens on day 5 and is not cause for alarm.  Congrats on your upcoming wedding.

Cheryl A. Hull, MD · Answer

At day 5, it is still too early to know if the other side is going to "take" or not. I would plan on going back and seeing the same Dr. on day 10 and if no results are seen at that point, he/she may need to touch the area up for you. It is very common for different muscle groups to respond at different times.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

At five days it may still be early to see the full effect. Give it a week if not more. It may need to be touched up.

Daniel Shapiro, MD · Answer

Botox can take 7-10 days for the results to fully set in so what you see now may not be the final results. I suggest waiting 10 days from the time of the injections and if it is still uneven then return for revisions.

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

Dear FloridaNY:i can understand your concern, since you have such an important event coming up so soon!  But you should be good to go by then, don't worry.The effect of Botox is essentiallly complete by 7 days. A small relaxation can be seen in the second week, but this is relatively insignificant.  If it is still uneven in two days, your doctor will inject a bit more.  There is no advantage at that point to wait for 10 days.When necessay, Dysport can be used, since its onset is much sooner, generally within 2 to 3 days. So you have plenty of time?

William Lambeth, MD (retired) · Answer

I generally have patients wait 2 weeks to see full results, and like to wait for any adjustments until then. Everyone's features are different and have some baseline asymmetry. It is a good idea to take before and after photos. If you still have asymmetry after the 10 days, it would be a good time to allow the injector to make adjustments.

James Clayton, MD (retired) · Answer

Most of the time Botox injections into the forehead produce even results, but it can take over 5 days to see the full effect.  Keeping your follow-up appointment at day 10 is important so that additional Botox can be injected if necessary to get the even results you want.

Day 5 after Botox and Uneven results. One side of my foreheads has taken & the other not at all. Is this normal?

Answers (7)