What are the potential side effects of Botox treatment?

Botox (botulinum toxin) is the single most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the U.S with 100,000’s of people each year undergoing the treatment. The way the Botox procedure works is by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses which in turn prevents the target muscles from contracting. The reason our muscles contract is because they receive a signal from the nerves to do so. Many of the imperfections of our face such as frown lines and crow’s feet are caused by the constant contraction of certain muscles. By injecting Botox into the nerves that supply these muscles, so they can be relaxed and the appearance of the face improved. This is reason that most people decide to have Botox and generally speaking the results are impressive.

As impressive as the botox results are, you still need to be aware of the potential side effects of Botox treatment and these should always be discussed with your practitioner. Although Botox is considered to be an extremely safe procedure there is a chance that you could experience one of the following Botox side effects:

Redness and swelling: The Botox is administered in to the nerves with very fine needles which generally cause only minor discomfort. Some people will however experience 24 hours of redness and swelling at the injection site. Your practitioner can prescribe you cream to reduce this if it is required.

Botox headaches: Occasionally people do suffer from headaches following Botox injections but they are generally only short lasting. Some people do however experience quite severe headaches which may last for a weeks. This is however extremely rare and the exact cause of Botox headaches is not that well understood.

Drooping eye lid: If your practitioner is administering Botox injections around your eyes there is a small chance that some of the Botox can migrate to affect the nerves that supply the eye lid muscle. If this occurs the eye lid will droop which could affect your vision. In most cases your practitioner will be able to prescribe you eye drops which will ensure that the lid is lifted back to its usual position. These eye drops will need to be applied every day for around 4 months until the Botox completely wears off.

Poor results: Although this is not exactly a side effect of Botox, you need to realise that there is no guarantee as to how well the Botox will work. Some people do not seem to respond as well to Botox as others which means the results will not be as pronounced and they are also likely to wear off quicker.

These are the most likely Botox side effects although this is not an exhaustive list. You should always discuss potential complications with your practitioner before you go ahead and have the treatment. This is especially important if it is your first ever treatment as you can never know for certain how your body will react.