Botox Drift Question

Hi office,

Hannah asked this Botox eye-droop question on email which I’d like to share with the rest of the office.

In the case of an eye droop due to the Botox drifting, why is it that the eye droop only lasts for 2 weeks if the Botox is active in the system for 3-4 months?

It’s because the Botox wasn’t injected directly into the eyelid.  When a Botox droplet drifts into the eyelid muscle (Levator palpebrae superioris muscle) from the corrugator glabellar muscle  it would only be a tiny droplet and wouldn’t last very long because it wouldn’t be a full dose.  The lower the dose of Botox, the shorter the duration.  Sometimes when I inject (with the patient’s urging) with a very high dose of Botox, I’ve notice that Botox can last 5-6 months!  I’ve found in my own Botox practice that Botox duration of action is dose dependent.

Avoiding this shifting of Botox is why we have our patients refrain from rubbing or pressing on the Botox injected areas for about 4 days after the Botox injection.

I hope my explanation is clear.

Great Botox question!