How Long Should I Wait After my Intial Botox Treatment to Receive my Second?

I would recommend waiting until you start seeing unacceptable amounts of movement of wrinkles before returning for repeat injections. Otherwise, you're just wasting your hard-earned money. With this being your first injection you really don't know how long you will see benefits. It could be greater or less than 3 months.
Best,Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Thank you for your question.  You can either wait for the full effects of Botox to wear off and repeat the same treatment plan if you liked the previous results.  Or you can return when you start to see undesirable movement again and then adjusting the dose downwards to achieve the same results as the first time.

There is really no set rule or standard practice which governs the amount of time that patients should wait before getting another injection.

If individuals are concerned about their appearance and do not want their frown lines, crows feet or forehead lines to resume, it might be best for them to get injections according to scheduled time intervals.

If patients choose to wait until the Botox wears off, this is also an acceptable decision. However when the Botox does wear off, the muscles will continue contributing to the development of static etched lines on the face. So it may not be best to wait too long.

I recommend that you discuss your objectives and concerns with your doctor. Together the two of you can work on coming to a decision based on both scenarios.

Hi WiGuy.  The choice about when to return to your next Botox injection is a personal one and there is no simple answer.

We have patients that come back religiously every three months because these patients do not want any lines to appear before having the treatment again.  Others will wait until they start to see lines creep back before they come in and others still just have the injections around their important events.  Let how you feel about your appearance guide your decision.

In my experience it has lasted 3-5 months so I typically have most patients schedule a follow up injection at 4 months. In some instances my patients have reported longer results with Dysport so that I have injected them at 5 months. However, variations in the longevity of the results do vary and treatments are adjusted appropriately for the individual.

After a patient receives their first botox injection treatment I ask them to return in one month so I can see the effectiveness.  I then schedule a four month appointment as they probably will need another treatment. Should they see that the muscles are waking up prematurely, they can call and get a sooner appointment.

Hi Wi,

You should retreat with Botox at the very first signs of movement in the muscles treated.  Studies on muscles have shown that if they are kept paralyzed for one to two years, they atrophy (become smaller and weaker).  At that point, most patients find that they can go much longer between their Botox treatments.  Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

Thank you for your question! Botox lasts about three to six months. The longevity of Botox is highly dependent upon the individual. I usually recommend that patients wait until they see some muscular activity returning before they come in for their second treatment. That will give them a fairly good idea about how long Botox will last for them and they can schedule their future appointments accordingly. Best of luck!

I would wait until you see full muscle movement and get the next Botox injection at that time. On average, this is about 3-4 months, but the effects can last up to 6 months for some people. Given that this is your first treatment, I would wait to re-inject until you see full movement of the muscles. In my opinion, it's a waste of money to re-inject Botox when the effects have yet to wear off.

The longevity of Botox is highly dependent upon the individual. In that most people can't afford to pay for things they don't need, I usually recommend that patients wait until they see some muscular activity returning before they come in for their second treatment. That will give them a fairly good idea about how long Botox will last for them and they can schedule their future appointments accordingly.