If there were such as thing as a favourite wrinkle treatment, botulinum toxin, BOTOX would probably be it.
When administered by a qualified provider, it’s rare that BOTOX doesn’t achieve the desired result. Occasionally, however, BOTOX will seem to have little effect for a patient. If this has happened to you, you may have Googled the issue and come across the concept of “BOTOX resistance.” Furthermore, you may wonder, “am I immune to BOTOX?” (probably not) and “is there anything I can do about it?” (almost certainly there is).
What is BOTOX resistance?
BOTOX resistance is a situation in which a patient either has built up antibodies against the botulinum toxin, or happens to metabolise the BOTOX drug exceptionally quickly. As a result, for these patients BOTOX injections provide underwhelming results, a very short-lived effect, or no effect at all. True BOTOX resistance is fairly rare—manufacturer clinical trials showed that no more than 1.5% of patients developed any “neutralising antibodies” to the drug. Other practitioners estimate that as few as 1 patient in 10,000 has real BOTOX resistance.
Most of the time, when BOTOX seems to be less effective for a patient, it is not a case of true BOTOX resistance. Rather, it is one of the following:
You haven’t waited long enough for BOTOX to take full effect
One of the benefits of BOTOX is that it works quickly—but not instantly. While many patients notice fewer wrinkles in as little as 48 hours, it is normal to take up to 10 days for full effects to realise. In other words, you may need to be patient. If it has been more than 2 weeks and you are still not seeing the results you expect, consult with your provider. At Flawless Aesthetic Clinic I offer a follow up appointment at 2 weeks.
You’ve switched to a new provider who is still getting to know you
It is far safer to under treat with BOTOX—there’s nothing you can do about too much BOTOX apart from wait for the effects to wear off—so providers will often be a little conservative the first time they work with a patient for example I use the licenced injectable dose for all new clients at Flawless Aesthetic Clinic. If you’re seeing someone new, and they have a great reputation otherwise, chances are they are just taking this approach to personalise the appropriate dosage. If you aren’t seeing results after a 2 weeks; usually the solution is simply a matter of touching up your results by a couple of units.
You’re not looking after your skin at home
Drinking plenty of water, a healthy diet and cosmeceutical grade skincare are all important steps to keep your skin looking good, if you are not taking care of your skin in between treatments, it’s unlikely you will see a full result.
The natural ageing process is catching up, and it’s time to update your injectables protocol
If you’re a BOTOX regular, it can be easy to forget that the ageing process continues “behind the scenes.” If the same dose no longer gets satisfying results, it may be that your skin has lost collagen and elastin and/or your facial fat volume has decreased. Either change can cause lines that were once only bothersome with facial expressions to deepen. In this case, more BOTOX is unlikely to be the best solution. Instead, a treatment plan of BOTOX plus injectable fillers to plump up the skin can help you maintain a youthful look and your natural facial expressions.
Your provider made a dosage error or injected in the wrong location
A thorough knowledge of facial anatomy, as well as an ability to interpret a patient’s goals and apply the correct dosage based on their skin quality, are essential for anyone performing cosmetic injections. This is one reason I continue to perform injections personally for my patients. Less experienced providers are prone to mistakes such as using the wrong dose or injecting in the incorrect point on the facial muscle, both of which can result in underwhelming results or worse. Minimise your risk by choosing an experienced provider with a proven reputation for achieving excellent BOTOX results preferably a medically registered practitioner such as a Doctor or Nurse with many years experience.
You’re a patient who just does better with another toxin
Everyone is different. Just like some people swear by paracetamol for headaches and others by Ibuprofen, some patients get better results with Azzalure than BOTOX (and vice-versa), even though the two products are very similar. A provider who is experienced with both can help you determine if Dysport is a better alternative to BOTOX for you.
You were given over-diluted or fake BOTOX
Unfortunately, there are a lot of unethical providers out there who sell discount “Botox,” which is either heavily diluted to maximise profit margins, or isn’t real BOTOX at all. The risk of this happening is much higher at salons and other non-medical venues, as only licensed medical prescribers like myself, can obtain authentic BOTOX or others as they are a PRESCRIPTION ONLY MEDICATION. To avoid potentially dangerous consequences of fake or badly performed BOTOX, only let experienced, qualified medical providers at reputable medical practices perform your injections—and never trust prices that seem too good to be true.
For more information about how to make your treatments last longer visit here.
