OT - Botox

I've been hesitating to post this because it is way OT - but the audience here is mainly female so here goes.

I'll be 52 years young this month. I have a bunch of wrinkles on my forehead that I've hated for years. Did lots of internet research on Botox, talked to a bunch of people and the overwhelming majority loved it. Yeah, I did the "injecting poison into my body? how can this be good" stuff, but decided that was a radical reaction (which I do often - the only time I see middle ground is when I'm running from one extreme to the other.)

ANYWAY - long story short - I hate it. I have small-ish eyes that are deep set. Botox has frozen/relaxed the muscles in my forehead which caused my eyebrows to droop and my eyelids look like lizard eyelids with a big fold in them. I look half asleep all the time. My eyebrows are perfectly horizontal - not a flattering look. I cannot get used to not moving my forehead muscles, I guess it's hard to break a 52 year habit. (One thing my friends told me was that after a couple of days you don't notice it - bull pucky!)

It might be OK for some people, but you have to assess your general facial structure first. I had it done by a board certified plastic surgeon, not at a Botox party. I now get to wait a couple more months for this to wear off and my eyelids to lift again. Until then, the gecko on that insurance commercial is my new brother.

Well, live and learn--the great thing is that it's not permanent.

But thanks for sharing. I'm 53, have never considered botox or any kind of cosmetic procedure (though both seem to be all the rage these days), but I'll keep your experience in mind if I hear of any friends considering using botox.

there is an acupuncture technique that works at deep wrinkles to increase collagen production. It is very slow and takes many treatments, but it doesn't hurt and it won't make you look like a lizard. And your face will still have a wrinkle there, just not as big a wrinkle. So you will still look like "you".

Hang in there til the botox wears off!

I'm glad to hear it's temporary and you'll recover from it.

I had severe rosacea years ago and it dramatically changed my face for about 6 months till I figured out what works for me and how to control it. But those were a rough 6 months. Mild understatement. So, I know some of how you are feeling.

Most of my trouble with rosacea came from chemical allergies. So, I've never thought about botox. Or tatoos. Or changing hair color. Heck, I can't even use hair conditioner. lol Just a ton of other stuff that doesn't bother the rest of you can bring me to my knees in a heart beat.

Trust me, no one is as critical of your eye brows or eyes as you are. You think you look odder than you do. Honest. And it'll start getting better alittle bit every day soon.

Glad for you. :) And grateful you posted your experience. It's good advice.

Ugh I am so sorry! At least Botox is somewhat temporary. Hopefully you will get to be like your friends and not see it all the time.

I have a movement disorder and Botox is one of the therapies. I asked my neurologist about doing that in the future when I decide to get pregnant to control my tremors. He said "Well my only concern is if they don't know which nerve and treat the wrong one you could end up temporarily unable to use your right hand.":eek: I guess Botox is great, but there are still risks.

DM

Thanks for sharing this. Usually, we only hear about the positives of these kind of things. Excuse the pun, but your story was a real eye-opener. As I look at my 44th BD, I've thought about it too, but now, it's off the table.

Thank you.

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the botox. I am glad you shared this with us. We always hear the positive from the media about cosmetic procedures but rarely the negative. I've not considered botox but I'm just turning 40, I may have in the future. I have deep set eyes as well so I would have had the same issues as you. Thanks for sharing, I do hope the botox wears off quickly. I wonder if there is anything that you could do to help speed it along? I wonder if detoxify would help? Maybe your doctor would have suggestions.

I'll never do it again. And it isn't just the weird eye thing (yeah, I'm probably the only one who notices, but still...) - it is the fact that you cannot move the muscles and that is WEIRD.

As for speeding it along, there are some eye drops that they can give to open up the eye area, but they don't always work (and they're for glaucoma.) I would hate to make this worse. It should wear off in another 6-8 weeks. I'm a little gun shy about having anything else done.

