Botox - Best Choice for Wrinkles Under the Eyes?

Botox is a popular choice for patents who want to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles in certain areas of the face. Once it is injected near a muscle, neuromuscular blockers are able to limit the amount of muscle contractions in the treated area. The muscle can relax, and the skin is able to smooth out in appearance. While there are multiple uses for Botox in the face, is the area under the eyes a good choice to be treated with Botox? Let’s find out!

Botox – Primary Uses and What to Expect

Some of the common uses for Botox in the face include reducing the formation and appearance of wrinkles and fine lines in areas of the face such as the forehead, above the nose, and in the corners of the eyes.

Botox injections are placed directly under the skin in the office of a doctor who is trained in the proper way to administer the injections. The amount of Botox that is injected depends on the extent of the results desired by the patient. No matter how much Botox is injected by the medical professional, there is not any need for downtime after the procedure so patients can instantly resume their daily activities.

Even though patients might start to feel some results within a few days, it can normally take a week or two to start seeing the results. The skin in the treated area will no loner be pulled along with the muscle since the muscle will be relaxed. The wrinkles and fine lines will fade and the skin will gain a smoother look. In general, the results can last four to six months so regular follow-up treatments will be needed to maintain the results.

In addition, patients will need to pay each time since Botox is usually not covered by insurance. The cost per treatment depends on the number of injections performed by the doctor and can range anywhere from $300-$1000 per session.

Botox Under the Eyes – Is It an Effective Treatment?

While Botox is considered to be an effective treatment option for wrinkles such as crow’s feet, frown lines between the eyebrows, and forehead lines, there has not been enough research performed to determine if it is an ideal treatment to address bags and wrinkles that are located under the eyes.

The doctor will need to determine if the wrinkles under the eyes are fine lines or dynamic wrinkles as the treatment plan will be formed to best address the type of wrinkles.

Botox – Are There Any Side Effects?

Even though there is a possibility that Botox can help reduce the look of wrinkles and bags under the eyes, there are some general side effects to the treatment that patients need to know about before having any injections.

For example, there could be some mild pain that is present soon after the injections are performed. In addition, some patients experience droopy eyelids and fat bulges near the area where the injections were placed in the face.

Other common Botox side effects include dizziness, swelling around the injection site, bruising, a hollow look under the eyes, and a temporary weakness of the muscles in the treated area.

While serious side effects are not as common, patients do need to know that they might experience blurry vision, difficulty breathing, double vision, asymmetrical results, and difficulty swallowing. Anyone who experiences these severe symptoms after an injection of Botox needs to contact their doctor as soon as possible.

Botox – Are There Alternative Choices?

If Botox is not the desired treatment of a patient, there are other options available to them to refresh and rejuvenate the look of the area under the eyes. Some examples of alternative treatments for the area under the eyes include chemical peels, allergy medications (for bags under the eyes), blepharoplasty to treat bags under the eyes, laser resurfacing, and fillers.

While all of these options might not be the ideal choice for every patient, they can check with their doctor to see if winkles, lines, and bags under the eyes can be adequately treated by any of these treatments.

Botox – How to Get the Treatment

The first step is visiting a doctor with the proper skills, training, and artistic eye to address the issues of fine lines and wrinkles on the face (including under the eyes). The doctor will examine the skin of the patient to make sure the person is an ideal patient for the treatment. In addition, the doctor will set realistic expectations to make sure the patient knows the type of results they will likely see after the procedure.

As mentioned earlier, there is still not a definitive answer when it comes to the benefits of having Botox placed in the area under the eyes. The doctor will help patients assess all of their options when it comes to addressing the issues of wrinkles and lines under the eyes so the patient can make an educated final decision about having Botox injected under the eyes.

- MA