People come for Botox for different reasons. Some want to soften forehead lines without freezing expression. Others want relief from jaw clenching headaches, or to stop underarm sweating that soaks through shirts. The common thread is precision. Good Botox treatments are not about a magic number of units or a one-size-fits-all map. They rely on anatomy, assessment in motion, and careful placement that respects how your muscles actually behave.
I have treated thousands of faces. No two are the same. Eyebrows sit at different heights, frontalis muscle patterns vary by gender and age, and strong corrugators run deeper in some people than others. Even the way you lift a brow to apply mascara can change the plan. This guide walks you through the core injection sites for Botox Cosmetic and therapeutic Botox, how we decide where to place it, typical dosing ranges, and how to think about maintenance and safety. Consider it a clear map with the caveat that roads shift slightly from one person to the next.
What Botox does, and what it does not
Botox is botulinum toxin type A, a neuromodulator that blocks the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. It relaxes the muscle it is injected into. The result is smoother dynamic wrinkles, the ones formed by movement: forehead lines from raising brows, frown lines from scowling, crow’s feet from smiling. It does not fill hollow areas or lift tissue the way fillers do. It will not fix deep volume loss in the midface or etched-in creases that persist at rest. Many people benefit from a combination approach, Botox and fillers, where each product plays to its strength.
Botox begins to work in 2 to 5 days for most patients, reaches a peak effect around 10 to 14 days, and then slowly softens over 3 to 4 months. Some retain benefit for up to 5 or even 6 months in smaller muscles like the crow’s feet, while high-motion areas or very strong muscles may wear off closer to 10 to 12 weeks. First time Botox can take a touch longer to feel full effect. With repeated, consistent treatment, the duration often improves modestly because the muscle deconditions.
Mapping the upper face: forehead, frown lines, and crow’s feet
The upper face is the classic trio: frontalis (forehead), glabellar complex (frown lines), and orbicularis oculi (crow’s feet). Each region influences the others. If you weaken the frown too much and ignore the forehead, the brows can lift. If you over-treat the forehead without respecting brow depressors, the brows can drop. Balance matters more than any single area.
Forehead lines, or the frontalis
The frontalis lifts the brows. Every injection that relaxes it risks heaviness if the brow position is already low. That is why I always assess at rest and during movement. I watch how high the brows travel and whether the lines sit high, mid, or low on the forehead. I also palpate to feel muscle thickness.
Typical approach uses multiple microinjections placed horizontally, spaced across the upper two thirds of the forehead. I avoid injecting close to the brow line in most people because it can press the brow down. For heavy lids, I keep treatment higher and lighter to preserve lift. Units of Botox for forehead lines vary widely. A common cosmetic range is 6 to 16 units, sometimes up to 20 in larger foreheads or stronger muscles, but many patients do well on the lower end if they also treat the frown lines that pull downward.
Baby Botox on the forehead is simply smaller aliquots, say 0.5 to 1 unit per point, placed a bit higher and more spread out. This can keep forehead mobility for expressive patients while softening fine lines. Preventative Botox in younger patients often uses even lower doses, focusing on the habit lines that show up with repeated expression rather than lines etched at rest.
Frown lines, or the glabellar complex
The frown lines form from a group of muscles: corrugator supercilii that pull the brows inward, procerus that pulls down, and often the depressor supercilii working as part of corrugator. These muscles are deeper than the frontalis and tend to be stronger. Treating them lifts the central brow subtly and opens the eyes, often more naturally than a direct brow lift.
The injection pattern usually targets the procerus midline and the belly of each corrugator, sometimes with an extra point near the tail if the muscle fans widely. I mark points based on palpation and patient motion, avoiding vessels and staying above the orbital rim. The common dose range is 12 to 25 units for frown lines, with 20 units a frequently cited standard in Botox Cosmetic trials. Strong male glabellar complexes often need the higher end to prevent the “angry 11s.” Under-treating here while over-treating the forehead is a reliable path to a heavy brow. Get the balance right, and the forehead can be treated lighter.
