Botox gave me gumballs on my forehead that won’t go away…
A Florida woman has shocked TikTok users with an ugly side effect she suffered after undergoing popular anti-wrinkle injections.
Holly Brooke, a medical technician, developed large bulges the size of a gumball in the days after receiving injections of Dysport – an anti-aging drug with the same ingredients as Botox, which is said to have a longer lasting effect.
Strangely, the symptoms only appeared after eight years of her regular treatments, making them particularly troubling.
“I need to know why I’m suddenly having allergic reactions to my Dysport,” Ms. Brooke said in a TikTok last month.
She said all of her injection sites “swelled up in little circles,” which became red and itchy. It would take several days for the bumps to finally disappear, but later they would swell.
After about eight years of treatments with Botox alternative Dysport, Holly Brooke shared on TikTok that she started developing lumps on her forehead. “Nobody knows what it did, and because I was so inflamed, none of the Dysport even worked,” she said. ‘I still had all my wrinkles’
Experts estimate that approximately 3.6 million Americans receive Botox each year
“Nobody knows what it did, and because I was so inflamed, none of the Dysport even worked.” Mrs. Brooke said. “I still had all my wrinkles.”
Brooke’s story comes as the CDC investigates botched Botox injections that have left women hospitalized in several states.
These patients suffered the wrath of counterfeit Botox – which involves extremely high doses or the addition of other harmful substances – which caused toxic infections such as botulism.
Botulism is a rare infection that causes a toxin to attack the body’s nervous system, leading to breathing difficulties, muscle paralysis and death. It affects only one in 100 Americans
However, experts say that the unsightly bumps are normally nothing to worry about.
In fact, they are a simple and common complication that usually resolves within a few days.
Dysport and Botox both use the active ingredient botulinum toxin, which blocks chemical signals from nerves that cause muscles to contract. These muscles usually cause wrinkles, so relaxing them temporarily blocks that process.
Botox and Dysport have also been used to relieve the symptoms of conditions such as chronic migraines, incontinence and excessive sweating.
Experts estimate that approximately 3.6 million Americans receive Botox each year.
Minor post-surgery blemishes are common because the body is reacting to the needles penetrating the skin – rather than the effect of the chemicals themselves.
The bumps may look red and bleed slightly, but usually disappear within 15 to 30 minutes.
Jill Campbell, a nurse and Botox provider, said in a TikTok video that these bumps are “completely normal” and are caused by the chemicals being mixed with saline. ‘Once injected into the skin, it takes about twenty minutes for the fluid to be absorbed into the muscle.’
Even if these bumps don’t go away immediately, there’s probably no cause for concern.
Dr. Mehdi Sina, a facial plastic surgeon in Las Vegas, told a patient with persistent lumps RealSelf that ‘the most likely answer is a small blood collection under the skin (hematoma), which should disappear within a few days.’
A hematoma occurs when blood leaks from a blood vessel and flows into surrounding tissue, causing a discoloration that resembles a severe bruise.
In most cases, hematomas are harmless because the body will reabsorb the blood over time. In rare cases, surgery may be necessary if they put pressure on sensitive areas such as the brain, spinal cord, or other major organs.
These bumps are also not signs of an allergy, which usually causes itching, rash, hives, and flu-like symptoms.
Dr. Aldo Guerra, a plastic surgeon in Arizona, also said on RealSelf, “Make your injector aware of the situation. Next time they should be more careful or use a smaller needle.’