I have a friend who had a bunch of cosmetic surgery done because she wants to "stay competitive" (62 years old & unmarried.) Her face looks great but her hands give her away.

Mother Nature WILL have her way with us!

When I got mine done... once... the Dr. told me that if your eyebrows are droopy (? spelling), there is a problem.

Did you move your forehead muscles for 4-6 hours after getting injected? I know I was instructed to do it constantly for hours after getting it done.

Also, did you go to a reputable Dr. who has done botox many times?

At least it wears off, that's a plus to botox! Good luck and sorry your experience was so bad.

I personally liked it and wished I had the money to keep it up on a regular basis. I'm so animated, I have deep wrinkles on my forehead and I want to go away!

PS- If you don't already... to make your eyes look more open, you can go and get your eyebrows waxed to put a nice arch in them... it will open your eyes up some. Trick of the eye.

sorry to hear that the botox didn't work out. like the others have said at least it will wear off in time.

i'm know your still beautiful, even if your feeling a bit weird about the whole thing.

i've known some that have had botox and it has worked great or it hasn't no inbetween. you never know until you try.

just keep smiling :)

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Originally Posted by KSH

Also, did you go to a reputable Dr. who has done botox many times?

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I went to a board certified plastic surgeon who graduated from an Ivy League school and has done lots of Botox. I am probably one of the few that don't like it.

He said that because my eyes are deep set, I might have a little eyelid droop so he used less Botox right over the outside eyebrow area. And that looks weird too - just a few wrinkles on the outside of the forehead.

I also felt weak/flu-ey for a few days afterwards. I'm really sensitive to any medication (I cut a 10 mg lexapro into quarters, per my psych-doc) so who knows.

Wish I could have given my Botox to you, because you like it. I have friends who swear by it. I swear AT it!

I am sorry for your experience! I have been offered BOTOX as a treatment for migrianes-I refused. Anyhoo, you most likely do not look as badly as you think. But, you still do not like it and that is all that matters. I am very glad to hear it will reverse in time. I personally have no problems with wrinkles. I have earned each line I have. :)

Yeah, I figured I've earned mine, too. Got me some real deep ones between my eyes and at the corners of my mouth (like dog jowls); but they are ones that fold and get deeper when I smile and laugh. Gotta love it. And they are lopsided, just like my grin.

"Wrinkles are just tattoos with better stories."

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Originally Posted by Bikingmomof3

I am sorry for your experience! I have been offered BOTOX as a treatment for migrianes-I refused.

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Botox used for medical reasons... can be good. My Grandma got shots every 3-6 months for her eyes... she had blethrospasm (can't spell it!)... basically her eye muscles would twitch and cause her eyes to close on their own... and she was very sensitive to light. It helped some. Without the botox, she would have been a lot worse off than she was.

We use it where I work, too, to get rid of swallowing spasms that make it so people can't eat.

Hello,

I read your thread (2 years later) and wanted to know if the botox wore off and if your eyes were corrected. The EXACT same thing happened to me. I used a board certified plastic surgeon and told him before hand that my eyes were deep and already slightly asymmetrical. I am absolutely moritfied by the outcome of the botox. I feel like a freak and I am worried that this is really permanent. Like you, I am also sensitive to meds and was once on lexapro which I cut a 10mg into 5mg. So, already have some anxieties.

Not been there myself, but I used to work in a hospital. One of the nurses had the same thing (maybe worse, she couldn't keep one of her eyes open at all!). We video taped her opening her eyelid manually with her fingers and then watched it slowly close up again.... It was not permanent and she could eventually open her eye normally again - but it think it takes several months to wear off.

thx, for sharing.

..and I didn't know botox had some other uses. But unbelievable someone was recommended it...for migraines?? :eek:

I had Botox injections into the facet joints and surrounding muscles of my cervical spine to reduce severe pain from a whiplash injury in 2001.

Didn't help a whole lot. :(

So....the protein from botulism which is a toxin, is injected to paralyze the muscle....is that why they think it would work on severe muscle pain?
Sounds kind of yucky. If needles are going to be used wouldn't accupuncture be a better form of treatment?

