In brief. Botox and filler in Lebanon: Botox is the brand name patients use for botulinum toxin, which relaxes the muscles that crease the skin: frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet. Dermal filler is hyaluronic acid that restores volume, in the lips and the lines around the mouth. Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a plastic surgeon, gives both treatments at his clinic in Mansourieh, Metn.
Botox or filler: what is the difference?
| Feature | Botulinum toxin (Botox) | Dermal filler |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Relaxes the muscle that creases the skin | Replaces lost volume |
| What it treats | Frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet | Hollows under the eye, cheek, jaw and lips |
| When it works | Begins at three to five days, fully settled at 10 days | Visible immediately |
| How long it lasts | Three to four months at first | Six to eighteen months, depending on the product and the area |
Key facts
- What they are. Botulinum toxin (Botox is the brand name) relaxes the muscles that crease the skin: frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet. Dermal filler is hyaluronic acid that restores volume, in the lips and the lines around the mouth.
- Which one. A line that disappears when the face is completely still is made by movement, and toxin is the treatment; a line that is still there at rest, or a hollow, is lost volume, and filler is the treatment.
- The visit. Fifteen to thirty minutes in the clinic, with topical cream for filler; you leave straight after.
- How long it lasts. Toxin begins at three to five days, is fully settled at 10 days and lasts three to four months at first; filler is visible immediately and lasts from six to eighteen months, depending on the product and the area.
- Who and where. Both treatments are given by Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a plastic surgeon, at his clinic in Mansourieh, Metn.
What does each one do?
Botulinum toxin softens the lines made by movement — the frown between the brows, the horizontal forehead lines, the crow’s feet at the outer eye. It works by relaxing the muscle that creases the skin, so the line stops deepening and the existing crease has a chance to settle.
Dermal filler replaces volume. Under the eye, in the cheek, along the jaw or in the lips, it restores what time has taken rather than relaxing what movement has made. Used on a line that is caused by muscle, it does not work; used on a hollow, it works immediately.
The aim in both is a face that still moves. A forehead that cannot move is a dosing error, not a style.
Toxin or filler — which one do I need?
A simple test: look at the line with your face completely still. If it disappears at rest and only shows when you frown, raise your brows or smile, it is made by movement, and toxin is the treatment. If it is still there at rest, or the problem is a hollow rather than a line, it is lost volume, and filler is the treatment.
Many faces have both. A deep frown line that has been folding for years can stay etched even after the muscle is relaxed, and a small amount of filler finishes what the toxin starts. Which one, how much and where is decided at the consultation, with the face moving in front of us, not from a photograph.
What should I expect?
Treatment takes fifteen to thirty minutes in the clinic, with topical cream for filler. You leave straight after.
Toxin begins to work at three to five days and is fully settled at 10 days, which is when a result is judged and, if needed, topped up. It lasts three to four months at first.
Filler is visible immediately, though swelling for the first few days exaggerates it. Depending on the product and the area it lasts from six to eighteen months.
Why does it matter who injects?
These are medical treatments with anatomy behind them. Filler placed in the wrong plane near the eye or the nose can occlude a vessel, and that is the complication that matters. A plastic surgeon injects with the same anatomy in mind that they operate with, and can manage the rare problem rather than refer it on.
Recovery
What actually happens, week by week
Recovery is part of the treatment rather than an afterthought, so it is described here in the same detail as the operation.
Same day
Back to workSmall pinpoint marks, occasionally a small bruise.
Day 3–5
Toxin beginsThe muscle starts to relax; the line softens.
Day 10
JudgedToxin fully settled. This is when the result is assessed and topped up if needed.
Month 3–4
Toxin fadesMovement returns gradually. Repeat treatment is planned before it is fully gone.
Month 6–18
FillerDepending on product and area, filler softens gradually rather than disappearing.
Honesty
Risks, and what can go wrong
Every operation has them. They are listed here because a patient who has read them and still wants to proceed is a patient who will be content afterwards.
- Bruising at the injection point — common, brief, and easily covered.
- A temporary heaviness or asymmetry of the brow after toxin, which settles as the dose wears off.
- Swelling and lumpiness after filler in the first week; nodules that persist can be dissolved.
- Rarely, vascular occlusion with filler — the reason injections should be done by someone who knows the anatomy and holds the reversal agent.
Results
His own patients
Every photograph here is of Dr. ElKhoury’s own patients, taken at the same distance under the same light, before and after, and published unretouched apart from the masking that protects identity.
Frown lines (glabella)
7.5 units. Photographed at full muscle contraction, where the change shows. Result at one week.
Crow’s feet
6 units to the lines at the outer corner of the eye, lateral view. Result at one week.
Crow’s feet
Softened in 9 days.
Forehead lines
18 units to the frontal area. Result at 12 days.
Smoker’s lines
Treated with 4 units.
Lip and perioral filler
Volume added to the lips and the lines around the mouth softened.
Each patient's result differs. Shared with consent. More cases →
Read: Eyelid surgery or Botox for tired eyes: which one? · Botox and filler in Lebanon: how long each lasts and what to expect · Botox or filler: which one does what · Questions to ask before Botox or filler in Lebanon
Questions
What patients ask
How long does botulinum toxin last?
Three to four months at first. The muscle gradually weakens with disuse after repeated treatment. It is planned before it wears off entirely rather than after.
Will my face look frozen?
Not if it is dosed properly. The aim is a face that still moves and still shows what you feel. A forehead that cannot move is a dosing error.
What is the difference between toxin and filler?
Toxin relaxes muscles that fold the skin. Filler replaces lost volume. They treat different problems, and using one where the other is needed does not work.
Is there any downtime?
