Under eye Botox side effects. Is this permanent?

Question

I am 6 mos out from crows feet & under eye botox w/ swelling & under eye bags when I smile. I went to a cred. dermatology office. Good results from Botox before, this was the first time I had under eye injections. Antihistamines, ice rollers, and lymphatic massage don’t help. I took a photo right before injections so I’m sure it was the Botox. I was hoping this would resolve when the Botox wore off but no luck. Im scared, is this permanent? What caused this? Is surgery now necessary?

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

I'm sorry to hear of the issues you've been having since your under eye Botox treatment.  Typically Botox wears off gradually over three to four months, but it may be longer for some people.  For under eye wrinkles fillers, laser treatments or RF treatments such as Morpheus8 are more commonly used to get desired results.

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Hello! My name is Jessica, I am a physician assistant, and one of the providers at Shah Facial Plastics. This is a great question. I recommend treating the area of concern with a laser resurfacing treatment to help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and to tighten the skin. I highly recommend scheduling an in-person consultation in order to better assess your areas of concern and discuss an appropriate treatment plan to help achieve your aesthetic goals. Our office phone number is: (312) 944-0117. I hope this helps and best of luck!

The Aesthetic Edit ATX - Cedar Park · Answer

Hi!
Typically, any edema or laxity under the eyes is not permanent and resolves once the neuromodulator/botox wears off. This looks like laxity and not edema. I would also try to find another photo before you had botox where you are not squinting because that will definitely affect the before and after comparison. Or you could take another now, squinting, that more closely resembles the first. 
Another option is to give this a bit more time. It may take a few more months for the muscles under the eye to "bulk back up" so to speak.
I hope this is helpful!
Vanessa Bennington FNP-BCThe Aesthetic Edit ATXCedar Park, Tx

Nadja Haub, MD · Answer

Hi there,
Thank you for sending your photos. You had Botox 6 months ago to improve wrinkles under the eyes and on both sides of the eyes (crow's feet). I am sorry to hear that you developed under-eye bags and swelling post-Botox. 
Botox relaxes muscles. You have a muscle around the eyes (it is called orbicularis oculi). This muscle helps to tighten the skin under the eyes. When Botox relaxes this muscle, it can sometimes cause the skin to become more lax. Lax skin can appear more wrinkly. On top of that, lax skin does compress the vessels under the eye area enough, which can cause puffiness. 
This often happens when you already struggled with puffy eyes before Botox. That's why it is generally not a great idea to get Botox under the eyes when you get puffiness. 
In your case, you had Botox 6 months ago. For most people, Botox wears off after 3 to 4 months, so the wrinkling and puffiness should have worn off by now. This is a bit unusual. You may want to wait for a few more weeks, but if it does not get better, it may be best to see a cosmetic doctor or plastic surgeon to have a look at this. 
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Under eye Botox side effects. Is this permanent?

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Answer: Under Eye Bags after Crows Feet Botox

Answer: Under Eye Bags after Crows Feet Botox

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Under eye Botox side effects. Is this permanent?

Answers (4)

Answer: Under Eye Bags after Crows Feet Botox

Answer: Under Eye Bags after Crows Feet Botox

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