Botox-Never Again! - Paramus, NJ

December 20, 2011 I had botox injected into crows feet two weeks ago (5 units each eye). At rest my face looks great, it has smoothed out the wrinkles next to my eyes. BUT when I smile I have big bags under my eyes and wrinkles that were definitely not there before the botox. My eyes are also very dry. I am so disappointed. I've had botox injected into my forehead and between my brow with excellent, subtle results. I went to my last appointment never intending to have injections into crows feet but the receptionist talked me into it. I am so angry at myself, my smile was one of my best assets. I Would take crows feet over these bags any day. I pray that they subside, but from what I have read here I realize that many deal with this for many months. Had I read this forum before my appointment I would have never done it. :( Is there anyone who has recovered from something similar that can give us hope? Thanks December 21, 2011 I am also very attractive and so angry at myself for messing with my smile. I am 42 and so afraid that these bags under my eyes when I smile will be here to stay. I want to avoid holiday parties/etc and refuse to have my photo taken smiling. Horrible. December 22, 2011 I had a total of 40 units - 20 between brow, 10 forehead and 5 each eye. Typing it out I can't believe I did this to myself. Not only do I have the bags when I smile but folds of skin on my upper cheeks. But smooth temples. Ugh. Thanks for the advice I will stay away from red wine. I'm drinking tons of water, exercising and trying to eat really well. I can hold on 6 more weeks and hide from cameras. NEVER AGAIN December 23, 2011 I've had injections in my 11s and forehead and this never happened. About 5 days after crows feet injections (5 units each eye) I noticed the bags/new wrinkles. And my left eye looks smaller than my right. Over 2 weeks out and I look worse today than ever. My eyes are dry and bloodshot. This has aged me years. It's good to hear that after a month or two you fully recovered Joann. I dread seeing people over Christmas/new years. I want to crawl in a hole until it's gone. I am in my office right now with sunglasses on lol. It was horrible this morning (and I have a cold which makes it worse). Someone in my office actually gasped when I took my sunglasses off. Before today I looked fine at rest, the bags were only noticeable when I smiled. But today they are in full bloom, I don't think I have smiled once today :(. Would hot baths every night help? Or sticking my face in a neti pot? Do you think the MD screwed up, or that this is just my reaction? I don't have crows feet anymore, its just that the other muscles are compensating I suppose, causing the bags and new wrinkles. I will never, ever do this again with that Dr or any other. My mouth isn't affected. It's only under my eyes when I smile. Although today I look horrendous, my eyes are bloodshot red but that could be because I have a bad cold I'm not sure, eye drops are not helping. I'll call the Dr after Christmas. Glad I found you ladies for support! December 24, 2011 Feeling absolutely horrible today. Spent Christmas ever with my family and tried not to smile the entire night. I feel trapped in this face, like I am suffocating from it. I don't know how I will make it through the next several months. My husband doesn't know about the Botox but tells me I look really tired. Which is infuriating because the whole point to spending all this money is too look refreshed! I have always been vain and cared way too much about my looks. I got what I deserved. I looked at my sisters tonight and envied their laugh lines and ability to express. My mom has a photo of my sisters and I from this past summer - I looked fantastic. Botox has ruined my face and I allowed it to happen. Anyway sorry to be such a downer, I can't talk about this with anyone IRL. I'm determined to heal, and just pray that my face obliges. Hoping tomorrow is a better day, but inlaws are coming so that is doubtful lol. At least bc they are drunks they won't notice my face as much. I'm drinking tons of water, steaming my face, trying to eat healthy and cutting out diet side (my addiction) and coffee. Trying to detox my body so at least while I wait for this to wear off I'll be healthier. Very worried about long lasting effects - that the new wrinkles under my eyes are here to stay. At least they will match my crows feet when they return :). Thanks for listening. Merry Christmas December 25, 2011 Every day is something a little new and different - today my eyes aren't as bloodshot (the right is better than the left) but I feel a tug under my left eye, which is visibly smaller than the right. I did not get an injection below my eye, crows feet only. The tugging is really uncomfortable but doesn't look too bad unless I smile, then the bags appear. UGH. Creepy eyes, I am so glad to hear that you have improved! I'm happy for you and it gives me hope. Thank you for the support, this is really an awful experience and I don't wish it on my worst enemy. December 26, 2011 I called the MD this morning. She is out all week. The receptionist was very nice and felt bad, she is having the office manager call me on Wednesday when she returns. Today I am just so angry with myself. Wednesday will be my three week mark - hoping that after that I will start to see improvement instead of getting worse every day. Today the skin under my eyes looks crepey and wrinkled. :( December 27, 2011 Today is the worst by far. The bags and wrinkles are evident even if I am just talking without smiling. I want to cry. Tomorrow is the 