One in six people who have Botox injected into their face suffer complications such as bruising, headache, nausea and “frozen” features, a study into the anti-ageing treatment has found.
The most common Botox side effects reported by individuals who have used Botox to curb excessive sweating include: A sore throat. Flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, or body aches. Excessive sweating in other areas of the body.
Spread of toxin effects
If Botox spreads away from the injection site to other parts of the body, this is called botulism. Botulism can occur hours, days, or even weeks after a Botox injection. Symptoms may include: fatigue (lack of energy)
Possible side effects and unwanted results include: Pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site. Headache or flu-like symptoms. Droopy eyelids or crooked eyebrows.
Han Lee with Comprehensive Dermatology in Pasadena said it's supposed to last three months. But a phenomenon called "Botox muscle fatigue" is a growing concern. Many of her patients complain they're not enjoying the same results they initially had.
BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX® Cosmetic. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.
The most common Botox side effects include pain or irritation at the injection site, droopy eyelids, and headaches. Serious side effects are rare. But when they happen, they're often linked to the medication spreading to other parts of the body.
Nausea. Redness. Temporary facial weakness or drooping. In rare instances, the botulinum toxin may spread beyond the treatment area, causing botulism-like signs and symptoms such as breathing problems, trouble swallowing, muscle weakness and slurred speech.
Ultimately, Botox can make some patients feel drowsy or tired, but it's not very common at all. The side effects you may experience vary from person to person.
Botox-related headaches are extremely rare and are believed to be caused by over-contraction of certain muscles in the face. “For most patients, these headaches are relatively mild and short-lived, with symptoms disappearing within a day or two,” shares Santos.
Excessive Botox can cause the forehead to relax too much, resulting in that heavy feeling. It can feel like an elephant is sitting on the eyebrow.
An upset stomach, nausea, or constipation can occur in 1 to 10% of patients. Symptoms are reported as mild or moderate and typically last a few days up to two weeks.
Flu-like symptoms related to Botox injections are sneaky; they typically don't develop until two to four weeks after treatment. Flu symptoms include upper respiratory distress, aches, pains, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
Headaches and hypoesthesia usually last for 24–48 h after botulinum toxin treatment. Dry mouth sensation and flu-like mild malaise can also occur after botulinum toxin injections [6]. Bruising and headaches can be a common complication after botulinum toxin used in the treatment of rosacea flushing [9, 10].
Not everyone is a good candidate for Botox. If you are in poor general health, your skin is very thick or you have existing muscle weakness in the proposed injection site, you may not be a good candidate for Botox. Patients with sensitive skin may experience an allergic reaction at the injection site.
Botox gets its name from the Botulinum toxin, a protein extracted from Clostridum botulinum (mentioned above). If this live bacteria enters the bloodstream, it will attach itself to muscles and replicate, weakening or completely immobilizing the muscle. This toxin is in fact quite deadly.
Cold Symptom Side Effects
A runny nose, congestion, coughing and even a fever or chills can be unwanted side effects of having Botox treatment, as the drug often brings results that mimic cold or flu-like symptoms.
Too much Botox in the forehead muscles can cause the eyebrows to droop, making the upper eyelids look very heavy and hooded. The face may look angry or sad all the time. Too much Botox around the eyes can dramatically affect facial expression. The face is simply frozen.
Other adverse reactions that occurred more frequently in the BOTOX group compared to the placebo group at a frequency less than 1% and potentially BOTOX related include: vertigo, dry eye, eyelid edema, dysphagia, eye infection, and jaw pain.
Right after the treatment, your face will look the same — the results are not immediate with Botox. A few days after the procedure, you may notice a stiff feeling or heaviness in your face. You can go back to work on the same day, and you'll see more results as the days go on.
Injections near the eyes pose the most risk, and these areas are commonly used to combat crow's feet and brow lines. After the Botox is injected, the eyes can become very irritated and dry, and can go quite bloodshot and red. This irritation can then increase into blurred vision and the inability to see correctly.