No hospital stay and no dressings. Fifteen to thirty minutes in the clinic. A small bruise can appear and can be covered.
Can it replace eyelid surgery?
No. Toxin and filler treat lines and volume. Excess eyelid skin has to be removed surgically. They can be used together, but one does not substitute for the other.
Where can I have Botox or filler in Lebanon?
With Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, at his clinic on Mkalles Main Street, Mansourieh (Metn). Treatment is done in the clinic and takes fifteen to thirty minutes.
How do I book a consultation?
Call or WhatsApp the clinic on +961 1 697 739, or send the consultation form on this site. The clinic is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00. Consultations are in English, French or Arabic.
How long is recovery after toxin and filler treatment?
Treatment takes fifteen to thirty minutes and you leave straight after. Hard exercise, sauna and rubbing the area are avoided for the rest of the day. A small bruise can appear at an injection point; NHS lists bruising as a side effect. Toxin begins working after three to five days and is fully settled at 10 days, which is when the result is assessed and topped up if needed. Filler softens gradually over months rather than disappearing. Your surgeon will guide you on timing a repeat treatment.
What should I avoid after Botox?
For the rest of the day we ask patients to avoid rubbing the treated area and to skip hard exercise, sauna and alcohol. Staying upright for four hours is a common precaution, not a proven rule — a 2025 study of over 5,000 patients found no rise in complications when strict post-care limits were relaxed. We still ask for it, because it costs nothing to follow.
I have never had it before. How much will I need?
A first treatment is deliberately conservative. The dose is set by the strength of your own muscles rather than a fixed number of units, and the result is reviewed at 10 days, when a small amount can be added if needed. Taking dose away is not possible, which is why we start low.
Does it hurt?
Toxin is given through a fine needle in small amounts, and NHS describes the injections as a little uncomfortable. For filler, a topical anaesthetic cream is applied beforehand, and some filler products contain lidocaine in the syringe. Ask which product is used for you.
Who should not have Botox?
It is not given during pregnancy or breastfeeding, over an active infection at the injection site, or to anyone with a known hypersensitivity to the product. People with a neuromuscular junction disorder such as myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome are not treated with it, since the toxin can worsen muscle weakness in that setting. Tell us about any medication you take, particularly blood thinners, which increase the chance of bruising.
What if I do not like the result?
Toxin wears off gradually over three to four months, and a small asymmetry can be balanced at the 10-day review rather than waited out. Hyaluronic acid filler can be softened or reversed with an enzyme called hyaluronidase if needed, which is one reason it should be placed by someone who keeps that enzyme on hand and knows the anatomy of the face.
Does the brand, or the newest product, matter?
Every product used in the clinic is an approved product, from an official supplier, in its original packaging. Units of one botulinum toxin brand are not interchangeable with another — each is dosed and studied on its own, and switching between them at the same unit number does not give a predictable result. Beyond that, the outcome depends far less on the brand than on the dose, where it is placed, and who places it.
At what age can I start?
BOTOX Cosmetic is not used in patients under 18. Above that, there is no fixed age — what is treated is the line, not the birthday. Toxin is considered once a movement line stays visible when the face is at rest, and a first treatment, at any age, uses a lower, more conservative dose.
Can Botox help with jaw clenching or underarm sweating?
Yes. Injected under the arm, botulinum toxin is an FDA-approved treatment for severe primary sweating that has not settled with antiperspirants. Injected into the jaw muscle (the masseter), it is an established use for jaw clenching and the muscle enlargement it causes, though this is not a licensed indication in the way underarm sweating is. Whether either suits you is decided at the consultation.
Is Botox the same as botulinum toxin?
Yes. Botox is one brand of botulinum toxin, and patients use the name for all of them. The treatment is the same: small doses into the muscle that creases the skin, reviewed at 10 days.
Can I have Botox and filler together?
Yes. They treat different problems, toxin the lines made by movement and filler lost volume, and many faces have both. A deep frown line can stay etched after the muscle is relaxed, and a small amount of filler finishes what the toxin starts. Which one, how much and where is decided at the consultation.
How much does Botox or filler in Lebanon cost?
There is no single figure, because no two treatments are the same. The cost depends on what is treated and how much is needed. Fees are not advertised, in keeping with the professional rules for doctors in Lebanon; they are discussed in person at the consultation, once the right treatment for you is known. What shapes the cost is set out in the cost of plastic surgery in Lebanon.
Further reading
Sources
Published patient information on this procedure, from sources independent of the practice. The plan for your own operation is gone through at the consultation.
- StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf) — Botulinum Toxin Treatment of the Upper Face
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Botulinum Toxin
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Dermal Fillers
- StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf) — Hyaluronic Acid
- U.S. FDA prescribing information — BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA)
- Brin, James & Maltman, Biologics: Targets and Therapy (2014) — Botulinum toxin type A products are not interchangeable
- Santorelli et al., Toxins (2025) — post-care recommendations after upper-face botulinum toxin treatment
- Kroumpouzos & Treacy, JMIR Dermatology (2024) — Hyaluronidase for Dermal Filler Complications
- Michon, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2023) — Botulinum toxin for cosmetic treatments in young adults
- Fernández-Núñez, Amghar-Maach & Gay-Escoda, Medicina Oral, Patología Oral y Cirugía Bucal (2019) — Efficacy of botulinum toxin in the treatment of bruxism
- Güvercin, Bahadırlı & Tatar, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (2026) — patient comfort in aesthetic botulinum toxin injections
Press
In the press
Dr. ElKhoury’s letter in L’Orient-Le Jour, « Docteur, je continue les injections ou je me fais opérer ? » (7 October 2026, in French), sets out what injections can and cannot correct. More press.