Terrifying and unexpected effects of failed Botox injections

Millions of people use Botox to get rid of wrinkles and smooth lines, but the cosmetic treatment can come with terrifying and unexpected side effects.

Horror stories of droopy eyelids and frozen mouths after Botox injections have flooded social media in recent months, while a number of celebrities have also revealed their own botched procedures, according to the Daily Mail.

Stars tell their stories

Singer Meghan Trainor, 30, has admitted she can no longer smile after getting a massive injection of Botox and fillers above her upper lip.

Made in Chelsea star Sophie Habo also revealed she had an accident with the injection, after her dentist suggested that injections into her jaw muscle might help stop her grinding her teeth. Speaking on the Wednesdays podcast, she said: "My smile froze. When I closed my mouth it looked normal, but everyone wondered what was happening to my smile. It lasted for six months."

Serious side effects

Botulinum toxin (known as Botox) costs between £100 and £300 per area and is used to relax muscles in the face and smooth lines and wrinkles. It can also be used to treat jaw pain, tension and migraines. But with dozens of women in their 20s using the treatment to smooth wrinkles “preventively”, experts have warned that the injections come with serious risks.

Side effects include headaches, a “frozen” face, nerve damage, bruising and swelling.

Aesthetic nurse Amanda Azzopardi, who offers Botox at clinics across London, Liverpool and North Wales, urged patients to go to a specialist who knows their anatomy well to avoid complications. She told the newspaper: “Botox is a prescription-only medicine and should be prescribed to each client individually at the correct dosage.”

It is easy to inject too much Botox, which can lead to asymmetry due to differences in muscle strength on either side of the face.

The nurse added that this leaves patients with lopsided smiles and droopy eyelids, and patients have taken to social media to reveal the horrific impact of the botched procedures.

A social media user named @Raiinnna_ shared shocking before and after photos on TikTok, documenting the aftermath of Botox injections into the masseter muscle, which is located inside the jaw and helps us chew.

She warned her 204,000 followers against the procedure, revealing that she was still unable to smile three weeks later.

Botox in this area of ​​the face can help relieve teeth grinding and tension headaches, and also create a squarer jawline to create a more symmetrical facial shape.

However, what happened to some people is worse, if Botox is injected into the zygomatic muscle, which controls movement in the cheeks and is located just below the masseter muscle, causing it to relax and reduce the width of the smile.

Similar videos show how Botox in the forehead can cause droopy eyelids if administered incorrectly.

A social media user named @justjennie77 shared her own Botox incident on TikTok to warn others of the potential side effects, showing off her droopy eyelids in the video.

Several videos, viewed by millions, have shown women with droopy eyes and swollen eyes after getting Botox.

Only one in 100 cases

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons explains that droopy eyelids occur in just one in 100 cases, can be corrected with eye drops and will improve as the effects of Botox wear off, which can take three to four months.

But Save Face, a government-approved register of accredited practitioners in the UK, received nearly 3,000 complaints in 2022 alone, with more than two-thirds of those related to dermal fillers, and around a quarter to Botox.