My Botox Experience for Forehead Wrinkles

I’m a scowler. It’s just the way my face works… the sun makes me squint and after 45 years of squinting, I had permanent wrinkles. . . or did I?

Me trying really hard to raise my eyebrows

I started getting botox injections five years ago, when I was 45, to smooth out the wrinkles I have between my eyebrows. I was truly thrilled at how well botox worked. . . and truly disappointed when it wore off and I realized how much it was going to cost me to keep it up. . . forever.

So until now, I’ve stuck with just the one area. And I try to go as long as possible between injections. But 5 years have passed and I need my forehead done now, too. I went to my dermatologist 2 weeks ago to have the two areas done. The cost was $800, and I’m wishing and hoping it lasts for a full 6 months. . . but realistically I think it should last 4-5 months. Which will be way better than the measley 10 weeks I was getting from my last provider.

So, if you’re thinking about getting botox, but are afraid to, here’s some information to help you decide:

What is botox? It’s a toxin that when injected into muscles causes temporary paralysis.

What wrinkles can botox work on? Botox is effective on the deep wrinkles caused by repetitive motion, so the 11’s, the horizontal forehead lines, the crows feet. It’s also used to cure migraine headaches, and relieve overly sweaty armpits and palms.

How much does it cost? It’s either sold by the area or the unit. The average price (in my area) is $450 per area, or $20 per unit (average use is between 20-30 units per area). So depending on how severe your wrinkles are, or how many areas you have done, and how long it lasts, it could run anywhere from $900 – $4,000 per year. My average has been about $1,200 a year (and that’s a lot of money to pump directly into my face!!)

How long does it last? In my experience, botox can last anywhere from 10 weeks to 6 months, but most lasts 3-4 months. Exactly how long it lasts all depends on the freshness of the product, your metabolism and how much they put in.

What are the pros? # 1 is that it works, and works quickly!! And you look younger, or less angry, or less worried, or fresher.

What are the cons? Cost, pain, possible bruising, a heavy or tight feeling, changes to your face like the startled look, or if the toxin spreads where it shouldn’t, some facial paralysis.

With all procedures, I think it’s better to ease into it than go in for a drastic change all at once, and that’s the nice thing about botox. You can just get one small area done to see how it looks, and it’ll wear off eventually so if you don’t like it, it’s not permanent!

My forehead wrinkles before botox (still partially paralyzed from previous botox):

And after: