Reversing Botox and Fillers

Trying to figure out if reversing your treatment is the right decision?

For many, getting an aesthetic procedure like botox or fillers is a nerve-wracking experience. Many wonder if they will like the way they look after or have doubts about making a change. Although getting an aesthetic procedure is a major decision, many products can be reversed.

Check out our guide below to find out which products can be undone, how much it costs, and other considerations when debating whether or not to go through the reversal process.

Counteracting bad Botox

Botox, and other anti-wrinkle injections work to stop wrinkles by limiting the movement of the muscles causing these wrinkles.

For instance, if you scowl/frown all day every day you will eventually get lines between your brows, often referred to as “11’s” lines.

To prevent those lines from forming, or to soften the existing lines, the injector injects anti-wrinkle medication into the muscle that’s pushing the skin together to form the 11’s. It works by stopping communication between the nerve and muscle, limiting or completely stopping the muscle movement that’s creating the problem.

Most people love this treatment and the fact that it lasts 3-4 months.

But what if you hate it or there’s a bad side effect, what can be done?

This section will go over frequently asked questions (FAQs) for Botox and how to “reverse” or counteract some common side effects.

Quick note, we are using the name Botox to describe Botulinum Toxin but there are many other brands of this medication as well, such as Xeomin, Dysport and Jeuveau. To not get too confusing we will continue to use Botox but know that it’s not the only one.

Botox Reversal FAQs

Can I reverse Botox?

Technically no, there is no reversal for Botox. Once it kicks in you have to wait for it to wear off or augment the results in some way (when possible).

The good news is that it’s not permanent and results gradually wear off over 3-months. Often an undesirable result will not even be noticeable after a few weeks as things balance out.

Depending on your reason for not liking your Botox there are ways to make it look better however. Sometimes the answer is actually that more Botox is necessary, like in the case of an overly arched “Spock Brow”.

Other times another muscle needs to be treated to counteract the poor result. Like in the case of heavy brows when the forehead is treated without the glabella (11’s) also being treated.

How long does botox take to naturally wear off?

Botox naturally wears off in 8-16 weeks depending on where it’s injected. In high movement areas or areas with lower doses is wears off faster. In areas of high, concentrated doses, or low movement, it wears off slower. In general, it wears off like this:

8-weeks for lips (lip flip) and around eyes
8-12 weeks for forehead
12-16 weeks for glabella (11’s)

It doesn’t go from no movement to suddenly being able to raise your brows after 12 weeks though. You will notice more and more movement each week after the first month (usually).

Can I make Botox wear off faster?

While there isn’t any actual scientific evidence that we can control how fast it wears off, we have anecdotally collected evidence within our office, and around the internet. This is what we have noticed makes Botox wear off faster:

Intense exercise or anything that speeds up metabolism (think HIIT training and hot yoga)
Acupuncture– a small group of clients getting acupuncture had results lasting 3-4 weeks less than regular clients. There are no actual studies on this yet though (hint hint for anyone in the field).
Intense stress– though we don’t encourage intentionally replicating this one. It may wear off quicker when there is an increase in stress hormones and possibly metabolism. Please opt for exercise instead though 🙂
A lack of Zinc in the diet– limited studies show that if you don’t have enough Zinc in your system the medication doesn’t bind to the receptors properly. Typically our clients want their results to last so we recommend everyone be on Zinc. If you’re concerned as a first-time client you could consider skipping the Zinc until you see your final results.

How is botox undone?

As above, it can’t technically be undone but an injector can alter it. If you’re unhappy with your results go see your injecting provider and see what your options are.

How long does it take to reverse botox?

As above the effects last around 3 months on average but it is constantly changing after the first month or so.

How do you fix heavy brows after botox?

There are two primary reasons for heavy brows with Botox. One is that the forehead was over-treated or incorrectly treated. The second is that the glabella (11’s) was not treated enough or at all.

In some cases, the forehead can be over-treated or treated too low (too close to the brows) and the brows feel heavy. The first step to treat this is to make sure the glabellar area is “frozen” (more on this below). If the glabella is “frozen” and the brows are still heavy then unfortunately you will just have to wait this one out. The good news is that this area usually loosens up after a few weeks.
If the glabella is still active, or wasn’t treated at all (big mistake) then this might be an easy fix.

For #2, the reason it’s an easy fix is all about opposing muscle forces. The glabellar muscles pull the brows down and the forehead lifts them up. By leaving muscles that pull down active (glabellar complex) the brows are pulled down when they are not resisted by the treated muscles.

