BOTOX for Facial Paralysis

Botox is one of the most effective treatments for patients with Bell’s palsy, partial facial paralysis and synkinesis.

Botox has been a mainstay treatment for patients with synkinesis, partial facial paralysis and bell’s palsy for the past two decades. Botox is a protein derived from botulinum toxin. It relaxes unwanted muscle movements on the normal side of the face and reduces tension in areas of the face that are hyperactive due to synkinesis.

At the Facial Paralysis Institute, Botox is utilized to address asymmetric facial movement in a novel manner to create a more symmetrical facial movement and reduce the signs of facial paralysis and synkinesis. Botox is most commonly utilized with neuromuscular retraining that will be performed by an experienced physical therapist.

Q: What is Botox?

A: Botox is a protein derived from botulinum toxin that can counteract the typical effects of Bell’s palsy, which may include weakness and uncoordinated movement of the face; the condition may lead to temporary facial weakness or long-term facial nerve paralysis.

Q: How Does Botox Treat Facial Paralysis?

A: Botox is an effective, safe, and simple way to treat Bell’s palsy, partial facial nerve paralysis, and synkinesis. The protein is utilized to address asymmetric facial movement. It is designed to relax the muscles and prevent them from contracting. It relaxes unwanted muscle movements and reduces tension in areas of the face that are hyperactive due to synkinesis. It is an effective facial palsy treatment method.

Q: Do Any Other Treatments Complement the Use of Botox?

A: Neuromuscular retraining from an expert physical therapist should be utilized at the same time as Botox treatments to optimize the results. You’ll want to make sure that you receive care from a facial paralysis expert because surgical options may need to be considered if Botox injections and physical therapy do not completely relieve the symptoms of Bell’s palsy, partial facial paralysis, or synkinesis.

Selective neurolysis is the most advanced surgical option to treat facial paralysis. During selective neurolysis, Dr. Azizzadeh releases the platysma muscle and decreases nerve activity in the nerves that counteract the smile mechanism so that the mouth can once again turn upward, restoring the patient’s ability to smile.

Q. Who can perform a Botox treatment for facial paralysis?

A Botox for facial paralysis procedure must be performed by a facial paralysis expert. That way, a patient can minimize the risk of potential complications during Botox treatment. Plus, a facial paralysis expert can use the proper amount of Botox based on a patient’s facial paralysis symptoms and inject Botox into the affected facial muscles.

Q. When do the results of Botox for facial paralysis become visible?

The initial results of a Botox procedure usually become visible within about two to three days of treatment.

Q. Is Botox safe for all facial paralysis patients?

Like any facial paralysis procedure, there are risks associated with Botox. Therefore, it is important for a facial paralysis patient to undergo a full evaluation before Botox or any other treatment. This evaluation allows a patient to review different treatment options and determine the best course of action to treat his or her facial paralysis symptoms.

Botox for Bell’s Palsy

Botox injections offer safe, dependable treatments for many facial weakness and paralysis patients. A Botox treatment for permanent or longstanding Bell’s palsy is available to help patients mitigate the effects of unilateral facial weakness. It relaxes hyperactive muscles and temporarily restores facial symmetry, resulting in an improved facial appearance.

The Facial Paralysis Institute offers Botox for permanent Bell’s palsy treatments that have been shown to relax unwanted muscle movements on the normal side of the face. These treatments also help reduce tension in facial areas that are hyperactive due to synkinesis.

Q. What Is Permanent Bell’s Palsy?

In rare instances, Bell’s palsy may not disappear on its own. This causes permanent paralysis of one side of the face.

Permanent Bell’s palsy requires the peripheral facial nerve to be surgically connected with the spinal accessory or hypoglossal nerves. Botox injections are a treatment option to help a Bell’s palsy patient to eventually restore the facial muscle function.

Q. What should a person do if he or she experiences Bell’s palsy symptoms?

If an individual experiences Bell’s palsy symptoms, he or she should visit the emergency room immediately. Generally, Bell’s palsy symptoms will disappear on their own within a few days or weeks after initial diagnosis.

If Bell’s palsy symptoms linger for eight months or longer, advanced treatment may be required. At this point, the facial paralysis experts at The Facial Paralysis Institute offer a variety of Bell’s palsy treatment options, including Botox for Bell’s palsy.

Botox for Synkinesis

Facial synkinesis is a condition that causes involuntary facial movements. It sometimes occurs following Bell’s palsy. Or, synkinesis may affect individuals after the facial nerve has been cut or sewn back together.

Common signs of synkinesis include

• Facial twitching
• Tight facial muscles
• Deep cheek creases
• Facial muscle spasms

Botox for synkinesis may be used to treat eye muscles, neck bands and chin dimpling. It improves facial symmetry, as well as reduces the activity of facial muscles in the forehead and other areas of the unaffected side of the face.

In certain instances, Botox for synkinesis is used in combination with selective neurolysis and/or facial neuromuscular therapy. Together, these treatments enable patients to limit the impact of overactive and uncoordinated facial muscles that otherwise lead to synkinesis symptoms.

Botox for Partial Facial Paralysis

Individuals dealing with partial facial paralysis may benefit from Botox treatments. Botox injections into both the paralyzed and normal functioning sides of a patient’s face can create more symmetry and coordinated movements.

Botox Facial Paralysis Before and After Photos

Check out the before and after photos below to see how Botox treatments have helped many Bell’s palsy patients rejuvenate their facial appearance.

Are You a Good Candidate for a Botox Treatment?

Dr. Azizzadeh requests a patient’s medical history before he provides Botox treatments. If a patient is allergic to botulinum toxin or other ingredients in Botox, he or she may be ineligible for Botox injections. A facial paralysis patient dealing with a pre-existing medical condition may be ineligible for Botox injections, too.

