Is there a difference in Botox used for men vs. women? What does the term “Brotox” mean?
Posted May 17, 2016
Answer: The popularity of Botox for men has grown rapidly over the past several years. Men are staying in the workforce longer with a later retirement age. To remain competitive, some men are using Botox to maintain a more youthful appearance. Eating right and exercising also shifts the emphasis for this generation to look as good as they feel. ‘Brotox’ is a term that was introduced to describe Botox used by men. It is the same product used by women but since Botox’s usage has gained so much acceptance with men there is now a separate word ‘Brotox’ being used to define the male treatment.
There really is no significant difference in treating men and women with Botox. Each patient is evaluated individually for the areas of animation and strength of the muscle pull. The stronger the muscle action the more Botox is needed to weaken the muscle. Men generally want a masculine appearing forehead with a gentler elevation of the brows while women want a strong elevation to create a high arch to their eyebrows. Men also typically tend to bruise less than women.
Botox is FDA approved for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe lines in the forehead and around the eyes. It is a simple office procedure that takes minutes to perform, with no downtime and visibly improved results. No anesthetic or numbing medicine is required and the needle is very small. Some patients say they hear a crackling sound during the injection but that is normal and the treatment is relatively pain free. Red spots or mild swelling at the injection sites are not uncommon but should disappear prior to leaving the appointment. Some patients may experience mild bruising but this is usually gone within a few days. Results can take up to a few days to become visible and a two week follow up appointment is scheduled for new patients.
The effect of Botox will last usually 3-4 months for both men and women and there is no difference in downtime.
