Microbotox of the Lower Face and Neck: Evolution of a Personal Technique and Its Clinical Effects

Abstract

Microbotox is the injection of multiple microdroplets of diluted onabotulinumtoxinA into the dermis or the interface between the dermis and the superficial layer of facial muscles. The intention is to decrease sweat and sebaceous gland activity to improve skin texture and sheen and to target the superficial layer of muscles that find attachment to the undersurface of the dermis causing visible rhytides. For treatment of the lower face and neck, hundreds of microdroplets of diluted Botox are injected into the dermis or immediate subdermal plane to improve skin texture, smoothen horizontal creases, and decrease vertical banding of the neck, as well as to achieve better apposition of the platysma to the jawline and neck, improving contouring of the cervicomental angle. The Microbotox solution is mixed in the syringe by adding a small volume of lidocaine to the calculated dose of onabotulinumtoxinA drawn from a standard bottle of Botox prepared with 2.5 mL saline. Each 1 mL syringe of Microbotox solution contains 20-28 units of onabotulinumtoxinA per mL of solution and is used to deliver 100-120 injections. The lower face and neck will usually require 1 mL per side. The injections are delivered intradermally using a 30- or 32-G needle raising a tiny blanched weal at each point. The author has over 1867 documented cases of Microbotox in various parts of the face (forehead, glabellar, crow's-feet, infraorbital, and cheeks) and neck, the majority of these patients being treated in forehead or the lower face and neck as described in this article.