3 Reasons Why Your Botox Treatment Is Not Lasting As Long As You Expected
Are you one of those people who love the effect of Botox on your forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet, but are frustrated by the fact that the smoothening effect disappears in a few short weeks?
The muscle action, which had been paralyzed by the Botulin toxin, quickly returns, the lines and wrinkles begin to reappear and need to be treated sooner than expected.
Why does this happen when the effect of Botox is supposed to last on average four months?
Well, here’s the most probable answer, one that the practitioner at your clinic may not be telling you.
You are being underdosed!
Scientific studies tell us that for the average person, you need 64 units to treat the three main areas: forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet.
Also, if you have strong muscles, you may just need more. Muscles in different parts of the face require different amounts of Botox, depending on the size of the muscle and how active they are. For example, a man often requires 50% – 100% more Botox in his frown lines because the corrugator supercilii muscles are just larger and stronger.
But some people who are unwilling to spend more than a certain amount for each treatment have been chronically undertreated because the injector has been relatively timid, injecting less Botox just to please the patient.
The result? Well, you already know it because the effects are disappearing much sooner than you anticipated.
“Being prepared to pay for only a certain amount of Botox is a bit like taking your car for an oil change and telling the attendant to change only 2 quarts of oil and leave the rest unchanged. No wonder the effect does not last as long as expected,” says Dr Bryan McIntosh, a plastic surgeon who believes optimal doses last the optimal time. “I only know what science says, and I like to use science in my practice. This is a medical treatment after all, and as a practitioner, I want to do the best thing. I don’t want to have people needing to come back every couple of months because that’s not in their best interest.”
Another factor that affects the longevity of each treatment is an erroneous belief among a lot of patients that “less is more”. They draw parallels with a friend or a relative perhaps, who needs only 30 units and insist with their provider that a similar amount will work for them as well.
But as explained above, the dosage is not cast in stone. One amount does not suit all. Not if you want the best results from your Botox treatment and have it last the expected period of time. Returning earlier than expected to have it redone costs a whole lot more in the long run.
Finally, the skill of your practitioner can also be a factor that is impacting the longevity of your treatment. Botox has to be injected in the right places and at the right depths to get the best results. Less experienced practitioners may not fully understand facial anatomy and muscle structure as well as they should.
Interested in getting treated with Botox the right way by an experienced plastic surgeon, who will explain the science behind the treatment you’re receiving?
Let us know! At Dr Bryan McIntosh’s practice, we take great pride in the satisfaction our patients enjoy after a Botox session, and we want to do the same for you!
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