Do you have horizontal wrinkles on your forehead that make you look old? If so, Botox can help. Botox can be used to treat horizontal forehead lines.

What is Botox?

Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles that are associated with facial expressions. Common areas that are treated with Botox include the horizontal forehead lines seen when you raise your eyebrows, the vertical lines between your brows seen when you frown, and the crow’s feet seen around the eyes when you smile or squint. When placed in the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles?

What are horizontal forehead lines?

Horizontal forehead lines are the lines that go from one side of the forehead to the other side. They can be seen when you raise your eyebrows. In some people who make a low of facial expressions the horizontal forehead lines are seen at rest. They are caused by using the muscle in your forehead called the frontalis to raise the eyebrows. When you repeatedly raise your eyebrows, these wrinkles are seen slowly over years.

How does Botox treat horizontal forehead lines?

Botox will relax the frontalis muscle in your forehead that you use to raise your eyebrows. This will prevent the horizontal forehead lines from getting deeper and often times make them disappear completely. If too much Botox is used in this area or if the Botox is placed too low, it can make it hard to raise your eyebrows and the eyebrows can feel heavy. Therefore, Dr. Alex recommends that his patients treat all of the muscles in the upper face that are used to move the eyebrow with Botox. This includes the muscles between the eyebrows and the muscles around the eyes. By relaxing both the muscles that pull the eyebrow down and the muscle that pulls the eyebrow up (frontalis) with Botox you will be able have a harmonious balance and the position of the eyebrows will be normal.

How much Botox do I need to treat my horizontal forehead lines?

When Botox was first approved to treat horizontal forehead wrinkles studies were done to determine the safety and effectiveness of Botox in this area. In these studies, 20 units of Botox were used in the upper forehead. This Botox dose was used to make sure a change was seen. In practice, however, using such a dose of Botox can lead to a heavy feeling in the eyebrows and usually somewhere between six and 20 units of Botox are used. There is a lot of variability in the size of people’s foreheads. For people with narrow foreheads only a small dose of Botox is required whereas those with broader foreheads require a higher dose of Botox. Dr. Alex can make specific recommendations in terms of the appropriate Botox dose for you.

How can I make sure my Botox results are perfect?

Treating the horizontal forehead lines with Botox can be tricky. If not enough Botox is used the eyebrows can appear peaked, giving a surprised appearance. On the other hand, if too much Botox is used or if the Botox is placed too low the eyebrows can feel heavy. Also, if the other muscles in the upper face are not treated the shape and position of your eyebrows can be affected. Therefore, it is important to treat the entire upper face with Botox and use enough units to give a perfect result. Dr. Alex has his patients return two weeks after their treatment to make sure the results are not perfect. Sometimes additional units of Botox are used to make small adjustments to make it perfect.

When will I see the results of my Botox treatment?

You will see your full results two weeks after your Botox treatment. Although some people may notice their results as soon as a few days after their Botox treatment, for other people it can take up to two weeks to see their results. Also sometimes results from a Botox treatment are seen faster than a previous treatment. So if you usually see results in only a few days after a Botox treatment but are not seeing full results after a week or so, be patient and wait a full two weeks. If your Botox results are not perfect after two weeks and you received the recommended dose, Dr. Alex will provide complimentary additional Botox units. So you don’t have to worry about diluted Botox.

How long does Botox last?

Most people enjoy the results of their Botox treatment for three to four months. At that time Dr. Alex recommends a maintenance Botox treatment. We participate in the Brilliant Distinctions Program. This is a rewards program set up by Allergan, makers of Botox, where you get points for each Botox treatment and you can use them to get discounts on your next Botox treatment. We make sure that all of our Botox patients take advantage of this opportunity.

What should I do after a Botox treatment?

After a Botox treatment Dr. Alex recommends avoiding heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours. This will reduce the risk of bruising after your Botox treatment. Also maintain an upright posture without bending forward or lying flat for four hours after your Botox treatment. This will prevent the Botox from spreading to nearby muscles and causing side effects such as droopy eyelids.