Puffy Eye After Botox Lasts for How Long?

Question

Hi, I am a first time botox user from Ireland. I had some injected for frown and horizontal forehead lines. I am happy with the smoothing effect however I feel my right eyelid is puffy and heavy looking. I'm also finding the frozen feeling incredibly frustrating. Does the puffy look go away or do I have to wait it out until the botox is gone ? Also how long does it take to get used to the 'frozen' feeling ?

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

the frozen effect is something you will get accustomed to in the next few weeks. You have been able to wrinkle up your forehead for your whole life unitl now and your body just can't deal with not being able to do so.  The puffiness you describe sounds like the forehead has brought the eyelid down with it to some degree.  Some women find it difficult to put on their eyeshadow unless they hold up their eyebrow pulling the upper eyelid skin with it.  This occurs when the forehead is treated too much, or too low for the type of forehead muscles you have.  There are women that I have treated since they were in their early thirties but now in their forties, with the skin starting to sag on the forehead, I am not able to treat as much of the lower forehead lines as we would like to treat because of the condition you might be describing. Treating the glabella in the forehead between the eyebrows and limiting the treatment of the forehead to the upper lines might be the most practical for you for the next treatment.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD · Answer

Hi Ao.  The frozen feeling you may not get rid of.  That feeling comes from the inability to "animate" or lift the forehead in the same way that you could before the injections.  It's a sort of numbness or dullness that comes with the territory and you will get used to this feeling.

	The puffiness sounds like it may be a bit of "ptosis" or drooping of the brow.  This is a common side effect of Botox and happens when the Forehead or brow muscles are relaxed too much.  This causes the eyelid(s) to look heavy or swollen.  It will normally resolve between a few weeks and a couple months depending on how severe it is.

Mitchel Goldman, MD · Answer

Injection of any neuromodulator, like Botox, Dysport, Xeomin or Puretox is a scientific art. The object is not to make you feel forzen or cause your eyelids to be puffy. The main reason for both is injection of either too many units of the product and/or injection in less than perfect places. Fortunately, both of these unwanted effects go away in a few weeks. Next time, tell your doctor exactly what happend so that he or she can perform the procedure better on you.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Aoifelrl

	There are a number of ways BOTOX can be done.  Assuming your injecting doctor did not perform a profound forehead treatment and only treated the glabellar area, it is relatively common for first time recipients of treatment to report the sensation of freezing and also eyelid swelling.  This are minor side effects.  Typically the frozen sensation will resolve in about a week or so.  I would also  expect the swelling in the eyelids would settle down in that time frame.  However, everyone can react a little differently and so much depends on how you were treatment.  My best advice is contact your treating physician and have them examine you.  This can provide much more peace of mind than a random email from a doctor you have not seen.

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Botox may be able to even this out by making your left as weak as your right side, although I am sure this not what you want for your forehead lines. You may be able to make this better with fillers, but I think you are better off with surgery to tighten up your eyelid. I recommend having a consultation with an expert to discuss your concerns and to determine the best treatment plan for you. Best of Luck!

Puffy Eye After Botox Lasts for How Long?

Answers (8)

Answer: This all very much depends on how you were treated.

Answer: This all very much depends on how you were treated.

Answer: You may be able to make this better with fillers instead of botox.

Answer: You may be able to make this better with fillers instead of botox.

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Everything you need to know about Botox

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Puffy Eye After Botox Lasts for How Long?

Answers (8)

Answer: This all very much depends on how you were treated.

Answer: This all very much depends on how you were treated.

Answer: You may be able to make this better with fillers instead of botox.

Answer: You may be able to make this better with fillers instead of botox.

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Botox

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.