What are the dangers of Botox injections?

Non surgical treatments to stay looking young are all the rage right now, in the past and future. And of those non surgical treatments, Botox to reduce wrinkles, is the most popular. But what are the dangers of Botox injections? And when referring to Botox, this includes all so-called neuromodulators like Botox, Xeomin, Dysport and Jeuveau (aka #newtox or Evolus – still not sure which name they’re going by!).

Dangers of Botox Injections

So in short, the dangers are extremely minimal, temporary and rare. Botox or Xeomin (and all of the products mentioned above) are injected with a small needle. The most common areas to treat are the lines in between the eyebrows, forehead and crow’s feet. It can also be helpful for TMJ pain, lines around the mouth, a gummy smile and sweaty palms.

“…the dangers are extremely minimal, temporary and rare…”

A physician can treat all of these areas with minimal issues other than bruising, that’s the most common danger. Obviously that’s temporary and won’t affect the final results. Next “up the ladder” of potential dangers is over-treatment that can make you look frozen or make one eyebrow droop more than the other.

The most serious risk that people often cite is difficulty breathing. This is very rare and may occur in situations that are completely NOT cosmetic. Some patients with torticollis, a severe contraction of neck muscles, will use Botox to relax those muscles so they can straighten their head and neck. There’s a nerve that runs along those muscles that controls breathing. So yes, it’s possible to over treat those muscles and affect breathing. But clearly, this is a very rare disorder with a rare complication due to Botox.

In summary, Botox or Xeomin are very safe products to use for reducing wrinkles. And while there are no studies showing that Botox or Xeomin is safe in pregnancy, there are also no studies showing it’s unsafe either.

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