Eyelid problems after Botox: what can happen and what to do

The eyelids are a delicate area: they are not injected to treat a line, but botulinum toxin injected nearby, between the eyebrows or at the corner of the eye, can reach them. This page is part of our guide to problems after a botulinum toxin injection, organised area by area.

What problems can affect the eyelids?

Two effects are described for this region: drooping of the upper eyelid, or eyelid ptosis, and eyelid swelling^1,2.

The drooping eyelid appears mainly after an injection between the eyebrows or in the forehead, when the toxin reaches the muscle that lifts the eyelid^1,4. With a type A toxin, it is classed as common after treatment of frown lines; in trials that treated both frown lines and the forehead, it appeared a median of 9 days after treatment¹. A review places its onset between about day 3 and day 14 and notes that it resolves on its own as the effect of the toxin wears off⁴. In rare cases, it lasts longer: a series of seven patients describes durations from 6 weeks to 13 months⁵. For the short-acting botulinum toxin (serotype E), the label reports a drooping eyelid in 0.17% of patients³; as of 9 October 2026, this toxin is approved in the European Union and Canada^6,7.

Eyelid swelling is common after treatment of crow’s feet with one product², and uncommon with another after treatment of frown lines¹.

Each page details the cause, when it appears, how long it lasts and what can help. If you cannot find your situation, the full atlas also presents the problems of the other areas of the face.

Which signs mean you should see a doctor quickly?

Most effects on the eyelids are bothersome but not dangerous. Some signs, however, call for prompt medical advice: a painful eye, marked dryness of the eye, blurred or double vision^1,2,3. The short-acting toxin label points out that reduced blinking, reported with other toxins, can lead to dry eye and damage to the cornea³; a drooping eyelid can also affect driving³. Any difficulty swallowing or breathing, even if it seems unrelated to the eyelids, means calling emergency services (15 or 112 in France, or your local emergency number).

Before seeing a doctor, write down the date of the injection, the areas treated and the day the problem appeared. Where possible, contact first the doctor who performed the injection, who knows the injection points and the product used.

Why are injections given near the eyelids?

The eyelids themselves are not injected for aesthetic purposes. It is the neighbouring areas, frown lines and crow’s feet, that are treated, and the eyelid can be affected through spread. The labels advise avoiding injections close to the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid^1,3. To understand why injections into the eyelids are avoided, see the page for this area in our atlas of treatment areas.

If your problem followed an injection between the eyebrows, the page on what can follow a frown line injection may also concern you; if it followed an injection at the corner of the eye, see the page on problems around the eyes.