Botox - just 11’s?

[popsickle555]

I am not keen on having it anywhere else in my face, but I’m contemplating just the 11s because I constantly look like I’m frowning. Is it possible just to have it in that area and only a tiny bit or will it cause other issues elsewhere? Or anything else that will ‘treat’ this area?

Of course that’s ok if that’s your only problem area.

Be guided by your injector though if they have some other suggestions but don’t be afraid to ask questions about the pros and cons.

Botox in the right spots can lift your brows a little. I always have this, and as my right brow/eyelid sits a little lower my injector puts a touch more on that side to even things up.

I have just my 11s done and it’s fine. It does smooth out the middle of my forehead a little as the muscles that cause the frown are quite high, but not so you’d notice. Some might argue it looks odd not to have the whole forehead done too, but I’m not averse to lines and wrinkles, it’s looking pissed off with everything and everyone around me that I dislike. I think not being able to frown ferociously improves my state of mind too.

Yes, I never have any in the upper part of my forehead so I can still lift my brows, I just can’t frown.

Freezing your entire forehead isn’t really recommended, best to leave some movement.

Absolutely, it’s the only thing I have done too. A crease had started to settle and I don’t want it to.

I’m 48. I just have my 11 lines Botoxed, and it costs me £100 a time, lasting about 4 months. Not to look younger, just because my eyebrows tend towards going in an anxious frown, and this gives me a serene face whilst retaining expression.

I used to get my horizontal forehead lines done but stopped at 36 because the advice is that, after about 35, Botox in horizontal forehead lines creates a real heaviness to the brow and can look odd.
Glabellar lines zapping has been absolutely fine and a huge boost for my wellbeing, seeing a relaxed expression when I look in the mirror.

A number of studies have found that you ‘cut the motion [in facial muscles], you cut the emotion [that those muscles produce].’ So there does seem to be some sort of feedback loop in the body, where if you can’t frown, you feel less cross / anxious. However, the same goes for smiling - if you get your crows’ feet and laughter lines done, these studies found people felt slightly less happy, and the thought was that it was because the body couldn’t register the emotion fully.

I would always say to people to avoid getting crows’ feet done in any case, because it knocks out your ability to smile in a way that other people subconsciously register as genuine.

When people smile with their mouths but it doesn’t reach their eyes, we tend to be distrustful, and that can really impact on our relationships and interactions with people. A couple of friends have had crows’ feet done and it was so blinkin’ unnerving dealing with them until it wore off!

Finally, my disclaimer on all the above is that nobody really needs cosmetic Botox. You need to be sure it’s something you really want and are not feeling pressured into.

One other point is that if you are going to get it done, make sure you go to a doctor or nurse. Beauty therapists are not qualified to be dealing with powerful neurotoxins. Also note that, though a small number of people will find wrinkle relaxing injections don’t work on them at all, the Botox variants (Azzalure, Dysport etc) don’t work on everyone, and they didn’t on me, so I always go for branded Botox.

In case I sound Kardashian-adjacent, the only other thing I get done is 0.5ml Restylane in my lips, once every 6 years or so, as it lasts ages on me. Even my kids can’t tell and I feel that’s a good indicator it’s subtle. Oh and I’m on Skin + Me tretinoin which has been a game changer.