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Botox: How Long Does It Last?
Botox is an extremely effective treatment for fine lines and wrinkles and is especially good in removing creases in the forehead. Many people find that the use of Botox is a better choice for them than getting a traditional facelift due to the lower cost. That said, Botox treatment does not last as long as a traditional facelift. Botox will typically last around four months before you’ll need more injections.
The makers of Botox, Allergan, say that the standard format for a Botox treatment will be 20 units each in five injections spread across the forehead. But your plastic surgeon will be able to make a custom treatment plan for you, which will generally range between 10 and 30 units per injection site.
The plastic surgeon knows the contours of your face and has worked with you to understand what results you want from the treatment. Therefore, they’re better able to make the decision about how many units to use and where.
So in answer to the question “How long does 20 units of Botox last?” the answer is that the 20 units will never be a complete treatment, but the average of a single injection of a multiple-injection treatment.
How Long Does Botox for Crow’s Feet Last?
Crow’s feet are one area that is generally targeted by the plastic surgeon for cosmetic procedures. The injection that is placed in the area of the crow’s feet will be between 10 and 30 units, and depending on the number of units that the plastic surgeon decides to use, the lifespan of the Botox will be longer or shorter.
Please note that this doesn’t necessarily mean that more Botox is better. Too much Botox can give negative results, such as making your face appear flat or too stretched. You want to get the right dose for cosmetic purposes–not only in the eye area, but the whole face–so getting a lot of Botox in the hopes that it will stretch into a longer period between treatments isn’t wise.
How long does Botox last around the eyes, and those crow’s feet? About four months, give or take.
How Long Does Botox Last in Lips?
A Botox treatment of the lips, sometimes known as a lip flip procedure, uses a series of injections above the upper lip into the orbicularis oris muscle. The effect of this, and the reason that it’s called the Botox lip flip, is that this injection above the lip will make the lip curl slightly upward, making it look like you have fuller lips.
This treatment, as with most Botox treatments, will last between three to four months. (This one lasts slightly less as long as the forehead Botox treatments because less of the Botox is used in the lips.)
It may raise the question–if you’re looking for full lips–as to what kind of treatment is best: Botox or lip filler. The answer is that they serve different purposes. Some patients respond to one treatment better than the other, so that’s the one that they should go with.
Generally, you’ll want a lip flip if you want pouty lips, if you don’t like how your upper lip disappears when you smile, and if you want a more temporary treatment. Fillers are better if you want to add volume to the lips (either upper or lower), you have lip lines that are a sign of aging, you want to more radically change the shape of your lips, or you want a long term treatment that can last up to a year.
