BOTOX resistance is a situation in which a patient either has built up antibodies against the botulinum toxin, or happens to metabolize the BOTOX drug exceptionally quickly. As a result, for these patients BOTOX injections provide underwhelming results, a very short-lived effect, or no effect at all.
Many people see absolutely no change at the 2-day mark after BOTOX injections. It usually takes about 7 to 10 days for full results to develop. If you don't see any change by that point, consult your injector, who should be able to give you an explanation and improve your treatment.
Botox can reduce the appearance of static wrinkles as well, but not as effectively as dynamic wrinkles. If you have static wrinkles, you should consider dermal fillers, i.e., injectables that infuse your skin with hyaluronic gel or trigger collagen production to temporarily fill the status wrinkles and fine lines.
Why does Botox eventually stop working? Your body makes new neurotransmitters all the time, so the “blocking” effect of Botox gradually wears off as these chemicals start circulating in your body again. The muscles are no longer inhibited.
When people see lines forming after BOTOX wears off, they assume treatment made their wrinkles worse. Actually, your face simply returns back to its natural state. No new wrinkles or lines are ever caused by these injections.
Answer: Botox takes a while to work
Once the muscles stop contracting, the lines can take quite a while to disappear in some patients. If you continue to maintain the inability of the muscles to contract by having repeat Botox before the muscle wakes up ( around 3 to 4 months), the lines should continue to improve.
Botox® injections work well as a standalone treatment for mild to moderate frown lines. However, if the 11s are deep, Botox® alone may not be enough to reduce the appearance of forehead wrinkles. For the best results with deeper 11s, dermal fillers can be used along with Botox® treatment.
Some products that may interact with this drug include: certain antibiotics (including aminoglycosides such as gentamicin, polymyxin), anticoagulants (such as warfarin), Alzheimer's disease drugs (such as galantamine, rivastigmine, tacrine), myasthenia gravis drugs (such as ambenonium, pyridostigmine), quinidine.
The appearance of vertical lines after Botox is due to its unique utilization and weaving. The corrugator muscle is responsible for creating the inter-brow number "11" creases. Once these muscles are crippled, the brain recruits the orbicularis oculi to produce the same expression.
In general, you can see the effects of Botox as early as 3 to 4 days after an injection. Dr. Oscar Trujillo, a facial plastic surgeon at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, says most patients will see results within 10 to 14 days but should wait the full 14 days to see the maximum results.
You may start to see results in as little as 24 hours, although the average time is three days. However, some patients may not see results for as long as five days. The maximum results of Botox can be seen within two weeks. One Botox injection can last up to four months.
To put it plainly, Botox resistance (immunity) does occur in some patients. According to those who do recognize the phenomenon of Botox resistance, the numbers are low—about 1% to 3% of patients who are injected will develop toxin-blocking antibodies.
The only true way to overcome resistance to botulinum toxin is to wait for the antibodies to disappear from your bloodstream. Unfortunately, this can take 4 to 5 years to happen. In the meantime, your doctor might recommend other treatments that could achieve a similar result.
Botox Can Trigger Immune Response
Botulinum toxin type A is a protein complex that can cause the immune system of some patients to respond by forming neutralizing antibodies that weaken the toxin's effectiveness.
It sounds like the muscle has been knocked out with the dose you received. It will take many weeks or even months for the crease to smooth out and it is important to keep up with the Botox to keep those muscles knocked out or they will once again work on the overlying skin to reform the wrinkles.
It's rare to see cases of Botox being ineffective on the forehead especially if it was administered by a qualified and experienced provider. Despite its high efficacy rate, there are cases when Botox injections on the forehead don't produce the same results clients expect.
The standard FDA approved dosage of Botox into the 11s area is 20 units; however, every patient is different and will require different treatment regimens. Some will need less and some will need more.
It's highly recommended that you move your face around a lot after getting Botox. This includes smiling, frowning, and raising your eyebrows. It's similar to facial exercises, minus the touching. Facial movement may look — and feel — silly, but it actually helps the Botox work better.
The goal of the treatment should not be to immobilize any forehead movement, or else a patient will show the unwanted frozen face symptoms. A successful Botox treatment in the forehead should still result in the patient having some ability to move their forehead.
Drink Plenty of Water
To get the most out of your Botox treatments, drink between half a gallon and a full gallon of water per day. This helps your skin with cellular rejuvenation and cellular turnover, keeping it hydrated, fresh, young, and healthy.
Research shows that taking zinc supplements may help extend the results of Botox. In a 2012 study, patients who took a supplement of 50mg zinc and an enzyme known as phytase experienced a 30 percent increase in Botox duration.
The longevity of Botox lasts anywhere from 2-6 months. The average longevity lasts about 3-4 months. So, why does Botox eventually stop working? Your body makes new neurotransmitters all the time, so the “blocking” effect of Botox gradually wears off naturally.