I don't know, I've never needed to paralyze muscle before.

They used to use botox where I worked to stop "gustatory sweating". I guess if you have to have your paraotid (salivary) glands removed sometimes the nerves that control them can grow back into your skin and activate your sweat glands, so every time you eat or even think about or smell something that might ordinarily make your mouth water you sweat profusely from your face instead....

They would inject botox to paralyze the nerves and stop the sweating.

The nurse I knew worked in that clinic, so I think that's how she got interested in botox in the first place.

Yes, the botox wore off but it took about 10 weeks. I really looked like a sleepy-eyed lizard. Not being able to move your forehead muscles is too weird. I'll never do it again.

Well, this is a bit of irony for me on the date. Until I read through this thread, I didn't realize this post was 2yrs old... but still going obviously.

I too had a very negative experience with taking the biggest "out there" leap of faith in my life getting "a little work done", as they say in the cosmetic biz. It's my one year anniversary date from the last surgery of a multiple mess from Dr. Disaster. I will never be the same.

I had two areas I wanted to address... the other choice was something for my face. Like the Botox, and/or a filler, etc. I opted for the other at the time as a higher priority. All I can say about that is THANK GAWD IT WAS NOT MY FACE! I did first because that one clothes doesn't cover. I try to find the positive when something bad happens. I guess that is one. Plus, what a lesson in the old saying "don't mess with Mother Nature".

I'm having my big Four O this year. Then are many things in midlife from younger years I'm finding I want to return to. Repairing some of time's damage cosmetically was one. Refinding my love for my bike from childhood was another. The second is a keeper. I believe all things happen for a reason. Some people (& my friends) have no issues what so ever with what I had done, or things like Botox. Why that could not be me too, I don't know.

I think it taught me also to remember simple times in life, like when I rode my bike as a girl, to be true to myself. I just got my first gray hair too... I almost think I am just not even going back for highlights again, much less color my grays as they come. I've ditched most of my glamorous make-up for simplicity. Wrinkles showing galore. Even cut off my long salon gel manicured nails to learn a new instrument... music, another childhood return.

I think I just about feel like... screw it... what you see is what you get... because honey, that's just the way it is;).

Well, I still gotta highlight my hair. When I get more grey, I'll stop because grey roots are tacky & I don't have time nor inclination to go get it colored as often as that would take.

Nails are gone though - just a coat of clear otherwise they'd peel up to my elbows. I'm dog training now and icky sticky hot dogs & cheese under nails is really gross at the end of the day.

(Hot dogs & cheese make dogs smarter...)

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

Well, I still gotta highlight my hair. When I get more grey, I'll stop because grey roots are tacky & I don't have time nor inclination to go get it colored as often as that would take.

Nails are gone though - just a coat of clear otherwise they'd peel up to my elbows. I'm dog training now and icky sticky hot dogs & cheese under nails is really gross at the end of the day.

(Hot dogs & cheese make dogs smarter...)

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I don't know why the cheese makes the dogs smarter, but it does. We have been looking at getting a new puppy since my yellow girl is gone. I'm glad I didn't have the makeup or nails when we saw them today as their puppy mouths would have eaten them :eek: (as though they were cheese). I think after feeling so freakishly wigged out, my inner self was crying out 'bring me back'... or something like that:o. Eventually, some lip gloss might resurface... the puppy needs another course to compliment the cheese:).

I didn't know this was an old thread either, just had to add my 2cents! My girlfriend (RN also) works for a dermatologist administers Botox injections to her patients for cosmetic results. My friend gets injections (if there is any "left over" in a vial of it) on her forehead. Strategically injected, the botox paralyzes one muscle area and actually gives her a bit of a forehead lift! she has light bangs and no significant forehead wrinkling to complicate the situation. she says it's partly why she continues working there - to get the leftover botox forehead facelift!