To achieve a nice result for the frown lines, it is normal to use 20-30 units. It takes about a week to see the effect, so do not fret that the 20 units has not worked if it has been less than a week.
There are some people however in whom the optimal result for the frown lines can require higher dosing.
If you have lines at rest already, your doctor may discuss with you that it may take months with consistent optimal Botox use for those wrinkles to soften and sometimes if the lines at rest are very pronounced even fillers or laser treatments may be recommended in addition to Botox.
Botox as a prevention for the frown lines is so valuable because it is easier to prevent the lines than to correct them.
Finally, It is very important that you see a physician whom you trust.
Does Botox For Frown Lines Hurt
If you are going to a reputable, board certified Dermatologist or Plastic surgeon for your Botox and other aesthetic needs, they have skills and techniques that you can trust to give you optimal outcomes. (Quenby Erickson, DO, FAAD, FACMS, Chicago Dermatologic Surgeon)
Units of Botox needed to treat frown lines
The number of units of Botox needed to treat specific areas of your face is very individual, and is based on factors such as: sex, facial muscle strength and contraction, prior Botox use, and your individual anatomy.
20 units of Botox is on the low end of the spectrum used to treat this area generally, but is well within the normal range. Again, the take-home message here is that this should not be done as a recipe, should not be cookie-cutter for each person, and should be based on your individual needs and anatomy.
Get Botox For My Frown Lines
The second important point here is that you need to give your Botox 3 to 4 days, give or take a couple days on either end of that, to start seeing results. It’s maximum effect happens about four weeks after injection.
To guarantee you’re receiving the highest level of care, seek out a dermatologic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is board certified and fellowship trained in one of these “core four” cosmetic specialties. MD, FAAD, FACMS, Spokane Dermatologic Surgeon)
20-30 units is average for the glabellar area where you make your 11’s, and the price per unit you were charged is also reasonable. See how the Botox works, you were just injected, it can take a week or more to see results. (Kaleroy Papantoniou, MD, FAAD, Great Neck Dermatologic Surgeon)
How Long Does Botox For Frown Lines Last
Different patients require different amount of Botox to be injected. It seems that the thicker brow tissue if men require more than the same area in women. I usually start with 25 units for the frown line in men and 20 units for women.
Results typically take 4 days to take effect and 1 week to see the full effect. The time also varies for different individuals. (James R. Gordon, MD, FACS, FAAO, New York Oculoplastic Surgeon)
Botox needed to treat the 11’s
It can take up to 10 days for Botox to fully take effect. Also, many times doctors will treat the patients with less product to see how it takes effect because remember, your doctor can always add more Botox later, but they cannot take out what’s been put in. (Brian Coan, MD, FACS, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)
You Can Reduce Lines And Wrinkles In Specific Areas
The average number of units of Botox that you need for the frown lines is 20 units. I would definitely wait a week before you evaluate the results. Some patients with strong muscles may need more than 20 units to get the full effect. (Young R. Cho, MD, PhD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)
20 units is the recommended starting dose. You would have paid more in my office. The results are not immediate. (Tracy E. McCall, MD, Milwaukee Plastic Surgeon)
I can understand the frustration of not seeing the immediate results you were anticipating. Botox is variable amongst patients, with some seeing results in 24 hours, while others may take a week or more for meaningful results.
Be patient and keep an open dialogue with your physician. I routinely ask new patients to come a week after injection to assess how the Botox is working, and whether any touch-ups may be needed. (Nelson Castillo, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)
Forehead Wrinkles & Frown Lines
Botox in this area takes 10-30 units for improvement depending on the person, muscle strength/size, female versus male etc. Sometimes fillers are required to get the full improvement. The expectations should be improvement not full paralysis – that allows you to keep a natural apperance. (Jason Emer, MD, Los Angeles Dermatologic Surgeon)
The 11 lines typically need 15 to 20 units of Botox for a good effect. Botox should take a week to work fully. Some patients will have drastic improvement in their wrinkles after receiving Botox, but some may have permanent creases.
These patients benefit from Botox and placement of filler. The filler helps fill the permanent crease. (Austin Hayes, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)
You should wait up to two weeks before assessing your results, as it can take this long for an improvement to appear. (Jerome Edelstein, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)
Wrinkle Relaxers
It takes 2 weeks to see full results from Botox, so you should hold judgement until that time. I tell my patients to call at the two week period if they are not satisfied with the results.
