Botox has become the most frequently used minimally invasive cosmetic procedure by a significant margin. Unfortunately, despite its popularity it’s also one of the procedures where the skill and experience of the practitioner plays a large part in determining how successful the procedure is, and just how natural-looking are the results achieved.
Why is Overdone Botox Even an Issue?
Botox is derived from the botulinum toxin, which is a neurotoxin that blocks the transmission of nerve signals, and by extension prevents or limits the movements of connected muscles. Botox is a refined and highly purified version of the toxin; when used judiciously by skilled practitioners, excellent natural-looking results can be achieved. However, when it’s over-used, or inexpertly applied, several unwanted side-effects can develop.
What Are The Signs of Botox Being Overdone
Frozen or Immobile Face
Overuse of Botox can result in a temporarily frozen appearance, which can prevent the face from being able to express the full range of natural expressions. This can make it difficult to smile, laugh, frown, or show other emotions.
Facial Asymmetry
Excessive use of Botox in the forehead or eyebrow areas can result in an uneven or unbalanced look, with one eyebrow appearing higher than the other, for example. It can also present as unnaturally arched eyebrows, resulting in a permanently surprised look. Over-applying Botox to the forehead can also result in unnaturally smooth looking skin.
Drooping Eyelids
Using too much Botox around the eyes can result in the Botox migrating away from the treated area, and affecting the ability to move the eyelids normally. Drooping or heavy eyelids result.
Impaired Lip and Mouth Function
Using too much Botox in and around the lips and cheeks can result in several problems, including difficulty drinking with a straw, making unwanted whistling sounds, and a general inability to articulate speech clearly.
Other Problems
When Botox is used to relax overdeveloped jaw muscles, overuse can result in asymmetric and/or bulging jaw muscles. Excessive usage in other areas can result in inadvertent eye twitching, headaches, or nausea.
How to Avoid Botox Overuse
Choosing a medically trained and experienced Botox practitioner is the best way to avoid all the above problems. Highly skilled medical professionals are able to better judge individual patient needs, and can adjust Botox dosage to the appropriate amount. A growing trend is to prioritize achieving natural-looking results over eliminating every trace of unwanted lines or wrinkles.
Follow your practitioner’s advice, especially if they tell you that you may have unrealistic expectations. A skilled practitioner will advise you to be conservative with your Botox treatments, until you both have a better understanding of how your body reacts to Botox, and how your particular facial anatomy and physiology affects the results achieved.
Contact Your Laser Skin Care for Questions About Botox or Other Injectables
Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified, with extensive experience performing Botox treatments while prioritizing natural-looking results. We tailor all treatments according to each patient’s needs. We invite you to contact us for more information on this or any of the other non-invasive cosmetic procedures we offer. We can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.
