Botox is not “one-size-fits-all”—here’s how your injector should customize treatment

It’s well-established that Botox® is effective at fighting wrinkles, but it’s not as easy as injecting it in prescribed locations. Botox treatment must be fully personalized for your goals and anatomy to get consistent, natural-looking, balanced results. Because of this, Botox is an art form that requires an expert injector.

Below, board-certified Eugene plastic surgeon Dr. Kiya Movassaghi explains 4 of the nuanced ways your injector should customize your treatment, even if all you want is “just a little Botox.”

1. Your anatomy

Getting attractive Botox results starts with a detailed study of your facial anatomy. Your injector should analyze the particulars of your facial muscles, their actions, and the unique wrinkle patterns created when your muscles contract. This will lead them to make decisions about the injection pattern to use and how many units of product to place at each injection site. 

Further, no person’s anatomy is exactly symmetrical: your eyebrow on one side may peak higher than the other, for example. The best injectors will ask you to make various expressions with the goal of noting the differences side to side, then discuss them with you. With your input, they can adjust dosage and placement of your Botox to help improve symmetry and refine your facial expressions.

A knowledgeable injector may also suggest treating a whole section of the face versus an isolated spot for a more balanced, natural look. For example, when treating frown lines between the brows (the “11s”), they may recommend placing injections in various spots around the forehead and eyes to balance related, interacting muscles, rather than just injecting in the specific area between the brows. It may seem as though the injector is motivated to sell more units of Botox, but you should trust their expertise: a comprehensive, nuanced approach is often key to achieving beautiful results.

2. What you want from your Botox

With Botox, your goals are just as important to your injector as your anatomy. How would you answer the question, “Do you want a light approach? Or more aggressive smoothing?” In other words, would you prefer to erase, or just soften, the lines on your face? More or less Botox should be used depending on how you answer these questions. 

For example, male patients who prefer a ruggedly masculine look may be happiest with a lighter treatment that allows their muscles to retain some movement; more comprehensively erasing wrinkles tends to lead to a more cosmetically enhanced appearance.

3. Your previous experience (or lack thereof) with Botox

Is this your first time getting Botox—or your 50th time, but you are trying a new provider? It can take several sessions for an injector to see how your individual muscles will react to treatment, so they should inject with a light touch if you are a first-time patient—whether it’s your first Botox or it’s their first time injecting you. This avoids the potential complications of overtreatment and leaves room for nuanced adjustments. Here at my medical spa, we often encourage first-time patients to pre-schedule a follow-up appointment, so we can further perfect their results. 

Having multiple appointments to perfect results may seem like a chore, but it is worth it when you consider the effects of over-treatment (including ptosis, or eyelid sagging) can take months to wear off. Fortunately, once your injector achieves results you love, they will record your exact injection sites and dosages and your appointments can then be consolidated.

Patients who have been getting Botox on a regular basis for years may also need less Botox over time, as the muscles naturally lose some of their strength.

4. Any prejuvenation you may need or want

Another way in which we can customize Botox treatment is by noticing areas where wrinkles may form in the future. Light, preventative “baby” Botox injections are used in areas where wrinkles are not yet etched into the skin. The philosophy behind prejuvenation is that injecting lightly before wrinkles are visible helps to prevent temporary expression lines (lines that happen when you’re smiling, frowning, or surprised) from becoming permanent wrinkles (static—always there) in your skin. 

Kiya Movassaghi, MD, FACS is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the 2022 Vice President of The Aesthetic Society with decades of experience offering cosmetic plastic surgery and injectables. When you choose Movassaghi Plastic Surgery & Ziba Medical Spa for your Botox, you are receiving safe, proven treatment from an expert who not only sees patients, but also personally performs all facial injections himself. If you would like to learn more about Eugene plastic surgery and the facial injectables we offer, we invite you to schedule a consultation online or call our practice at 541.686.8700.