Can You Reverse Botox?

   Though unlikely, there are times when you might want to reverse Botox. Though complications are few, they do happen.

    Botox is a medication that is injected into muscles, causing them to be temporarily paralyzed. It is usually injected into certain facial muscles that cause wrinkling or folds, such as the forehead worry lines, the lines between the eyebrows, and the crow’s feet areas.

   If Botox accidentally gets into a muscles that it’s not supposed to, then that muscles may become hard to move. Although rare, the muscles that seems to cause the most trouble is the levator aponeurosis, or the muscle and attachment that lift the upper eyelid. This may cause the rare complication of a droopy eyelid. Since Botox lasts for about 3 months, you may have the unfortunate possibility of having a droopy eyelid for several months.
 
   To reverse this phenomenon, you may need a prescription for eye drops that actually help to reverse the effect of Botox. The eyedrops are prescription only, and are a key part of reversing the effects of Botox.

   A key point here is having confidence in your injector. There are several tricks to avoiding getting Botox in the wrong area to begin with, and your injector should also know how to completely reverse it, if needed. Plastic Surgeons in general know about the facial anatomy and physiology due to years of surgical training, and having a way to avoid complications and dealing with complications is also part of our training. I strive before the injection to asses the areas of the face, and I perform several little tricks as well as tell my patients what to do and not to do to avoid any complications from Botox injection.

   Dr. Roy Kim is a Plastic Surgeon in San Francisco, CA, who specializes in Botox injections. Also visit botox san francisco