Botox has been used for cosmetic purposes for about the last 30 years. We can safely apply Botox to the forehead, between the eyebrows, the lines we call crow’s feet next to the eyes, and the lines we call “bunny lines” next to the nose. Other safe areas of application for Botox include the neck, the masseter muscles (chewing muscles), underarm and palm sweating treatment, and specific points on the back, neck, and head for migraine treatment.
When Botox is applied to the lines under the lower eyelid, it can cause under-eye swelling and puffiness, dry eyes, and weak eyelid closure. The safest treatment method for under-eye lines is under-eye mesotherapy.
The effect of Botox on the nasolabial fold, which runs from the nose to the side of the mouth, is controversial. If it affects all the muscles in the area, there is a high risk of lip drooping or asymmetrical smiling. For this reason, we prefer to use fillers for nasolabial fold treatment.
If we apply Botox to the “marionette lines,” which are the lines that extend downward from the corners of the lips and increase with age, there is a high risk of spreading to the muscles that close the mouth, which can cause insufficient mouth closure. Filler application is also safer for this area.
Botox injections into the wrinkles above the lips, known as barcode lines or smoker’s lines, must be performed with great care and by reliable hands. If the dose is too high or reaches the muscles, speech and eating disorders may occur.
Although Botox is effective and safe when used on the upper face, it has been shown that the results are insufficient when used on the lower face and that the risk of complications is high. We safely utilize mesotherapy and filler methods to rejuvenate the lower face.
The most common side effects are pain, swelling, redness, and bruising, which subside within a day. The procedure takes approximately one minute and is performed with very fine needles, known as “ghost needles.” We recommend applying ice to patients to prevent injection pain. We recommend ice because its vasoconstrictive effect reduces bruising.
If we want a good and safe aesthetic result, it is important to have knowledge of anatomy, so Botox should be administered by doctors. Complications usually arise from a lack of knowledge about the application technique.