Crow’s feet, or the lateral orbicularis oculi
Crow’s feet appear with smiling and squinting. Treatment softens the radiating lines while preserving genuine smiles when done with finesse. The injection points sit lateral to the eye, careful distance from the orbital rim, oriented to the pattern of lines and the bulk of the muscle. I tend to use 3 to 4 points per side, but fewer points with slightly higher volume can work when the skin is thicker.
Doses vary from 6 to 12 units per side in many practices. Patients who do outdoor sports, squint often, or have strong zygomatic smile pull may need more. If a patient complains of a smile that feels “odd” after previous crow’s feet treatment, it often means the product migrated too close to the smile elevator muscles. Adjusting the lateral and superior vector of injections usually fixes that.
Subtle lifts around the eyes and brows
A Botox brow lift works by reducing the downward pull of brow depressors, mainly orbicularis oculi near the tail of the brow, and glabellar muscles medially, while keeping frontalis function. When done well, it creates a few millimeters of lift and a more alert look. This is nuanced work. Too much in the lateral forehead and you flatten the tail of the brow. Too little in the frown complex and the brows stay heavy. I often place 1 to 2 small units in the lateral orbicularis on each side and shape the glabella treatment to create lift without recruiting the frontalis to overcompensate.
Eyelid twitching, or blepharospasm, is a therapeutic indication treated by ophthalmology and neurology specialists. Those injections are deeper, more precise, and tailored to disease severity, not cosmetic concerns. If a patient reports frequent eyelid spasms, we consider a medical Botox referral.
The nose and midface: bunny lines, smile lines, and lip flip
Bunny lines are the diagonal creases on the sides of the nose that appear when you grin or scrunch. They come from the transverse nasalis and sometimes the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi. A small dose, 2 to 5 units total split across both sides, usually does the trick. Over-treating can affect upper lip movement, which is why these points are measured and conservative.
“Smile lines” means different things to different people. Some mean nasolabial folds, which are better addressed with fillers or biostimulators, not Botox. Others mean lateral cheek lines that flare with a big grin. Those sometimes respond to tiny doses in the upper zygomatic area, but caution is warranted around the muscles that elevate the lip and shape the smile.
A lip flip is a simple, low-dose approach that relaxes the superficial fibers of the orbicularis oris so the upper lip everts slightly. It makes the red show more without adding volume. Typical dosing is 2 to 4 units across the Cupid’s bow and lateral upper lip, sometimes a unit or two in the lower lip if there is asymmetry. It lasts a bit less than other areas, often 6 to 8 weeks, because oral muscles are active all day. Patients who play brass instruments, rely on speech articulation, or already have lip incompetence are not ideal candidates.
A gummy smile can be softened by targeting the levator muscles that lift the upper lip too high. Placing 1 to 2 units per side near the alar base and nasal sill reduces the amount of gum that shows. I always ask patients to smile in the mirror during planning so we can aim for a natural smile that still feels like them.
Jawline and lower face: masseter, chin, platysma
Lower face Botox is where experience shows. The muscles interact with speech, chewing, and jaw support. The best results come from measured dosing and staged treatments.
Masseter Botox is popular for facial slimming and jaw clenching or TMJ-related symptoms. The masseter is thick and powerful. Injecting it reduces bulk over 6 to 8 weeks, creating a softer angle, and it can lessen grinding and tension headaches for some patients. Doses range widely. Cosmetic masseter reduction often uses 20 to 30 units per side at first, then 10 to 20 units for maintenance. Therapeutic TMJ Botox treatment can be higher, guided by exam and, ideally, a conservative start to avoid chewing weakness. I place injections in the lower two thirds of the muscle, staying clear of the parotid gland and facial nerve branches. Chewing softer foods for a few days can help if there is temporary fatigue.
For jawline definition, some clinicians use small aliquots along the posterior platysma border, paired with filler to support the bone. This is an advanced technique and tailored carefully, because weakening support muscles can worsen jowling if misapplied.
