Risks

Risks are very minor with this procedure. The main risks consist of headache, pain, and flu-like illness. In rare cases, there may be a drooping lid or eyebrow area. It is important for the cosmetic surgeon to assess the patient's lids before injecting because the patient may not be a good candidate if he or she has an extremely droopy lid to begin with or one that is held up by constantly arching the lids. Ptosis (a severe drooping of the eyelid) can happen in up to 5% of patients but is very rare if the cosmetic surgeon does this procedure often (In this author’s practice, it occurs in less than 0.01%). These complications are typically very minor occurrences and resolve with time. 

If the patient is allergic to eggs, it is very important not to use this material because it is prepared with an albumin (egg) base. Additionally, if the patient is pregnant, BOTOX® is not recommended (pregnancy category C).