3 week mark. I hope this is the worst of it. At rest I just look really tired and have circles under my eyes, which I never ever had before. I took photos but I am not sure how to get them on this site. I won't see my Dr until next week as she is out all week, but I will definitely ask for that gel. I am expecting the office manager to call me tomorrow and I will speak to her about getting my money back. I don't even care about the money though, I desperately want my face back. I have aged myself 10 yrs with 10 units of botox. CRAZY. I'm not lying when I tell you this past summer (at 41) I was mistaken for being 30. I now look my age or older. What a nightmare. As the day progresses the circles/bags under my eyes worsen, even at rest. I can feel the skin under my eyes. I have never looked worse in my entire life. I am so so upset. It is devastating. I wish I didn't care so much, but this is where my vanity has led me. A huge lesson learned. I started facial exercises today and hope that will help my healing. Also hoping that the acupuncturist gets back to me soon so I can start that as well. The though of hiding for the next 3 months is so depressing, but it is more depressing thinking that I will be stuck with these bags and wrinkles forever. I hope you're right that I will fully recover. The Dr who injected me is out all week. I can't see her until next week. When you went back to the injector what did he /she tell you? I was never told that this was a possibility. I asked if it could change my smile and I was reassured it would not. The receptionist spent a good 15 minutes talking to me and convincing me to do it, as she recently had done it with nice results. ( I wonder how many days out she was!). I'm so upset I allowed myself to be talked into this, I never went for it in the first place. December 29, 2011 I received a call today from the office manager of my Drs office (my Dr is out all week). She left me a message saying that she saw my photos I emailed and that I am likely just focusing on wrinkles that were previously there but not as noticeable bc of the crows feet. So I am being told that this is all in my head. I am furious. I won't call her back bc I will only go get angry and it won't be productive. NO one knows my face like I do, and I KNOW I didn't have these wrinkles before. I have an appt on Tuesday. All I want is the gel that Janine was talking about to try to reduce the bags. The skin under my eyes is so irritated and today I have a small welt under my right eye. I never had any issues like this with my skin pre-injections. I have an acupuncture consult next Thursday. Don't' ask when I will actually work. I'm going to lose my job over botox. I'll let you know what the acupuncturist says, I hope that this can help me. Hang in there everyone. We will all heal in 2012. I took more pics today. The wrinkles under my eyes are now evident when I am at all animated. When I smile the right eye bag and wrinkles are worse than the left, and I have a small welt under the right eye. Lovely. I am going to a girlfriend's house tonight and want to wear a bag over my head. I bought dark rimmed glasses today but won't get them until next week. I did have photos taken prior to this round of botox and I look forward to seeing them. I also have my own photos that prove this is not in my head. I have to survive the next 6-8 weeks and hope that my face reappears. And then I will throw a party. December 30, 2011 My eyes are a mess today. I had a few glasses of white wine last night (I though white was safe) and today my eyes are so red and my upper eyelids are puffy and sagging on my left eye. I'm wearing sunglasses at work today. Ugh. Hopefully this is just because I drank and not a new development. I am just past 3 weeks, so I could be in for something worse, who knows. This is what I get for injecting poison right next to my eyes. What a dumb thing to do. I am supposed to go somewhere for NYE but I really just want to stay home. Maybe I'll just go for an hour or two and say I don't feel well and go home. Especially now that I know what will happen if I stay out late and drink. January 1, 2012 Hey - I did go out last night and actually managed to have a good time. Still trying not to smile so much but I have to say I feel less restricted now. Maybe because I am getting used to it, I'm not sure. My eyes are still red and irritated - I think this has effected my tear production and has given me dry eye. Eye drops aren't working. It is better if I don't wear my contact lenses. Val, I'm sorry about your NYE. Effing botox! Maybe you should just tell your boyfriend - laugh about it and promise not to do it again? I totally understand why you don't want to - I mainly haven't told my husband bc he doesn't know I've spent all this money on botox! Crazy. I wish I could see a pic of you so I could see what your under eyes look like and if they look like mine. I do find myself running to the mirror constantly to see how my eyes look. When I am tired I look truly awful now, so much older. I've been using eye gel and I think that helps a bit - I bought Fresh lotus eye gel and I really like it. It doesn't irritate my skin like everything else has since this botox nightmare. I'm so afraid that this is my new normal :( I am just hoping that in another month or so I can call this a bad memory. I am going on a ski trip in Feb and I hope and pray that the botox will be out of my system by then. In the meantime yes, I plan to workout more, eat healthy, try acupuncture and no more messing around with my face. Happy New Year guys. 2012 will bring us our faces back, I know it.