How To Avoid The Frozen Botox Look

The Truth About Botox - How To Not Look Frozen By Barbie's Beauty Bits,

The truth is Botox is an excellent treatment to prevent wrinkles and keep your face smooth and youthful. However, if not used properly, it can lead to issues like a frozen face, looking fake, or worse, looking like you had work done. These looks are not, and let me repeat, not the look Botox® Cosmetic injections were intended for when injected correctly. When you do have this appearance, this is what we at Barbie's Beauty Bits call "A Botched Botox Job," not the words we want to hear or experience, for that matter.

And for that, this article discusses ways of avoiding the fake, frozen look caused by the improper use of Botox.

The Proper Use Of Botox
This topic is very dear to me because I hear it often from people who want to poo, poo Botox going on about why you shouldn't get Botox because it makes you look like a dear in headlights, so to speak, because of that frozen Botox look. News flash... NO, it does not, if administered correctly.

Balance and moderation are essential for Botox injections to be successful. And like everything in life, people can overdo it, resulting in a frozen botched Botox look.

Botox® Cosmetic was FDA approved in 2002 for cosmetic treatment. However, the goal of Botox injection treatments is to soften and smooth fine lines, not erase every possible wrinkle, facial expression, or muscle movement.

The popularity of Botox injections is understandable as it produces excellent outcomes, is noninvasive, with results noticeable quickly when performed correctly.

However, when you see someone who looks like a dear in headlights, it is because it was not implemented correctly. So let it go, let it go (a little frozen humor), for those of you who think this frozen face is what is intended to happen when you get Botox!

How Botox® Cosmetics Works
To explain how to avoid the frozen face look, I think it is essential that you understand how Botox® Cosmetics works.

Now we will get a bit technical here, just enough so you will understand what Botox is supposed to do. Botox is a neuromodulator drug widely used to treat wrinkles, primarily dynamic or expression wrinkles, that fade when the expression stops.

When injected properly,  Botox® Cosmetics blocks signals from the nerves and relaxes the muscles responsible for fine lines and wrinkles, reducing these dynamic wrinkles and preventing them from becoming static wrinkles.

Hence, those who choose Botox for cosmetic purposes are using it to stop the overuse of the muscles around the mouth and forehead by temporarily weakening your muscle's ability to contract and form dynamic wrinkles. Like smile lines, crow's feet, or those pesky "11's" that have taken up residence between your brows!

So, if you're one of the many people who want to avoid the frozen Botox look, make sure to follow the tips discussed below.

Tip 1: Find A Skilled Professional Botox Injector
We’ve all seen photos of celebs with the frozen or forever surprised, like a deer in headlights, right? They’re not exactly the best endorsement of the anti-wrinkle treatment, so it’s easy to see why people are wary of it. So,  how do we avoid a frozen face after Botox?

The key is slow and steady wins the race and it starts by finding a skilled professional who has been practicing for a while and has a history of success. However, just because someone has been doing this for a long time does not mean they are qualified.

Like anything else in life, you need to perform your due diligence by searching for cosmetic injectors around your area using Find My Cosmetic Injector and comparing their customers' before and after photos to have a visual representation.  

Pay attention when doing your research, as there are many weekend course takers, aka non-physician injectors out there that lack the experience in understanding facial antimony. This is why I suggest limiting your search to a provider of board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons. 

How Much Botox Do I Need?

This is a  common question asked by most Botox patients: “How much Botox do I need?” 

Generally speaking, there are manufacturer guidelines that list amount of Botox in units to treat the facial areas. But considering every patient is unique in terms of both facial characteristics and desired result. Each individual facial muscle requires a differing amount of Botox in order to fully relax and prevent wrinkle formation, hence  good injector will use these as starting point. Which leads us to some of our other tips regarding Botox dosages.

Tip 2: One Size Does Not Fit All
In addition, avoid injectors who believe that Botox is a one-size-fits-all, as the treatment needs to fit your specific needs. By getting a skilled injector, you can ensure that they are well knowledgeable about the proper procedures, facial muscles, and anatomy of the face.  

A well-skilled Botox injector understands that the face has over forty muscles and knows which muscles control which movements, making it easy to find the right muscles to inject.

Additionally, a skilled professional will understand that a Botox treatment must be performed artfully; it's not simply a matter of "injecting product." The goal is to treat the problematic areas and avoid the sensitive areas where Botox is not needed, as those are the ones that can lead to the unnatural frozen face result.

Tip 3: Stick To The Right Botox Dosage
Botox can have benefits medically and cosmetically if used in small doses. Botulinum toxin found in Botox is a biological substance produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Thus, this procedure must be done correctly to avoid any side effects.   

If used in small dosages, it is safe and won't create a fake look. However, if used in large doses and/or is improperly diluted, it can result in over-relaxation of the frontalis muscle. Or something more severe, like a droopy eye, where some of the Botox seeped into the upper eyelid and paralyzed the levator palpebrae — the muscle that holds the upper eyelid up. If this muscle is paralyzed, the upper eyelid will droop.

To avoid all this, take time to find a skilled injector and have a sit-down consultation where you can ask questions, look at before and after photos, and better understand how Botox works, leading to better aesthetic treatment.

The Botox treatment should be tailored to your specific needs to ensure you don't end up with a fake or frozen-looking face.  

Hence, if you are hoping for quick results, then avoid getting Botox, as it may lead to the desire to get large doses that may be dangerous in the long run.

Tip 4: Limit The Amount Of Botox® Cosmetic Injection Treatments
This tip brings us to another question? How often do I need Botox injections? Well, during your initial consultation with the licensed, qualified, and experienced BOTOX injector, they will discuss a treatment plan to help you achieve your aesthetic goals and maintain your beautiful results for as long as possible.

While it may be tempting to request a lot of units of Botox injected at once for a wrinkle-free face or schedule many more appointments soon after, adhere to the less is more plan (3-4 months). As too many Botox treatments may lead to a frozen Botox look which, as we have established, isn't appealing and gives Botox a bad name!

The best approach is to have less Botox injected and come back for follow-up appointments once the product has kicked in so they can assess the results and make any needed adjustments.

The time between each treatment gives your face a chance to take the effects of the injectable and allows for you and the injector to see what will work best for you, so your face appears more natural.  

Regular use of Botox can cause muscle atrophy and become more subtable to future treatments. Hence, if you like your results, the best approach is to keep getting regular treatments and not let the muscle recover.

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To Sum It Up
So as you can see, a frozen Botox face is not the norm for Botox® Cosmetic. Botox can give you a smoother, more youthful, and refreshed appearance when appropriately administered.

So if you decide you want Botox injections remember to do your research, choose a medically qualified and experienced practitioner, and know when enough is enough. That beauties the true way to avoiding that frightening frozen face look from Botox.  Until next time!