Botox Resistance and How It’s Treated

Posted by Gabrielle Heckler on August 08, 2022

You love Botox. You love Botox for smile lines, masseter Botox, Botox for lip flips, you’ve even had Botox for crow's feet, a little Botox for a nose lift, some cobblestone chin Botox or all of the above. But all of a sudden - you’ve noticed your favorite anti-aging treatment is not giving you your usual results. You’ve still got wrinkles - could Botox have stopped working for you? Not very likely - there’s some other factors that come into play. And the best news? They’re all fixable here at BeautyFix Medspa.

What is Botox Resistance?

Botox is a toxin - botulinum toxin. Once injected, it works to relax the muscles in the treated area, and prevent them from moving so much (and causing wrinkles!). However, if and when your body gets used to this toxin, it develops antibodies against it, which makes your results less potent. If you’re one of the few that notices your botulinum treatments have stopped working over time, there’s hope! Here’s a few of our favorite tips to minimize Botox resistance and address why Botox isn’t giving you the desired effect.

If you suspect your Botox may not be working:

You haven’t waited long enough for the Botox to take effect

Remember, Botox can take up to 2 weeks until you see the full results. Unlike fillers, which are instant gratification, botulinum toxin injections take time to kick in and work to relax the targeted muscles. Make sure you’ve waited the full two weeks before you start to worry ‘bout those wrinkles!

You need to up your dosage

As we age, it’s natural that your skin loses collagen and elastin, and thus is prone to more wrinkles. More wrinkles = more toxin! While a smaller dose may have been sufficient in previous years, there’s no shame in needing to up your WrinkleFix units. Talk to your BeautyFix provider and see if it’s time to adjust your dose, and remember, you’re not aging - just upgrading! Generally, if you’re in your 20s, our practitioners recommend that you would need 20-25 units. If you’re 30s, you would need 30-40 units and if you’re above 40, you may need 50-60 units. Your total number of units depends on your skin, genetics and history of Botox injections at Beautyfix Medspa or any other medspa in NYC (or the ones near you!)

It’s time to try a different brand of toxin

Tried everything else to no avail? No worries, babe! You may have developed Botox resistance, but the good news is that there’s a very simple solution. Let your injector know you’ve stopped seeing your normal Botox results, and they can help you make the change to a different brand of toxin. After a few doses of a different kind of toxin, you can switch back over to Botox, as your antibodies will have worn off.

Botox resistance doesn’t have to put a stopper in your skincare routine. When in doubt, ask your BeautyFixer how to make changes to your Botox treatment plan to ensure you get the best results. Remember to wait the full two weeks (seriously!) and if you suspect botulinum resistance, never hesitate to give your favorite beauty experts a call.