Subtle Swelling After Botox. How Long Will it Remain?

Question

I am 11 days post-botox treatment only for frownlines. I see some improvement, but also very slight swelling/widening of my nose bridge right between eyes and area between eyebrows that probably only I can notice. But it is definitely there and worrisome because I can't tell yet if 1) it has stablized or 2) if it will continue to worsen if the botox is not finshed doing its work. If it has stabilized will what I see remain as is until the botox itself wears off in 3+ months?

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Swelling is possible everytime a needle penetrates the skin.  Having said that, I typically find that the degree of swelling varies based on the treatment and location.  For example, swelling after Botox is usually minimal (unless you bruise).  Juvederm in the nasolabial folds also has minimal swelling.  Juvderm in the lips, however, can result in a lot of swelling.  It's a good treatment to do on Friday so the swelling can be reduced by Monday.I would also revisit your injector to assess whether or not this is due to Botox activity giving the widening appearance versus injection site swelling.

Jerome Edelstein, MD · Answer

Swelling and bruising are common after Botox. To minimize these temporary effects, apply a cool compress. You may also want to consider stopping any medications that thin the blood for about a week before your treatment to minimize bruising. These medications include aspirin, ibuprofen and St. John's Wort.

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

You may be experiencing some tissue drooping. Although the glabellar region is considered a depressor muscular activity, and Botox injected there helps lift the tissues, it is possible that some of the Botox was injected in an area that reached the frontalis muscle and caused the forehead to droop along with the eyebrows and you're seeing a "bunching" up of skin and not true swelling. This will gradually improve as the Botox starts to wear off in 12 to 16 weeks after injection.

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Any side effects experienced are associated with the injection site, and may include the following:

	 

	1) Slight bruising
	2) Swelling
	3) Temporary ptosis (drooping of the eyelid)
	4) Allergic reaction at the injection site
	5) Muscle stiffness near the injection site
	6) Headache

	Swelling and movement of your brows towards your ears may cause the illusion of a wider nasal bridge.  The side effects are temporary, and after the Botox has worn off it is not likely you will experience any residual side effects. Thanks and I hope this helps!

John J. Corey, MD · Answer

Swelling after Botox is usually due to the fluid used to mix the product and it normally subsides in hrs to maybe a day or two. You could be noticing muscle not smoothing out evenly as it normally should so I recommend going back to let your Nurse Injector or Doctor take a look since they may be able to make things better for you.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

The effect of this is often interpreted as swelling.  It is not swelling.  At 11 days your BOTOX has taken effect and any extra fluid from the treatment was gone within hours of the service.

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Botox comes in a solution that gets absorbed in minutes to hours.  Any residual swelling is either a small blood collection that your body will resorb over 2-4 weeks (at most), or it is a pre-existing lump that you may not have noticed previously but has always been there

Ken Landow, MD · Answer

as the muscles relax, they no longer pull the eyebrows together and that of course may lead to the appearance of widening or moving apart of the inner portion of the brow...the slight swelling may be due to muscle trauma or bleeding as an aftermath of the injection...it should disappear soon...don't worry about continuing to have your brows separate to a noticeable degree...as you say, only you can notice it...and it will stay that way...and you will see a gradual return to normal as the botox slowly wears off

Jacque P. LeBeau, MD · Answer

The subtle widening you are noticing is most likely due to the relaxation of the corrugator muscles which were treated to resolve your "frown" lines between your brows.  There should not be any persistent swelling from the treatment at this point.  The changes should be stable at this point.  If you have any further concerns I would recommend you return to your provider for a full assessment. 
	Best Regards,

	Jacque P. LeBeau, MD

	LeBeau Clinic

Michael Stefan, MD · Answer

In my opinion, botox injections and swelling last about 5 days. This depends on skills of injection and quantity.

Subtle Swelling After Botox. How Long Will it Remain?

Answers (11)