Can facial muscles become weaker after Botox?

Can facial muscles become weaker after Botox?

I want to try Botox for the "chemical brow lift" effect. However, I am worried that Botox may cause the facial muscles to weaken or atrophize while it's in the body; and when it's gone, the brows might fall even further than their original position due to the weakened muscles in the area. Is this scenario possible?


ANSWER:

Yes, Botox my weaken muscles over time; but, your brows won't fall more because of the Botox.

The short answer is yes, Botox can lead to muscle atrophy and thinning if used repeatedly over short periods of time. Botox works by "relaxing" (partially paralyzing) the muscles by inhibiting neurotransmitters. Over time, this neurotransmitter function is regained; the time period usually is around 4 months for most people.

Ideally, it would be wise to allow the muscles to regain some function before re-injecting Botox, but some people choose to re-inject before this function is regained, thus keeping the muscle in a semi-permanent state of relaxation. As muscles gain their strength by contracting/working, this semi-permanent state of relaxation would eventually cause the muscles to thin and somewhat atrophy over time.

In regards to your specific case of a "chemical brow lift", if you re-injected these specific muscles repeatedly over a short period of time to cause such a semi-permanent relaxation, then yes, you can atrophy those muscles, but no, you won't cause your eyebrows to droop more over time. In fact, it might actually delay further drooping.

But, be careful, overdoing Botox to acheive this would cause the muscles that are working to lift your eyebrows to perhaps become a little stronger, and may lead to an unnatural look. Do Botox tastefully, and take your time between injections, and you should do fine.

Answer by Don Mehrabi, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist, Beverly Hills Dermatologist

www.DermZone.com
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