I’m about to answer a question I get frequently, which is how many units of Botox do I need? Usually we are talking about the common areas, which are the forehead, the crow’s feet or wrinkles around the eyes and the frown area. Botox is measured in units, and Allergan, the makers of Botox, has different recommendations for each area. By the way, I use Botox because it is the only FDA approved product for all three of these areas.
The Guide to Botox
According to Allergan’s guide, it is twelve units for the crow’s feet or wrinkles around the eyes to get the desired result. That means 24 total units because we have two eyes. On the forehead, there are two different areas. Right above the eyebrows and in between the eyes is called the frown lines. According to the recommendations, this requires 20 units. And finally, for the lines further up the forehead, which we just refer to as forehead lines, it takes 20 units of Botox. That’s a total of 64 units to treat all three areas. However, remember I said this was just a guide.
Everyone is Different
I have some clients, especially men, who need a little bit more than that. Men tend to have stronger face muscles, which means they need more Botox to inhibit those muscles. I have one guy who needs fifteen units on each side of his eyes to eliminate the crow’s feet, thirty units for his frown lines, and 20 units for his forehead wrinkles. That is a total of seventy-two units. However, I have female client who needs seventy units in her forehead alone, and another female client who only needs fifteen units.
Less Is More
I personally think that 64 units is a bit too much. Unless I know you and we’ve worked up to optimal amount of units, then we are going to start with less. Especially if it’s your first time. I like to start conservatively and add more at your two-week follow up appointment if it’s necessary. Botox is at its peak at two weeks, so it’s a great time to look at the results. Remember we can always add more Botox, but we can’t take it out. Botox interrupts the signal from the brain to the muscles, which essentially weakens the muscles. That means we don’t use them as much and wrinkles don’t appear from using the muscle. If the Botox is already in the muscle, it takes three to four months to wear off. This is a great duration if we like the results. However, if you don’t, there is nothing you can do to undo it.
A Visual Guide
Below is a guide that we have put together to give you a visual representation of what I talked about above as well as other areas that I can treat with Botox injections. Botox treatment can be useful for areas you would never think of, which makes my job lots of fun. I can give you a brow lift or eliminate the bunny lines on your nose when you scrunch your face up. If you smile and have a large part of your gums showing, I can put a few units of Botox on the sides of your nose to eliminate the appearance of a gummy smile. I can also elevate the corners of your mouth or do what is called a lip flip, which is turning the top lip up to make it appear fuller. I can slim the appearance of your jawline, as well as get rid of dimples in your chin. Finally, I can soften the appearance of the neck bands, which becomes more prominent as we age. The guide below will help you in understanding what to expect, though obviously it is not exact as I discussed above.
The best thing for you to do if you are interested in getting Botox treatment is to come in for a free consultation. I can evaluate your wrinkles and make a recommendation, and we can move forward together. Give us a call or text us at (254) 781-8169 to set up a free consultation or click the link above. See you soon!
