Where can Botox be Injected?

It’s a common misconception that Botox can be used wherever you have wrinkles or lines anywhere on your face or body. Fans of Botox might wish that were so, but given Botox’s tendency to limit muscle movement, there are some places on your body that you dowant to be able to move naturally and well.

So here is a guide to the top three facial locations where Botox is ideally injected:

• Between the brows: To reduce the look of “frown lines.” The FDA has approved Botox® Cosmetic to be injected directly into the muscles between the eyebrows, where they work by blocking nerve impulses to the injected muscles, reducing muscle activity that causes or exacerbates moderate to severe lines between the brows. Those two vertical lines between your eyebrows, often called ’11 lines’, can be reduced using Botox injections into that spot.
• The Forehead: To reduce the appearance of a lined, furrowed forehead that makes you look old, tired, stressed and even angry in some cases. Your board-certified physician can expertly place a Botox injection into your forehead to smoothe out those frown-induced lines that create those  horizontal creases along your forehead, the ones that may have you wearing bangs all the time instead of sweeping your hair up off your face.
• Crow’s Feet: To reduce the appearance of those noticeable lines on the side of your eyes that may be tiny and just starting to form, or more pronounced after years of sun exposure, or just as part of your genetic predisposition to crow’s feet. It takes an experienced hand and a board certified dermatologist’s wisdom to know just how much Botox to inject near the eyes, and when done expertly, crow’s feet lines can be reduced for a younger appearance for your face overall.

Botox can also be injected into specific muscles of the forehead and around and under the eyes to create not just a smoother appearance in each spot, but also the effect of slightly raised eyebrows and a beautiful, flattering arch to your eyebrows. This is often called a “Botox facelift” since these Botox injections done together can open up your eyes, making them appear larger.

What about lips? To eliminate smoker’s lines or fine lines from sun exposure? Lips don’t make the ‘best Botox spots’ list here, since your physician will need to assess the lines around your mouth and may find your troublesome lines there better treated with a dermal filler (perhaps lip-plumping Juvederm) rather than inject your lips with a medication that reduces muscle movement where you need it.

Botox can be injected into other areas of the body to treat symptoms other than wrinkles, like over-sweating of armpits or the back, so talk to your dermatologist to see if your Botox for wrinkle-reduction might also evolve into Botox treatments to solve other conditions you’d like to treat and resolve.

For instance, talk to your dermatologist about your face’s additional benefits of Botox treatments. You may find that you’re a good candidate for Botox injections around your chin to create a bit of flattering contouring. You may just be inspired when your physician reveals the additional improvements that can be achieved via Botox cosmetic enhancement, and walk out of your doctor’s office on your way to an even more lovely look, and additional youthful features, than you originally expected.