Botox and Dysport generally last about 3 to 4 months, with results beginning in 3 to 5 days and reaching their full effect around 2 weeks. The treatment plan and your individual response help determine how that timeline looks for you.
If you're considering Botox in PEI, that duration gives you a starting point for understanding ongoing treatment. At Desired Medical Aesthetics in Charlottetown, Marley offers Botox and Dysport and can discuss what to expect before you decide.
Count from treatment, not the first visible change
The first few days belong to the onset period, when the treatment is beginning to take effect. You may be watching a forehead line closely, but an unchanged appearance immediately after your appointment does not tell you what the developed result will be.
Around 2 weeks is the point to assess the fuller effect. The usual 3-to-4-month duration describes the overall treatment timeline, rather than an extra block of time added after that two-week wait.
It helps to keep the appointment date somewhere you can find it again. If you later wonder whether treatment lasted as expected, you will have a clearer reference than a rough memory of when you first noticed a difference.
Our guide to your first neurotoxin appointment covers that early period in more detail. You can also read about neurotoxin treatment at Desired Medical Aesthetics if you are still deciding whether it suits your concern.
The treatment plan affects the response
The selected product and dose are part of the plan, along with where the injections are placed. Published clinical literature describes dose and injection technique as factors that can influence onset and duration.
That does not mean asking for more product is a useful way to guarantee a longer result. The recommendation needs to suit the area being treated and the degree of muscle relaxation being considered.
If you've had Botox or Dysport elsewhere, tell Marley which one you received, when you had it and how the treatment felt as it wore off. Previous treatment information is more useful than a brand preference alone.
You can also describe what you want to preserve. For example, you may want to soften a particular expression line while discussing how much movement to retain. That preference belongs in the planning conversation, rather than being assessed only after treatment.
A treatment intended to address your concern should be judged against that agreed aim, with duration considered alongside the overall response.
Noticing movement does not tell the whole story
As the effect wears off, movement can return to the treated muscles. A small change you notice during an expression may come before the point when you feel the treatment has fully worn off.
It is useful to describe what you mean by “it stopped working.” Do you mean that you can raise your eyebrows more, or that the original line looks much as it did before treatment? Those observations give Marley different information.
A brief note can help. Record when you began noticing a change and whether it affected the concern you originally discussed. You don't need to inspect your face every day or document every expression.
Results vary from person to person. A friend's appointment schedule gives you very little information about the schedule that will suit you, even if you are treating a similar area.
If you feel the effect has faded much earlier than expected, contact Marley to discuss it. An assessment is more useful than guessing that the cause must be your metabolism, exercise routine or choice of product.
Plan the next visit around your response
The usual duration can help you think ahead, especially if appointments need to fit around work. It should still leave room to review how the treatment performed before deciding on another visit.
Tell Marley whether you were comfortable with the effect and when you began noticing it fade. Mention any unwanted effects as well. A plan for the next appointment should account for the whole experience.
There is no need to commit to ongoing treatment at your first consultation. You can ask what maintaining the effect would involve, then decide whether that approach fits your preferences. Letting treatment wear off is also a choice.
If you have an event in mind, discuss it before choosing a treatment date. The full result takes around 2 weeks to develop, so an appointment immediately before an occasion does not allow that process to finish.
Marley Giddings is a nurse practitioner with over ten years in nursing and is the owner and only injector at Desired Medical Aesthetics. Consultations are free, and her treatment room is inside Renew You at 260 Grafton Street in Charlottetown.
FAQs
How long does neurotoxin last the first time?
The general expectation for Botox or Dysport is about 3 to 4 months. Your first treatment gives Marley information about your response that can help guide future planning.
Can I make neurotoxin last longer with a higher dose?
A higher dose does not guarantee a better or longer result for your needs. The amount should be chosen through an assessment of the treatment area.
Does movement mean my neurotoxin has worn off?
Some movement alone does not establish that the full effect has ended. Tell Marley what has changed and when you noticed it.