“My treatment didn’t really seem to work very well. I don’t know if I got diluted Botox or what.”
As a part of my consultation process for every new patient, I always ask about previous treatments. I ask if there was anything they were unhappy about with those treatments and this is a pretty common complaint.
So do injectors use diluted Botox? Does it matter? And what do I do if my treatment doesn’t work?
What is reconstitution?
Technically speaking, all Botox is diluted to some extent.
All toxins (Botox, Dysport, etc) come in a vial. The product usually looks like a fine powder in the bottom of that vial. We then add saline to the vial and mix it together. This process is known as “reconstitution”. Sometimes we use 1mL of saline, sometimes we use 2.5, 3, or even 5ml of saline to reconstitute the toxins.
The dilution translates to the spread of the product in the tissue and can affect the overall result. But different dilutions can also be used to achieve different results. I personally will use multiple dilutions on the same patient depending on the area I’m treating and the effect I want to create. This is one of the many ways we develop a highly individualized treatment plan for each patient at Beauty FX.
For instance, I often use a 5cc dilution in the forehead. That allows me to get very even coverage without having to use a lot of units. This method is great for patients who are often on camera who want to tone down their forehead movement, but not get rid of it completely, so that they can remain expressive.
So why didn’t I have a good treatment?
What’s important to know as a patient is the number of units you received.
10 units is 10 units is 10 units, no matter what reconstitution amount you are using. If your previous provider was giving you a different number of units than what you were told or what you paid for, then that’s obviously a problem, but it doesn’t necessarily correlate to the dilution that was used.
There are a few reasons that your treatment may not have been effective, however.
- Not enough units were used.
- The product placement didn’t effectively target your unique muscular anatomy.
- The product was injected too deep or too close to the surface and didn’t get into the correct part of the muscle.
- Some recent research has shown that being sick or having vaccines within 2 weeks of injections can reduce the effectiveness of Tox treatment due to the systemic immune response.
- You may have started developing a resistance to botulinum toxin.
- It even could’ve been a bad batch from the manufacturer.
So what should I do?
If you had a treatment that didn’t seem effective, I always encourage you to reach out to your provider and schedule a follow-up visit so that they can help you troubleshoot the issue. There are a lot of variables when it comes to why a treatment may not have worked and not all of them are the injector’s fault, so at least make them aware of your problem and give them a chance to help.
If the provider isn’t very helpful or if you choose to go to another provider for your next treatment, always request a copy of your injection records to take with you to your next injector, including the number of units and where they were placed.
Pro-tip 1: If your injector doesn’t keep records of exactly what was placed where, then you’re probably not getting the most out of your treatment or your money and I’d suggest finding a new provider.
Pro-tip 2: There’s no room for ego in aesthetics. If a provider gets offended that you questioned their treatment efficacy or that you requested your records, then find a new provider.
For more information on Botox and Dysport Treatments at Beauty FX by Jamison, click here!