Dr. Azizzadeh’s goal is to provide a patient with a safe, effective treatment to address his or her facial paralysis symptoms. If Dr. Azizzadeh evaluates a patient and believes Botox injections can treat his or her facial paralysis symptoms, he develops a Botox treatment plan. On the other hand, if Dr. Azizzadeh believes the potential risks of Botox outweigh the treatment’s potential benefits, he offers alternative treatment options.

What to Expect Before a Botox Treatment

It is essential to meet with a Dr. Azizzadeh before undergoing Botox treatment for Bell’s palsy. During a Botox consultation with Dr. Azizzadeh, he will evaluate your facial movement and ask the patient about their goals and expectations for the treatment. Once he has all of this information, Dr. Azizzadeh will perform the Botox treatment.

• Ear, Nose and Throat Evaluation: Enables a patient to find out if there is an inner ear infection or a head or neck tumor or malignancy, as well as identify and resolve any dizziness associated with Bell’s palsy.
• Neurologic Assessment: Examines a patient’s movement, reflexes, cranial nerves and level of consciousness.
• Hearing Test: Ensures a patient can find out if he or she has suffered hearing damage or inner ear problems.
• Vestibular Test: Allows a patient to see if his or her nerve balance is intact.
• Tearing Test: Assesses a patient’s tearing function.
• CT Scan: Analyzes a patient’s neck and temporal bone to identify any tumors or trauma.
• MRI: Evaluates a patient’s internal auditory canal and brain to identify acoustic neuroma and other types of tumors.
• Electrophysiologic Test: Enables a patient to review the electrical flow to the heart; common electrophysiologic tests include an electroneuronography (ENoG) or electromyography (EMG).

The aforementioned tests determine a Bell’s palsy diagnosis. Dr. Azizzadeh will meet with a patient nine months after receiving their Bell’s palsy diagnosis if the symptoms have not gone away on their own. After this nine month period of long-standing Bell’s Palsy, patients can schedule a consultation with Dr. Azizzadeh and begin his evaluation process. He will examine facial movements and determine where to place the Botox. He will also respond to a patient’s treatment concerns and questions and ensure a patient can make an informed treatment decision.

What to Expect During a Botox Treatment

Botox treatments are generally painless, but Dr. Azizzadeh can apply a numbing cream to make the treatment as comfortable as possible. The injections themselves usually take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to administer. Patients can return to their normal daily activities immediately after the treatment. The only restrictions are that you should not lie down for a couple of hours or work out for the rest of the day.

Dr. Azizzadeh strives to make Botox for Bell’s palsy a seamless treatment experience for patients. To accomplish this goal, Dr. Azizzadeh meets with patients and establishes clear treatment expectations.

Botox Treatment Side Effects

Potential side effects associated with Botox injections include:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Nausea
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Dry mouth
• Itching
• Skin rash

The risks associated with Botox injections are typically minimal. Dr. Azizzadeh also explains the risks of Botox for facial paralysis prior to treatment.

What to Expect After a Botox Treatment

It takes one to two weeks to see the full results of the Botox treatment, and the results last approximately four months. Once the Botox treatment wears off, a patient needs to return to the Facial Paralysis Institute for another treatment with Dr. Azizzadeh.

Botox for Bell’s palsy requires a long-term commitment from both Dr. Azizzadeh and a patient. Dr. Azizzadeh and a patient together will monitor Botox treatment results over time. By doing so, Dr. Azizzadeh can help a patient get the most out of a Botox treatment and alleviate a patient’s Bell’s palsy symptoms for years to come.

Botox for Bell’s Palsy Cost

The cost of Botox for Bell’s palsy may vary based on the number of Botox units that a patient requires. Therefore, a Bell’s palsy patient should meet with Dr. Azizzadeh, who is an expert facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, to discuss the cost of Botox before he or she receives treatment.

Why Do Facial Paralysis Patients Choose Dr. Azizzadeh for Botox Treatments?

Dr. Azizzadeh is globally recognized for his facial plastic and reconstructive surgery expertise. To date, Dr. Azizzadeh has treated many patients dealing with Bell’s palsy, synkinesis and other forms of facial paralysis. Regardless of facial paralysis symptoms, Dr. Azizzadeh’s approach to treatment remains the same. Dr. Azizzadeh strives to provide each patient with personalized support, thus ensuring that he or she can alleviate his or her facial paralysis symptoms.

For patients who receive Botox injections, Dr. Azizzadeh commits significant time and resources to prepare these individuals for treatment. Dr. Azizzadeh offers insights into a Botox procedure to help a patient understand how the treatment helps address facial paralysis symptoms. He also provides details about the cost of Botox injections and recovery time associated with a Botox procedure. In doing so, Dr. Azizzadeh ensures that a patient knows exactly what to expect throughout all stages of a Botox treatment.

Dr. Azizzadeh tracks his patient’s progress after a Botox treatment as well. He wants his patients to achieve long-term results and works diligently to provide support in any way possible. As such, Dr. Azizzadeh enables his patients to use Botox to address their facial paralysis symptoms.

Set Up a Consultation at the Facial Paralysis Institute Today

Dr. Azizzadeh is available to teach individuals about Botox and other facial paralysis treatments. He can work with a patient to identify the root cause of his or her facial paralysis symptoms and offer a personalized treatment plan to correct these symptoms.

Want to learn about all of the benefits of Botox for Bell’s palsy, synkinesis and other forms of facial paralysis? Please contact The Facial Paralysis Institute today at (310) 657-2203 to schedule a consultation.