Neuromodulators in Montréal: Five Common Misconceptions

Botox is one brand name. The aesthetic neuromodulators discussed here are products based on botulinum toxin type A, and several brands exist. In this journal we usually refer to the treatment class rather than a single brand. The specific product, your anatomy, the dose, and the placement all matter, and doses are not interchangeable between products.

No. A neuromodulator temporarily reduces the activity of the treated muscle. When treatment is stopped, the muscle simply returns to moving the way it did before, and lines gradually return to their pre-treatment state. Nothing in the published evidence suggests that stopping makes wrinkles worse than they would have been without treatment. A Cochrane review confirms that the effect of botulinum toxin type A is temporary, with muscle activity returning over the following months (Camargo et al., 2021).

The reasoning runs in the opposite direction. Many etched-in lines form because the same muscle creases the same skin thousands of times. Softening that repetitive movement means less mechanical folding of the skin over time, which is why some people use neuromodulators partly as a way to slow the deepening of expression lines. This is a reasonable expectation, not a promise: long-term preventative benefit has not been definitively proven, and the Cochrane authors note that evidence on long-term and repeated use is still limited (Camargo et al., 2021).

For most people the visible effect lasts closer to three or four months, though the honest answer is that it varies. The area treated, the dose, your metabolism, and how expressive you are all play a role. Some people metabolize treatment faster; some areas, like the masseters, behave differently from the forehead (Ferrillo et al., 2025). We plan around your response, not around a fixed calendar.

An overly restricted expression can reflect the treatment plan, including product, dose, and placement, as well as individual anatomy and response. A conservative, personalized plan aims to soften lines while preserving natural expression, but no specific outcome can be guaranteed. Assessing movement before treatment is an important part of that plan.

Neuromodulators are among the most studied treatments in aesthetic medicine. The Cochrane review found them effective for facial wrinkles within four weeks, with eyelid drooping the main significant risk reported (Camargo et al., 2021). If questions or old myths have been holding you back, bring them to a consultation. We will answer all of them before anything is decided.