Adding units to the glabella, to “freeze” this area can really help lift the brows. Now I know that “frozen” is intimidating and we all want a natural look, but this is the one area that no one really needs to be using since it primarily controls the glare/scowl. You can also add units to specific areas under the brows to deactivate the orbicularis oculi (muscle that squeezes the eyes closed) to try to lift the brows a bit.

One note on heavy brows. If you have heavier eyelids/brows at rest, you need to be careful with these anti-wrinkle injections as you’ll be at high risk of having heavy brows. Make sure to go to someone that is comfortable treating someone with heavy brows or has the integrity to say no if it’s not a good idea for you.

How do you fix a droopy eyelid from Botox?

Most people that think they have a droopy lid actually have heavy brows, or one heavy brow, and would follow the treatment as above.

For the very very rare instance that an eyelid droops (lid ptosis) from Botox you should see your injector right away. While this is not permanent they will want to assess you in person and prescribe special eye drops to help prop your eyelid up throughout the day.

These are drops, called Iopidine (apraclonidine 0.5 %), cause certain muscles to contract thereby lifting the eyelid 1-3mm. The effect does not last though so the drops need to be used every few hours as needed.

Sometimes small doses of Botox can also be added to the eyelid to try to counteract.

Patients that are more prone to droopy eyelids are usually those that have had eyelid surgery. Make sure your injector knows your surgical history.

Can you stop Botox after starting?

Absolutely! There is no rule that once you start you can’t stop or that it will mess up your face to stop using it. It’s whatever works for you and your life-style. Chat with a medical aesthetics professional to decide what the best frequency is for you. Or if you try it and don’t like it you don’t have to do it again.

What happens when you stop using botox?

If you haven’t been doing Botox long then everything will go back to normal after it wears off. If you have been doing consistent treatments, the muscles have likely atrophied (shrunk) and will take time to become stronger. In general, everything will go back to normal though.

Can you massage botox away?

Technically no. As above, there is no actual evidence that there is a way to make Botox go away faster. There could be an argument that the massage might stimulate blood flow and increased metabolism to the area speeding up it’s regeneration.

So long as you are gentle overall it shouldn’t hurt. Just don’t have high expectations that it will make a noticeable difference right away.

Reversing Filler

Can lip filler be reversed?

The most common type of filler used in the lips is a substance called Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and it can absolutely be reversed.

Always always ask before having any filler if can be reversed or not. If it can’t, ask what happens if there is an emergency or a poor result. Also ask about risks and benefits of dissolving. All medical procedures come with risks.

How do you reverse filler quickly?

Hyaluronic acid fillers can be reversed using an enzyme called hyaluronidase. A common brand name for the product is Hylenex.

This is a prescription medication and must be prescribed and administered by a medical professional.

How long does it take to reverse filler?

The procedure itself may only take a few minutes and initially will cause more swelling and then decrease quickly. Often it appears to be completely dissolved within the next 24 hours. Other times it takes longer, especially in cases for thicker fillers, and may need several sessions.

How much does it cost to reverse filler?

It depends on the reason for reversal and if the provider that injected you does it. All injectors (should) have reversal agents on hand at all times for an emergency such as vascular occlusion. If this happens the injector will treat the emergency right away at no charge to you.

If you have a poor result, or an adverse side effect, they may also dissolve or “fix” the filler for you at no charge.

If the results look good but you either just don’t like them or decide you don’t want it anymore, it is up to the injectors discretion to charge you or not.

If you go to a different injector to have your filler dissolved, they may charge you anywhere from $300-600 (or more). This can vary depending on how much medication it takes. The reversal medication is not cheap so even if you plan to become a client they will likely charge you at least the cost of the medication. This is typically $200-300 plus the cost of their time and expertise.

How much hyaluronidase does it take to dissolve filler?

It depends on the type of filler, amount of filler, area placed etc. It may take 1ml (150units) of Hylenex or it could take 10.

Is it painful to reverse filler?

It is injected using a needle so there is that initial puncture and then depending on how it is reconstituted it may or may not sting. The injector can include Lidocaine (a numbing agent) into the solution if there is time (i.e. not an emergency). However lidocaine will sting as well before it takes effect.

Will dissolving filler make my lips naturally smaller?

Initially, your lips may appear dramatically smaller. This is not because the dissolving agent changed your lips but rather because it dissolved the filler that you had gotten used to.

The lips may also look and feel a little dehydrated. The medication will dissolve your innate (natural) hyaluronic acid but only temporarily. It will come back within a day or two and your lips will be just like before if you’ve only had one treatment.

