Injectables · 01 of 03
Botox & Xeomin
Wrinkle relaxers for expression lines.
- Typical visit
- 15–30 min
- Downtime
- Usually little downtimeSmall bruises can last longer.
- First results
- Within several daysFull effect may take up to about a month.
- Lasts
- 3–4 months
- Treatment plan
- Repeat as advisedThe two-week review is a separate follow-up.
Typical estimates. Your clinician explains the timing, recovery and treatment plan for you.
In brief
What this treatment does.
Botox and Xeomin temporarily relax muscles that create expression lines. Treatment can soften frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet. Your clinical team recommends the product and placement under physician direction; the products’ doses are not interchangeable.
- Frown lines between the brows
- Horizontal forehead lines
- Crow’s feet at the eyes
Before you decide
Suitability and important risks.
Get emergency medical help right away for problems swallowing, speaking or breathing after treatment. Tell the clinician about prior botulinum toxin treatments, allergies, medications and nerve or muscle conditions.
Your health, medicines and previous treatments affect what is appropriate. Discuss benefits, risks and alternatives with the clinical team.
Who might consider it, and when to ask first
Often a good fit
- Adults bothered by lines on the upper face
- Anyone who wants to look rested rather than changed
- People comfortable with repeat visits every few months
Discuss before booking
- Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding
- A skin infection where the injections would go
- An allergy to an ingredient, or a past reaction to another botulinum toxin
- A nerve or muscle condition, or any other open question: your clinician will talk it through with you first.
Visit & aftercare
Know what to expect.
The visit, step by step
Consultation
Your clinician reviews your goals and health history, and asks about any botulinum toxin you have had, including which product and when.
Mapping
Your skin is cleansed and the injection points are marked while you frown, raise your brows and smile.
Treatment
A series of small injections with a fine needle. The injections themselves usually take about 10 to 15 minutes, and most people describe a pinch.
Back to your day
You can return to normal activity straight away. Small bumps or a little bruising at the injection points are the most common effects.
Results and follow-up
Within several days. Full effect may take up to about a month. Keep the required two-week review to discuss your response; a review does not automatically include further injections.
Caring for your skin afterwards
- Avoid rubbing or pressing the treated area for the first several hours.
- Skip strenuous exercise and heat such as saunas for the rest of the day.
- Keep your two-week follow-up so the result can be checked and refined.
- Avoid driving and hazardous activity if you notice muscle weakness, blurred vision or dizziness.
- Get emergency medical help right away for trouble swallowing, speaking or breathing; do not wait for an office callback.
Areas and concerns to discuss
Frown lines
The vertical lines between the brows, an approved area for both Botox Cosmetic and Xeomin.
Forehead
Horizontal lines, treated with attention to how your brows rest and lift.
Crow’s feet
The fan of lines at the outer corners of the eyes that deepens when you smile.
Neck bands
Vertical platysma bands, an approved area for Botox Cosmetic only.
Other areas
Use outside the approved areas is off-label, and your clinician will tell you plainly when a plan falls into that group.
How it works & evidence
The detail behind the treatment.
How it works, evidence and device labeling
Botox and Xeomin are botulinum toxin type A medicines. In small, placed doses they temporarily quiet the muscles that fold your skin into expression lines. Your clinician plans the dose and placement by watching how your face moves at rest and in conversation.
Botox Cosmetic is FDA-approved in adults to temporarily improve moderate to severe forehead lines, crow’s feet and frown lines between the eyebrows, and the vertical neck bands known as platysma bands. Xeomin is FDA-approved in adults for moderate to severe upper facial lines: frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet. The doses of the two products are measured differently and are not interchangeable.
Within several days. Full effect may take up to about a month. 3–4 months A review two weeks after the initial injection appointment is required by the booking menu.
Device clearance and approval apply to particular products and uses. Ask which device or formulation will be used for your treatment.
- BOTOX Cosmetic - indications, onset, duration, safety information
- XEOMIN - indication and important safety information (Merz)
- FDA approves Xeomin as first neurotoxin for simultaneous treatment of facial lines (Healio)
- Onset and duration of effect of incobotulinumtoxinA, onabotulinumtoxinA and abobotulinumtoxinA (Rappl et al., 2013)
Questions
Your questions about Botox & Xeomin.
How do Botox and Xeomin differ?
Both are botulinum toxin type A and work the same way, with broadly similar onset and duration. Botox Cosmetic is also FDA-approved for neck bands, while Xeomin’s approval covers the three upper-face areas.
Does it hurt?
Most people describe it as a pinch. Injection-site discomfort and small bruises are the most common effects, and they usually settle on their own.
When will I see results?
Within several days. Full effect may take up to about a month. 3–4 months
Why is there a follow-up at two weeks?
Your first neurotoxin appointment is followed by a required visit two weeks later. By then most of the effect has appeared, so your clinician can check how evenly it has settled and adjust if needed. The full effect can take up to 30 days, so it is a check rather than the final word.
How is this different from a filler?
Neurotoxins relax muscle movement to soften lines caused by expression. Fillers, such as RHA and Radiesse on our menu, add volume or support where tissue has thinned.
Can I switch between the two products?
Yes, but tell us which one you had and when. Their doses are not interchangeable, and any botulinum toxin in the past four months needs to be known before another treatment.
General treatment information. Your clinician explains the choices appropriate for you.
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Other treatments.
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Ask about Botox & Xeomin.
A consultation is a conversation about what you would like to change, and what you would like to keep. Nothing is scheduled until you choose to.
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