Are There Long-Term Side Effects From Botox and is it Safe?

Botulinum toxin was first isolated in the 20s, was first used therapeutically in 1968, and became approved in 1989 for eye issues. It has been used heavily for cosmetic use since 2002, and it was the first aesthetic drug ever approved.  All that is to say...it has a lot of safety data behind it. Recent evidence (coming out this week) proves that botulinum toxin does NOT enter your brain as it's distant cousin tetanus toxin does, which is where that theory came from. 
Botox, Dysport and Xeomin are the 3 botulinum toxins approved for cosmetic use in the US. They all work in the same way, at the presynaptic terminal blocking the release of acetylcholine - making the nerve temporarily unable to communicate with the muscle. It is broken down as a protein in our body with liver metabolism. Effects are temporary, and repeated use serves to take tension off of your skin, relaxing lines and wrinkles.
To ensure you are receiving the highest level of care, seek out a modernly trained, new-school dermatologic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is board certified and fellowship trained in one of these "core four" cosmetic specialties. Membership in organizations like the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery help to identify a highly trained surgeon.

Cameron Chesnut
#realself500 Physician

Botox has been found to be safe and effective.  It has been used for many medical conditions as well as cosmetic indications for frown lines, forehead lines and crowe's feet.  I have not seen any untoward side effects in my patients doing the botox injections for the past 10 years.  

The product has been used safely in medical treatments for over 30 years including in children at high doses for the treatment of spasticity in cerebral palsy and for spasms of the eyelid and neck muscles spasms. The doses used for cosmetic purposes are very low and with millions of patient treatments each year it has a proven safety track record with no long term side effects to cosmetic doses of this product.

Is Botox safe? 

Botox is used for a variety of cosmetic and non-cosmetic purposes and has been safely used since the early 1990's. In 2002 the FDA approved it for use of frown lines. There have been many clinical trials and over 400 peer-reviewed articles in scientific and medical journals about it's use. Though rare, there can be serous side effects. Some people with certain medical conditions should not use Botox. Additionally, some individuals on certain medications should not have this procedure in case it leads to a drug interaction. It is important to disclose your full medical history and provide a list of medication to your doctor before he begins the procedure.

When administered by an expert medical professional, Botox and all of the neuromodulators like Dysport and Xeomin have been proven to be very safe and effective. Studies have not shown any damaging long-term side effects from Botox. In fact, we were part of a 10 year Botox study proving that twice yearly treatments were not only safe and effectiuve but maintained a youthful appearance over time. To ensure the best results, it is necessary to visit an experienced injector. At my practice in San Diego, we house five of the most world-renowned injectable experts.

Botox has been used for several decades now, and no evidence of meaningful long-term side-effects have been noticed thus far.

It's impossible to predict what the answer will be in another 15-20 years but our experience so far has suggested that Botox is safe short- and long-term. On a related note, Botox for wrinkles uses a much smaller dose than patients receive for muscle spasticity. Those patients who've been receiving large doses of Botox for other functional problems also have not had problems further supporting our finding that cosmetic Botox is safe.I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botox is one of the most researched and studied medications in the history of medicine and one of the safest.  Botox has been in use worldwide for over 20 years to treat many different conditions.  There are no known long-term or permanent side effects.  In rare cases, your body might develop antibodies to Botox and it will lose its effect.  Make sure you go to a qualified injector and discuss Botox as well as the other medications similar to it (Dysport and Xeomin)

I have injected Botox on an aesthetic basis since 2000 and have used it for functional purposes since 1998.  I have not seen long term issues with patients on an anecdotal basis, nor is there literature to support it either. The one long term benefit for regular users is prevention of onset of severe upper third facial lines.

I have been using Botox for almost 20 years and have found it to be safe and effective.  There have been no long term side effects noted for Botox.  Most patients who receive Botox for cosmetic indications receive small amounts and have the injections repeated twice a year.  The continued rise in popularity of Botox shows how easy, safe, and effective Botox is.  For the best results please consult a board certified dermatologist for the best cosmetic results.