If you’ve had multiple treatments it is possible that your lips will be slightly more plump or full than they were. This is because the procedure itself can sometimes increase the amount of collagen produced by the lips. This happens because of the needle pokes through the lips which stimulates a healing response including collagen production.

Looking at photos of Kylie Jenner before ever having lip filler and then after she “removed” her lip filler, her lips still appear more full than before. This could be because she has more collagen now. It could also be that she had a form of permanent filler that didn’t dissolve. Or that not all of the filler dissolved. When there are multiple syringes, like in Kylie’s case, it would take multiple treatments to dissolve everything.

Can Juvederm be dissolved?

Yes! All the Juvederm products are made from hyaluronic acid and can therefore be dissolved with hyaluronidase. However, some of the super cross-linked products like Voluma, will be harder to dissolve and may take more medication.

Cross-linked means more substances are linked to the filler molecules so that it doesn’t break down as quickly in the body.

Can Restylane be dissolved?

Yes! Just like the Juvederm family, the Restylane family is also made from hyaluronic acid and can be dissolved with hyaluronidase. Also, the thicker or more cross-linked versions of Restylane (like Lyft) will take more to dissolve.

Can Versa be dissolved?

Absolutely! Versa is a 3rd generation hyaluronic acid filler and can be dissolved like Juvederm and Restylane.

Can Radiesse be dissolved?

Most people say no to this one but many practitioners swear they are able to dissolve Radiesse. It’s not an FDA approved treatment but some studies have suggested that Sodium Thiosulfate can at least break up this mineral-based filler. By breaking up the minerals the body can re-absorb it faster.

I have a colleague in Northern Colorado that has done this many times for patients that have had misplaced or poorly placed Radiesse elsewhere. Reportedly they say it works just like hyaluronidase for the HA fillers. We have never had to dissolve it but we do keep some on hand in case of an emergency.

Additionally even just injecting normal saline through lumps or poorly placed Radiesse can help break it up as well.

Check out our Radiesse FAQs page for more info.

What fillers can’t be dissolved?

PMMA fillers such as Bellafill (formally Artefill, silicone and sculptra cannot be dissolved.

Sculptra creates an inflammatory response that stimulates collagen so theoretically the collagen will break down over time.

Bellafill also creates a collagen matrix over tiny PMMA (plastic like molecules) and if there is a lump steroids can be used to decrease the collagen build up.

Silicone is no longer used routinely as an injectable due to poor results and reactions but when it was there was no known way to dissolve it or remove it non-surgically. More on silicone below.

Silicone Filler Removal

To start with, we don’t offer any silicone fillers at Elite Medical & Aesthetics. There are much safer, more natural-looking products on the market. Silicone is a thing of the past for most practices that offer better-researched products.

Unfortunately, there are still some providers offering silicone injections and some patients still living with poor results from past injections. So we will still answer some of these questions to the best of our ability.

Are silicone fillers permanent?

Without any intervention silicone fillers are permanent. The only way to remove them is through surgery. Consult a reputable board-certified plastic surgeon in your area to see if this is an option for you.

What are silicone fillers?

Silicone fillers are made from a permanent synthetic (man-made) substance, originally used in the 1990’s for medical treatments like retinol detachment. It was never FDA approved for cosmetics but was frequently used “off-label” in the face.

Are silicone fillers dangerous?

Silicone fillers have a high rate of side effects and have even caused complete disfigurement for people that have received them. The body recognizes the substance as foreign and will attack it causing an allergic response or create nodules and scar tissue. Many people have also reported infections from these types of injections.

Are Juvederm, Radiesse, or Restylane silicone fillers?

No, Juvederm, Radiesse, and Restylane are not silicone fillers. See the section above to learn more about these safer brands.

Can silicone injections be removed from the face?

Silicone injections can only be removed from the face by surgery.

How much does it cost to remove silicone fillers?

According to Realself the average cost to have silicone injected material removed from the body is $9,075.

EMA is a Medical Spa located in Centennial, Colorado just outside of Denver. If you’re in the Denver area and are considering botox, fillers, or other aesthetic procedures consider booking a consultation with our incredible staff using the button below. Ali is a highly trained double board-certified Nurse Practitioner (NP) and an artist that has numerous years of experience working with clients. She has expertly administered Botox and Filler thousands of times to happy clients that have achieved natural-looking results. Check our services page to find out more.

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Reversing Botox and Fillers

Trying to figure out if reversing your treatment is the right decision?

Jump to:

Counteracting bad Botox

But what if you hate it or there’s a bad side effect, what can be done?