By: Rhoda Narins, MD

There’s a popular misconception that BOTOX® Cosmetic and DYSPORT® botulinum toxin treatments will freeze your facial expressions completely. This isn’t true, and I’ll explain why.

How BOTOX Really Works

BOTOX, and other cosmetic botulinum toxins like DYSPORT, tightens by relaxing one set of facial muscles, leaving the opposing muscle set free to pull the tissues tight. Over-injection of BOTOX can end up relaxing the facial muscles too much, and could in fact limit facial expressions, but when performed correctly a “frozen” look should not occur.

Still, a lot of patients out there are expecting their New York City or Westchester County BOTOX treatment to freeze their face completely – or are even unhappy if it doesn’t – because they mistakenly think that that means it’s working.

The Results You Really Want

Following a BOTOX treatment, the ideal result is a softening of facial wrinkles for a more natural look. It’s important to keep in mind that botulinum toxins only treat the kinds of wrinkles that are caused by repeated facial muscle movement. For other wrinkles caused by volume loss and skin aging, injectable fillers like JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel, Restylane®, Radiesse® or Sculptra® are more appropriate and can produce immediate enhancement.

The best way to apply BOTOX is in a mild quantity that will relax the one muscle set just enough to allow tightening, but not enough to block muscle function entirely. If you’re considering BOTOX, I encourage you to “just say no” to a frozen appearance and seek a natural-looking enhancement.