Chin dimpling comes from overactive mentalis muscle. A few units, often 4 to 8 split between two central points, relax the orange-peel texture and can soften a deep mental crease. If the lower face looks heavy, I favor very low doses to preserve mentalis support. If the chin is short or retruded, fillers or biostimulators may be the better foundation, with micro Botox to refine texture.
Neck bands, the vertical platysmal cords that show when you grimace, respond to a series of small injections along each band. Typical dosing ranges from 20 to 50 units spread across multiple points depending on the number and strength of bands. Treating the neck needs careful assessment of baseline neck tone. Over-treatment can affect swallowing effort or head support, which is why I start conservative and reassess at two weeks for a touch up if needed.
Beyond aesthetics: migraines, sweating, and medical indications
Botox affordable botox MA has robust evidence for chronic migraine prevention when done under the PREEMPT protocol. That protocol uses a fixed-site, fixed-dose pattern across the forehead, temples, back of the head, and neck, with optional follow-the-pain sites. It is a different framework from cosmetic Botox and requires medical evaluation. When a patient on cosmetic treatment mentions headaches that occur 15 or more days per month, I suggest a medical consult for migraines Botox treatment. The same product is used, but insurance coverage, dosing, and injection sites differ from cosmetic use.
Hyperhidrosis response to Botox can be life-changing. For underarm sweating, we map the area with an iodine-starch test when possible, then place closely spaced microinjections intradermally throughout the zone. Results often last 4 to 6 months, sometimes longer. Palmar and plantar sweating can be treated too, but there is a trade-off with temporary hand weakness in some patients and greater discomfort during the procedure. Ice, vibration, or nerve blocks help.
How many units do you need? Context for dosing
Patients often arrive with unit numbers from friends or social media. Units are a starting language, not a guarantee. Different neuromodulators are not unit for unit interchangeable. Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin all work well, but Dysport often uses more units numerically because of different unit definitions. The effect, onset, and spread can vary. I match the product to the goals and the individual’s history. Dysport vs Botox debates matter less than consistent technique, realistic goals, and proper follow up.
As for ranges, here are conservative, common ballparks for Botox Cosmetic in adults with average muscle strength:
- Frown lines: roughly 12 to 25 units total across 5 to 7 points Forehead lines: roughly 6 to 16 units across 4 to 10 points Crow’s feet: roughly 6 to 12 units per side across 3 to 4 points per eye Bunny lines: roughly 2 to 5 units total Lip flip: roughly 2 to 4 units upper lip, sometimes 1 to 2 units lower These are not prescriptions. I have patients thriving at half these numbers because their muscles are small or their aesthetic is ultra natural, and others at the higher end because their baseline is strong. For masseter reduction, numbers climb, and for neck bands they spread across many microinjections.
Maps, not dots: tailoring injection sites to your anatomy
Printed maps have their place, but I draw my maps on your face in real time. I mark when you are at rest, then again while you animate: eyebrows up, eyes closed tight, frown, smile. I palpate for the borders of the corrugator, the thickness of the frontalis, the lateral sweep of the orbicularis. I track asymmetries. Most of us have a higher eyebrow, a side that smiles bigger, or a stronger chew on the right. I place asymmetric doses to correct, not copy, the imbalance.
A quick anecdote. A physician came in complaining of a droopy left brow from another clinic. She had been getting the same “forehead 10, frown 20” for years. On exam, her left corrugator was much stronger than her right, and her frontalis was thin. The prior injector had treated the forehead more than the frown, which forced her thin frontalis to work harder and then it was knocked down. We shifted the plan, heavier in the glabella, lighter and higher in the forehead, and left the left brow tail untouched. Two weeks later, the arch returned and the heaviness resolved. The unit count barely changed. The map did.
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Natural looking Botox: technique and restraint
Natural results come from several habits. First, respect baseline brow position. If lids are low or brows are heavy, go light on the lower forehead and prioritize frown lines for lift. Second, keep the lateral forehead mobile when possible. A moving outer brow preserves expressions and avoids the flat, surprised look. Third, micro-dose around the mouth. The orbicularis oris is busy and unforgiving if overdone. Fourth, avoid chasing every tiny line in a single session. Lines etched at rest need time, skincare, and sometimes filler. Botox for fine lines is most effective when combined with sun protection, retinoids or retinaldehyde, and bio-compatible moisturizers.