They are then reexamined and a touch-up injection is performed if I think it is necessary. Sometimes the wrinkles are too deep for Botox to make them completely disappear. In those cases, skin resurfacing or chemical peels are necessary. (Clyde Mathison, MD, Knoxville Facial Plastic Surgeon)
You’d need to wait up to 7 days to see the full effect. There is hardly any effect within the first 24 hours. (Farzad Yaghouti, MD, San Diego Ophthalmologist)
In general, it takes 2-5 days for botox to show its effects, so I would be patient for a few more days. I usually recommend my first-time patients to follow-up at 2 weeks time to ensure they are happy with the result.
20 units is a very common dosage for that area and usually obtains the effect desired by the patient. Some patients need more than others, which is why I recommend close follow-up after the first treatment. (Bryan Correa, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)
The amount of botox to treat this area varies – practitioners develop individualized treatment plans based on the patient’s goals and how deep the wrinkles are. I think the average for a woman is 20 units and a male can be 24 units.
Patient that are younger or have subtle lines will require less. (Keshini Parbhu, MD, Orlando Oculoplastic Surgeon)
Botox takes 2-3 days to START working
20 units is a typical amount used to treat the “11” lines. (Bryson G. Richards, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)
I usually inject 20-30 units depending on the patient and their previous botox history. It takes at least 48-72 hours to see the full muscle relaxation effect of botox. (Samuel Baharestani, MD, FACS, Long Island Oculoplastic Surgeon)
I tell my patients to wait 7-10 days for the final result and if they feel there is more movement than they want, they should come in after the 10 days and we can add more units.
You may have a stronger muscle that requires more units. Typically I inject 25 units to the “11’s” , on average. (Chad Robbins, MD, Nashville Plastic Surgeon)
Most patients get satisfactory results with 20-25 Units for the glabella. These treatments are all tailored to the individual patient. Some patient require less than 20 units and some patients require more than 25 units. Keep in mind that Botox takes at least two weeks to reach maximum effect.
Bottom line- at this point try to be patient. If you don’t see satisfactory results after two weeks schedule a follow up with the surgeon who performed your Botox treatment. (Brian Harmych, MD, Cleveland Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Typically 20 units of Botox will be sufficient to treat the 11″s or the forehead lines, but not both. It also depends on the size of the patients forehead, and the strength of the muscles. It is much easier to smooth the forehead than it is to eliminate the 11’s.
It will take 7 top 10 days to see the full effect. (Gary Lawton, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)
For patients who have never tried Botox before we will usually start at 20 units for the frown lines between the eyebrows. However, some patients will require 30 or more units to see the desired effect. Botox takes time to start working I would not be concerned if there is no effect only one day after the injection. (William Andrade, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)
Toxin Units Vary Depending on Brand and Person
Everyone’s “11 lines” (glabella) are different, and they will require somewhat different amounts of Botox to make them relaxed — or without the 11s. The original Botox clinical trials used 20 units injected into five set points in the 11s area.
Some need this amount, some need less, and men may need more. Again, this is why proper consultation is needed and why a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon is the best to inject — or skilled providers working with them.
If you are having Dysport injected, the “numbers” will be different because a different mixing scale for the medicine is used. Xeomin and Botox units are virtually the same. (Michael Gold, MD, Nashville Dermatologic Surgeon)
Unlike filler, Botox does not give immediate results. It typically takes anywhere from 3-7 days to become fully active. Then over the next few months as the muscle relaxes, your wrinkles should smooth out even more.
A general rule for injection of Botox is 20 units to each injected area (glabella, forehead, crows feet). Give it time for the Botox to work, but if after two weeks you can still form your “11’s”, you should return to your doctor so that he can address the issue with a possible touch up. (Julia Ann Sullivan Miller, MD, Edison Ophthalmologist)
Most patients will respond to 20 units to relax the muscles that cause the “11s.” Howeever, men usually require more units, and if the skin is severely indented it may not smooth completely. (Stephan Finical, MD, Charlotte Plastic Surgeon)
The typical dose for the “glabella” area of the forehead is 20-25 units. I give up to 40 units in a heavy male brow. I dose it according the the thickness of the muscle on physical exam.
Sometimes, the “11’s” have been there so long that the skin has developed memory. I usually give Botox then have the patient come back 2 weeks later for some Juvederm to push up the individual wrinkles from underneath.
I have found this techinique works best for the very persistent wrinkles (Jason Mussman, MD, Phoenix Plastic Surgeon)