Quick answer: No, you don’t have to get Botox forever. If you stop, your muscles gradually return to moving the way they did before, over a few months. Many clients who get treated regularly, about every three months, see their lines soften over time.
A common misconception about Botox and other neuromodulators is “once I start it, I will need it forever.” That can be true of some treatments, like certain hair-growth medications and testosterone therapy, but not Botox.
Here’s the truth: neuromodulators, like Botox, Xeomin, & Dysport act like a blanket on the muscles, preventing them from receiving the message to contract. Over time, the muscles atrophy, or weaken. In theory, if you get injections regularly enough, the dose could reduce, however, you continue to age and create more wrinkles, so this is not necessarily true for everyone. Also, we don’t necessarily want complete atrophy of the muscles as this too, can give the appearance of aging.
Here is an example of one of my favorite faces!
This beauty has been coming to me regularly, every 3 months, for 9 months. These are all before photos. See how her wrinkles are reducing over time?
We used similar doses, about 90 days apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your muscles gradually return to their normal movement over a few months. Nothing bad happens, and your lines return to where they would have been.
Some people do, but you also keep aging, so many clients settle into a steady dose rather than a shrinking one.
Most clients come in every three to four months to maintain their results.