Baby Botox and micro Botox are not special products. They are techniques that use very small units and more injection points, often more superficially, to smooth texture and reduce oil or pore appearance in some cases. Results are subtle and wear off a little faster, but they suit patients who fear looking “done.”
Onset, aftercare, and maintenance
You will start to notice changes in 2 to 5 days. Forehead lines look softer, the frown relaxes, crow’s feet fade when you smile. Full effect arrives by day 14. That is why I schedule a follow-up or make myself available for photos at two weeks for a touch up if needed. Touch up is part of quality control, not a failure.
Aftercare is simple but matters. For the first 4 to 6 hours, keep your head upright and avoid heavy pressure on the treated areas. Skip intense workouts that raise blood pressure for the rest of the day. Avoid rubbing or massaging injection sites and avoid facials or masks for 24 hours. You can wash your face and apply makeup gently. Alcohol the day of treatment can increase bruising, so I advise waiting until the next day. Tiny pinpoint bruises and bumps at injection sites can happen and usually resolve within a couple of days.
How often to get Botox depends on the area and your goals. Most patients repeat every 3 to 4 months for the upper face. Masseter and hyperhidrosis treatments can stretch longer, sometimes 4 to 6 months. Preventative schedules in younger patients may be twice a year with lower doses. If you prefer constant smoothness with no ramp down, book at consistent intervals before it fully wears off. If you like some movement to return, schedule later and adjust doses.
Cost, packages, and value
Pricing varies by city, injector experience, and clinic model. Some practices charge per unit, others per area. Per-unit pricing makes it clear what you are paying for and allows customized dosing. Packages or memberships can help if you maintain regular Botox maintenance, especially if you combine areas like forehead, frown, and crow’s feet. Affordable Botox is a function of honesty about goals, conservative starting doses, and a plan that avoids over-treatment. Deals that seem too good to be true often are. Product source, dilution practices, and injector skill determine outcomes far more than a coupon.
For a rough sense, many markets price Botox per unit in the teens to low twenties. A typical upper-face plan might use 30 to 50 units across three areas. Prices shift over time, so use consultations to compare approach and rapport, not only unit rates. The best Botox clinic for you will feel thorough in assessment, transparent in planning, and conservative with areas that affect function.
Safety, side effects, and red flags
When injected properly, Botox is safe for the vast majority of adults. Common, minor side effects include temporary redness, small bumps, or bruising. Headache for a day or two happens occasionally, particularly after the first treatment. Heaviness of the brows or eyelid ptosis can occur if product affects the levator or lower forehead excessively. These issues generally improve as Botox wears off. Your injector can often help with strategic counter-injections while you wait.
Serious reactions are rare. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have certain neuromuscular disorders, you should not be treated. Always disclose medications that affect bleeding, like aspirin, NSAIDs, or certain supplements. If you develop new arm or neck weakness after neck treatments, difficulty swallowing, or spreading muscle weakness beyond the injection area, contact your injector and seek medical attention.
Red flags when choosing a provider include lack of an in-person assessment, unwillingness to watch you animate and explain anatomy, pressure to buy pre-set unit amounts, and no option for a two-week review. A best botox doctor or experienced injector welcomes your questions, explains trade-offs, and keeps an eye on long-term balance rather than short-term paralysis.
When Botox is not the answer
Deep wrinkles etched into the skin at rest, like severe nasolabial folds or lip lines in a smoker, often need structural support. Fillers, collagen stimulators, energy devices, or skincare may serve better. Sagging skin along the jawline is often ligament laxity and fat pad descent. Botox cannot lift sagging tissue. It can refine a jawline or reduce platysmal pull, but it will not replace a lift. For pore reduction or oily skin, micro Botox has some fans, but medical skincare that regulates oil production or targeted lasers can be more reliable.
