What You Should Know About BOTOX® Side Effects

Serving Knoxville, Sevierville, Knox County & Nearby Areas of Tennessee

Overwhelming safe and effective, BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments continue to surge in popularity in Knoxville and nationwide because now the injection has been proven to treat much more than just facial wrinkles and fine lines.

Whether you have questions about BOTOX or simply need to schedule your next treatment, please contact the offices of Board Certified Knoxville Plastic Surgeon Dr. Dean Kleto to book your consultation or appointment: Call 865.524.2442.

So many questions

Especially those patients who are new to BOTOX® may have concerns about the treatment based on the fact that the medication comes from a bacterial toxin called botulinum type A — the same substance that in much higher doses can cause food poisoning or botulism.

The purpose of this page is to help our Knoxville BOTOX® patients better understand the reported side effects associated with BOTOX®, as well as the fact that considering the millions of people worldwide who now rely on BOTOX® Cosmetic for either health or anti-aging purposes, the incidence of BOTOX® side effects is tremendously rare.

Who's Using BOTOX® Cosmetic?

First, it may help to understand just how in-demand BOTOX® has become.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were more than 6,321,000 BOTOX® treatments administered in 2013. That represents a three percent increase over the previous year, and a 703 percent increase over the year 2000.

In 2013, men represented about 6 percent of all BOTOX® patients.

That same year, the breakdown of BOTOX® patients by ages was*:

  • 20-29 years old = 2 percent
  • 30-39 years old = 18 percent
  • 40-58 years old = 58 percent
  • Age 55 and up = 23 percent

(*Margin of error = 1 percent)

How Common Are BOTOX® Side Effects?

Although the incidence of someone reacting negatively to BOTOX® is tremendously low, as statistics below will illustrate, it may be common for patients to experience less severe, fleeting side effects. The most common reported reactions to BOTOX® include:

  • Injection site pain, which tends to be effectively treated with an over-the-counter pain medication.
  • Temporary anxiety
  • Blurred vision
  • Droopy eyelids
  • Cold-like symptoms

When it comes to more serious reactions, they are relatively rare.

According to an article penned for The Huffington Post by a UCLA dermatology professor, in 2005, Allergan, the maker of BOTOX® Cosmetic, received 463 reports of a "serious adverse event" after a BOTOX® treatment. Of those:

  • 201 related to the spread of the medication to a location other than the injection site
  • 38 patients suffered seizures in response to BOTOX®

Two years later, in 2007, Allergen confirmed 207 serious cases of BOTOX® reaction, side effects or death.

The bottom line is that BOTOX® is overwhelming safe for most patients.

And, any risk of side effects is diminished when you choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your BOTOX® Treatment.

When you have questions about BOTOX® Cosmetic or any other non-surgical cosmetic procedure, including whether or not you are a candidate for BOTOX®, please contact the offices of Board Certified Knoxville Plastic Surgeon Dr. Dean Kleto to schedule your consultation: Call 865.524.2442.

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