Does Botox Treat Migraines and Wrinkles at the Same Time?

Botox can help certain migraines and will paralyze the muscles which cause facial wrinkles.
Migraines which begin in the forehead or around the eyes respond to Botox the best. There is a sensory nerve which runs within a muscle deep to the eyebrow near the bridge of the nose. The theory is that muscle contraction irritates the nerve, which causes the migraines. Paralyzing the muscle prevents the nerve irritation and eliminates the cause of the migraines.
Unfortunately not every person will experience migraine relief as there are multiple causes of migraine but at least you still get the cosmetic benefits. I have many patients in my practice who return for migraine relief, not the cosmetic benefits.
When it works, this is one of the rare cases when you can have your cake and eat it too.

Absolutely. You can get treated for migraines and wrinkles during the same session. Only difference is that you will need more injections per session for migraine prevention than for wrinkle treatment. Good luck.

Botox has been approved by the FDA to treat wrinkle lines and migraine headaches. This happened when patients that had migraines were treated with Botox to smooth their wrinkles reported that their headaches got better. This lead to the studies that showed that Botox relieved the migraine pain.

Botox is used to treat dynamic wrinkles as well as to treat certain migraine headaches.  There can, in fact, be some overlap in application.

For migraines, there are 7 "trigger" muscles recommended for injection. With 3 of these muscles - between the eyes, on the brow and over the forehead - you will likely notice a cosmetic improvement, with a decrease in dynamic wrinkles. The remaining 4 areas can significantly reduce migraines but will not impact the way you look.

As with any procedure involving Botox, ensure you are seeing an expert injector who has a wealth of experience with your particular issue.

Both treatments can be performed with Botox.  I treat migraines with Botox and the secondary result is cosmetic. Raffy Karamanoukian Los Angeles

Treatment of migranes is a very individualized process.  The first step is to see a qualified plastic and reconstructive surgeon that can understand and guide you through the multiple surgical and nonsurgical options.  The patient must present with an active migrane.  Only migranes that are triggered by compression of peripheral nerves can be treated with botox, luckily at least in my practice this includes the majority.  A plastic surgeon with craniofacial experience can easily identify the possible locations of triggering and a diagnosis is made by stimulating and relaxing the muscles manually with special massage techniques or injecting a small amount of lidocaine near the triggering nerve.   If the migrane is treated, the diagnosis is made and options are reviewed.  The next step is to give the patient a trial of local muscular relaxation with botox administration which must not only significantly chemodenervate the local muscles, but also must be balanced through the face so as not to create an aesthetic deformity.  depending on level of relief, duration of relief and patient preferences, most patients opt for a permanent treatment without recurring cost.  The identified trigger nerve is decompressed in a quick in office surgical procedure and a small amount of fat is placed around the nerveto cushion and protect it from further irritation.   Patient staisfaction is very high with this protocol.  Remember there are many practitioners that will be willing to inject Botox for migranes who do not have the anatomical, physiological or surgical knowledge and experience to produce a result.  I strongly recommend seeing a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who can guide you.

All the best,

Rian A. Maercks M.D.