Migraines that do not meet chronic criteria, facial asymmetry from nerve injury, or bruxism with significant dental wear each require thoughtful evaluation. TMJ botox treatment can help clenching and pain, but it should be paired with dental care and behavior changes, not used as the only tool.
Planning your first appointment
If you are a first time Botox patient, expect an initial consult with photos at rest and expression. Bring a list of medications, your skincare routine, and any previous injectables with dates and doses if you have them. Be honest about what you liked and disliked. If you want natural looking Botox with movement, say so. If you want to erase lines as much as possible, we can discuss the trade-offs, like heavier dosing or more areas.
During mapping, I mark points, clean the skin, and use the smallest needles available. Most injections feel like tiny pinches. The whole process takes minutes once the plan is set. You can drive yourself home and return to desk work the same day. Botox downtime is minimal, with the caveat to avoid workouts and facials for a short window. Plan around major events so your results peak and any bruises have time to clear.
Two weeks later, we check results and adjust. That touch up might add a couple of units where a muscle is still pulling, or balance an eyebrow if one side lifts higher. Documentation helps with your personalized botox plan for next time. Over the course of a year, that record becomes the best map you can have.
Comparing products and setting expectations
Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin are all excellent. Some patients feel Dysport starts working a day sooner or spreads a touch more in large muscles. Others prefer the predictability of Botox or the “clean” formulation of Xeomin with no accessory proteins. Most differences are subtle and technique dominates outcomes. If you had a great result with one, there is no reason to switch unless a specific concern arises.
How long does Botox last is the perennial question. Plan on about 3 to 4 months for facial lines, with individual variation. When does Botox start working is next. You will feel a change within a few days, but resist the urge to judge results until day 14. When does Botox wear off is gradual. Movement returns slowly. Many patients like that taper because it never looks like a sudden change.
Patient stories that shape judgment
I remember a fitness instructor who wanted baby botox forehead dosing. She taught spin seven days a week and sweated a lot, which can mean faster metabolism. Her brows were low at baseline. We used a modest glabella dose to lift, then placed tiny forehead units high and lateral, sparing the medial forehead. She kept movement, and the lines softened. The treatment lasted almost three months, respectable for her activity level. The next visit we added two units to the left corrugator only, because her left brow dipped mid-cycle. Tiny adjustments, big difference.
Another patient, a violinist, wanted a lip flip before a performance season. We skipped it and chose a subtle filler for support instead, because relaxing the orbicularis oris can change embouchure tension. Her smile lines improved with a touch of cheek filler and micro Botox to the lateral crow’s feet, and her performance was unaffected. The right treatment is sometimes restraint.
A simple checklist for a better outcome
- Choose your injector for skill and communication, not price alone Share your medical history, skincare, and prior injectable experiences Agree on a plan that matches your expression goals and brow position Book your two-week review for possible fine tuning Keep aftercare simple: no heavy workouts, rubbing, or facials the day of treatment
The bottom line on Botox injection sites
Maps matter, but your face writes its own legend. Forehead lines respond best when the glabella is balanced. Crow’s feet smooth more naturally with careful lateral placement that respects your smile. The lip flip is a tiny tweak with a short lifespan, helpful for the right mouth and the right moment. Masseter Botox can refine your jawline and ease clenching if the doses are thoughtful and staged. Neck bands improve with a matrix of small injections, but too much can trade lines for function. Hyperhidrosis treatments can restore confidence, and migraines protocols are a medical domain of their own.
If you are searching phrases like botox near me for wrinkles or best botox doctor, focus your questions on assessment steps, planned unit ranges with reasoning, and follow-up policies. Ask how the injector manages asymmetry and what they do if brows feel heavy. A good answer will not rely on scripts. It will sound personal and precise.
Botox remains one of the most effective, minimally invasive tools for facial rejuvenation. Used with judgment, it delivers subtle botox results that show you at your best, not someone else’s template. The right map is the one we draw together, line by line, muscle by muscle, with your expression leading the way.