The Expert-Approved Areas to Get Baby Botox

Aesthetic trends may come and go, but “baby Botox” is here to stay. Often used as a way to prejuvenate and prevent wrinkles before they form, “baby Botox” has become a popular option for younger patients looking to stop aging before it starts. Despite the smaller doses, experts say certain facial areas can deliver maximum impact.

What is Baby Botox?

“‘Baby Botox’ is really not a new idea,” says Miami plastic surgeon Sean Simon, MD. “Using smaller doses, you’re creating a lesser, more ‘natural’ looking effect. But this is nothing new to any experienced injector, it’s called tailoring your techniques to achieve the specific results to meet a patient’s specific goals and needs.”

The main difference between this approach and traditional neurotoxin injections comes with the amount of product used and how deeply it’s injected.

“‘Baby Botox’ or intradermal Botox, is a technique where Botox is injected in very small, diluted amounts into the superficial layers of the skin rather than deep into the muscle,” explains New York plastic surgeon B. Aviva Preminger, MD. “On the other hand, traditional Botox targets muscle movements deeper in the face to reduce wrinkles.”

Rather than directly reducing wrinkles, this approach “uses lesser units of botulinum toxin for the prevention of dynamic wrinkles,” explains New York dermatologist Elaine Kung, MD

The Best Areas to Treat with Baby Botox

Woodbury, NY oculoplastic surgeon David Schlessinger, MD said ‘baby Botox’ is great for preventing crow’s feet, frown lines and brow drooping. This helps stop lines before they appear so patients “can enjoy decades of a more youthful appearance.”

According to Dr. Preminger, many applications for “baby Botox” have to do with the appearance of skin. “It can give the skin an airbrushed appearance that reduces fine lines, minimizes pores and controls oil production,” she says. “It also improves mild skin laxity especially in areas like the jawline and neck.”

For West Palm Beach, FL dermatologist Kenneth Beer, MD “baby Botox” is a useful tool for many areas of the face, including the forehead, lips, crow’s feet and the glabella. As for how long the effects will last, this is “very variable, but usually 12 weeks [about three months],” says Dr. Beer.

No matter what area of the face you choose, though, “baby Botox” injections will be superficial. “When micro-dosing botulinum toxin, the injection only targets the skin where the build-up of oil is produced, breakouts occur and facial flushing happens,” says Miami dermatologist Dr. Deborah Longwill.