How Many Units Of Botox Should Be Used On The Forehead?

A Botox treatment has very specific guides about its use, especially concerning the amount of Botox in the Botox injection itself. There is a specific amount of Botox that’s considered safe to be used in the injection site – otherwise called Botox units. Whether it is for preventative Botox or active treatment of horizontal forehead wrinkles, there’s only a certain amount of botulinum toxin that your plastic surgeon or dermatologist will put in your facial area.

So how many units are usually used in a forehead Botox injection? While the exact Botox units can vary depending on the kind of forehead lines that need attention, it’s generally agreed that around you need 10 to 30 Botox units per treatment to target a wrinkle or fine line.

Why There’s A Limit On Botox Unit Use

Botox treatment in itself isn’t particularly dangerous – procedures like a Botox brow lift or Botox use for eyebrow lift have been around for a while. But since the active ingredient in a Botox injection is botulinum toxin (which can be toxic to the body in large quantities), strict rules have been reinforced about its use.

Allergan, the official manufacturer of Botox, recommends 20 units of Botox split evenly across the face. For specific conditions like horizontal forehead lines, glabellar lines, and crows feet, some clinics may fluctuate that number between 10 to 30 units. Any more can risk extensive paralysis to the facial muscles, while too little won’t have an effect on the muscle at all.

Given that the forehead muscle sees extensive muscle movement throughout your life, expect to have the majority of the units used to be injected there, especially around the glabella.

Learn More: Botox for Forehead

What Determines The Exact Amount Of Botox Units Used

While the standard defining Botox units are more or less the same across different practices, the exact amount of Botox units – and the Botox cost – will vary from patient to patient. Because of the different facial anatomies of each patient and other considerations, the exact units used for your Botox treatment can only be known after the treatment: but as discussed, typical treatments would not go past 30.

There are several considerations that can affect the overall number of Botox units that you’ll get:

Stronger Facial Muscles

Depending on your genetics, lifestyle, and environment, your body may have developed stronger facial muscles which can counteract the effects of Botox injection. This is particularly noticeable with more active individuals since their muscles are more active and can resist the effects of a Botox injection better.

Since Botox injections work by blocking the neurotransmitters to the facial muscles, a muscle group that’s more active will have an easier time making new neurotransmitters to replace the ones that have been frozen. While the most frequent aftereffect of this that your body goes through Botox more quickly, it can also mean that more Botox is required with the treatments since your body can quickly resist the effects.

Frequency Of Facial Expression

Facial expressions are some of the most common reasons why forehead lines occur. Dynamic wrinkles – or wrinkles that form because of facial expressions – tend to form more often on the forehead. The forehead can form deep wrinkles and lines over time, and if you’re more expressive, the more likely these deeper wrinkles will form.

To counteract this tendency, most clinics will usually inject more Botox units in the area. Keep in mind that these units won’t remain consistent between treatments either. Depending on the progression of your wrinkles (usually according to how old you are) your Botox units may steadily increase or decrease over time.

Severity Of Lines

Finally, the one thing that has the most impact on how many Botox units you’ll get during your treatment is the depth or the severity of the forehead lines that you have. The deeper your forehead wrinkles are, the more Botox is needed to make sure that muscles get affected by the toxin. Again, these units will not go past the recommended maximum dose of 30, and it’s likely your dermatologist would settle for units lower than that.

The reason why your dermatologist would rather err on the side of caution when applying Botox treatments is that it’s the best way to avoid botulinum toxicity or other side effects that come with excessive application of Botox. It’s always better to start with a small dose and increase units of Botox over time, as your body gets accustomed to the presence of Botox over time.

These three factors aren’t necessarily the only considerations your Botox provider will keep in mind when they give you your injection, but they are some factors that you can keep in mind yourself. Make sure that you always follow your dermatologist’s instructions and never attempt to do Botox treatments on yourself.

Learn More: Side Effects of Botox on Forehead

Botox Cosmetic Treatment And Other Wellness Services At aNu Aesthetics

Good Botox results can only occur if you’ve had the right amount of Botox injected into your skin – and for that, it’s best that you trust the opinion of a dermatologist or your cosmetic provider. No matter how many units are used on you, just make sure to keep an eye on the treated area in case there are any side effects.

At aNu Aesthetics, we pride ourselves on giving our clients a high-quality Botox treatment with each visit. Whether it’s crow’s feet, excessive sweating, dynamic wrinkles, or other fine lines, we have the experience you need from a Botox provider. Call us now to learn more about our products and services today.