Would 6 units of Botox in Frontalis Muscle cause this drastic eyebrow arch? Will it go away fast? It was a small amount (Photo)

Question

I asked for "a tiny" amount of Botox to soften the slight crease I constantly have in the middle of my upper forehead. My injector did 3 shots in a horizontal line of 2 units each, for a total of 6 units. It's been 6 days and today I feel like my eyebrows are comically arched, and the right eye has some lid droop as it seems to be affected more than the left side of my forehead. Is this common, and will it resolve quickly since it's such a small amount? I don't want to have anymore injections to fix it.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

6 units isn't a lot for the forehead if the glabella (middle brow) wasn't treated.  This can cause numbing of the muscle for up to 3-4 months.  I suggest waiting 2 weeks to see the full affect and then deciding if you need to even out with more or if waiting 3-4 months would be best.  Dr. Emer.

Hardik Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for question. Injecting Botox only in the frontalis muscle (forehead) can result in an eyebrow arch (spock brow). Only the central part of forehead has been treated and not the lateral part of muscle. This can be corrected by injecting a few units of Botox over the lateral aspect of each brow. I recommend having a consultation with your treating physician.

Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for
your question Ladythebug. I am sorry to hear about your situation. Botox is
a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression such as the horizontal lines seen on the forehead when one raises the brows. To address such lines the frontalis muscle on the upper forehead is treated. This muscle is variable in shape and size from person to person. But for the most part it is a broad muscle that extends from one side of the forehead to the other side. If the central part of the muscle is treated with Botox, that part will relax and it will be difficult to raise the brows in the area of the central forehead. However if the outer parts of the muscle are not relaxed with Botox they will still be able to raise the corners of the brows as in this case. This is easily treated by placing a small amount of Botox (1-2 units) in the outer aspects of the forehead. Please consult with
a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Steven F. Weiner, MD · Answer

It is often requested to inject small amounts of Botox in forehead. "I don't want too much". This can actually be counterproductive. Too little Botox will relax some of the forehead but lead to hypermobility of the lateral fibers of teh frontalis muscle. The only correction is placing more Botox in the more lateral forehead. Doing nothing, this could last 6 weeks or more.

David Owers, MD · Answer

Treating the frontalis with 6 units of Botox is appropriate as a dose; but it must actually be placed in the frontalis.   The muscle in question in a great many individuals, actually has no muscle fibers in the middle of the forehead.  Think of two fan shaped muscles extending in an arch from the middle of each eyebrow upward and arching to the side of your face towards the hairline.  If the lateral fibers of each fan shape are not included, you can affect the shape of someone's brow.

The above title refers to the fact that most people treat the glabella (the area between the brows) as well as the frontalis.  When you indicated that you only asked for a small amount of units in your frontalis, did you indeed only treat your frontalis; or was the glabella also treated, but not simply part of your question?  If the glabella was also treated, then there are additional variables of dosing and placement that can contribute to the changes in your brow - particularly, the droop.

Lastly, if indeed you only received a total of 6 units throughout your forehead and glabella, you can expect it to last 1 to 2 months; especially if your activities involve long distance running or other heavy training.

Would 6 units of Botox in Frontalis Muscle cause this drastic eyebrow arch? Will it go away fast? It was a small amount (Photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: Small amounts of Botox can lead to spocking of brows

Answer: Small amounts of Botox can lead to spocking of brows

Answer: Six or 36?

Answer: Six or 36?

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Would 6 units of Botox in Frontalis Muscle cause this drastic eyebrow arch? Will it go away fast? It was a small amount (Photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: Small amounts of Botox can lead to spocking of brows

Answer: Small amounts of Botox can lead to spocking of brows

Answer: Six or 36?

Answer: Six or 36?

Browse related questions

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.