Botox/Dysport: Is it better to stagger treatment of different areas of the face, or have multiple areas treated all at once?

Question

Is it better to treat areas of face with Botox at different time/visits, or get multiple (all) areas treated at the same time? I have noticed that multiple area pricing is easier on the wallet, but I am wondering which way would yield a better result? Ex. Treating forehead/frown lines at a separate visit from crows feet treatment

Kian Karimi, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question. I always recommend my patients have their Botox treatments done in all desired areas at the same time. This is for several reasons. First, it is much more time effective to have treatment every 3-4 months instead of needed to do small treatments at different times. Secondly, if you only treat one area, you will begin to recruit facial muscles in the surrounding areas, which is not desirable when the ultimate goal is to soften said muscles. Fore more information about the best ways to approach Botox, please see a board-certified specialist who is experienced with Botox injections. Best of luck, Dr. Kian.

Samuel Shatkin, Jr., MD · Answer

It is more convenient to do Botox or neurotoxin injections at one session.  With that being said, if this is the first time you will have Botox, your injector may suggest seeing what effect a particular injection site will have.  When Botox is injected, the unopposed muscles of animation will work unopposed and it may be easier to selectively perform secondary injections in areas after the effect of the first injection is apparent.  An experienced injector will be able to help you make this decision.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

It's up to you. We often treat multiple areas at once to get patient's desired results. Keep in mind, it takes 1-2 weeks for final results. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Richard Baxter, MD · Answer

Another consideration is that you don't want the botox effect to wear off at different times. It might be good to see the effect on brow position by doing the crow's feet first, but don't spread out the treatments too much.

Steven Swengel, MD · Answer

Hello thank you for your question. My recommendation to my patients when doing a neuromodulator such as Botox or Dysport is to have all the areas treated at once. The reason I suggest this is because your muscles will all relax at once and there won't be risk of the muscles that are not relaxed working extra to try to move the other areas. When this happens people usually develop odd lines and movements on their face. This also depends on the number of units used and the placement of the injections. Hope this helps, Dr. S.

Jaime Rosenzweig, MD · Answer

Thank you for your great question! If you're planning to have Botox in several areas of the upper third of the face, jump in with both feet and get it done in one appointment. Within a few days of treatment you will look fabulous, without having to worry about going back for a second round. 
I am all for a deal, we have frequent specials at my practice, but I warn patients to avoid "med spas" offering bargain Botox. 
Good luck to you!

Marek Kacki, MD · Answer

The most convenient is to treat all the areas at the same time. What is the most important part of Botox treatment is for you to decide what bothers you. There are many things that can be done with Botox and there are no restricted areas of the face where Botox can not be used. However, have only treatment of the areas that bother you. If lines in any area do not bother you than it doesn't matter what is the opinion of the others. There are some areas that are habitually injected but are of no importance to the aesthetics and facial harmony. You may have deep and long crow's feet that most would want to erase but if these do not bother you than, in your case, there is no need for injections. Aim for natural look and avoid "frozen" face without expressions. Getting rid of the lines while maintaining expressions is the key to natural look. It will also save you lots of money. Start low and do not pay attention to so-called recommended doses. You can always add more. Good luck!

Melvin Elson, MD · Answer

It really does not make any difference. it is up to you as to when and how many areas you get treated and sometimes some areas will need another treatment faster than others and setting a 4 month treatment plan does not work for all patients or all areas

Shaun Patel, MD · Answer

I think the best thing to do is get all the upper face areas  (frown lines, forehead lines, crow's feet) treated on the same visit. This makes it easier to maintain your treatments at 4 month intervals. I recommend my patient get Botox/Dysport treatment 3 times a year (every 4 months). If the sites are split up, this makes the regular maintenance a little confusing.

Mehdi Sina, MD · Answer

Hi,If for no other reason, synchronizing treatments saves my patients the time and effort required to visit my office. There is no effect on how well the botox/dysport works. Mehdi Sina, MD

Botox/Dysport: Is it better to stagger treatment of different areas of the face, or have multiple areas treated all at once?

Answers (13)

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