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Treatments > Botox®
BOTOX®
Worry lines, frown lines, laugh lines, crow's feet. These are called dynamic wrinkles and while we would all like to be thought of as dynamic, most of us would rather have our personalities as testament instead of the lines on our faces.
Welcome Botox®, the treatment you've been hearing so much about. In fact, Botox® injections were the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure by plastic surgeons in 2003. Millions of people have achieved astonishing results with Botox® without any adverse side effects, saying bye-bye to dynamic wrinkles and hello to smooth and youthful appearances. Botox® treatments are effective, affordable, convenient and long lasting with no down time. Botox® can be used in conjunction with a brow lift, face lift, eyelid surgery, laser skin resurfacing, and microdermabrasion to enhance and maintain results for longer periods of time.
| Treatment For |
Frown lines, furrows, crow's feet |
| Expected Result |
Treated areas relaxed, wrinkles smoothed |
| Treatment Time |
15 to 20 minutes |
| Recovery |
Return to life immediately |
| For Best Result |
Repeat every 4 to 6 months |
How Does Botox® Work?
Botox® is a non-surgical treatment that smoothes wrinkles on the face, especially around the eye area and the forehead. A series of minute, gentle injections into isolated, specific muscles, Botox® blocks impulses from the nerve to the tiny facial muscles that are related to expression lines. Botox®, a substance made of botulinum toxin Type A, is a purified protein derived from the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. Botox® relaxes the muscles so they do not contract. After treatment, the overlying skin remains smooth and unwrinkled while the untreated facial muscles contract in a normal fashion, allowing normal facial expression to be unaffected. A Botox® treatment lasts about 15 to 30 minutes and has virtually no down time - you can even drive yourself home after the appointment.
What Does Botox® Treat?
Botox® treats dynamic wrinkles, those little annoyances known as frown lines, worry lines, laugh lines and crow's feet. Botox® blocks the chemicals that normally signal these muscle groups to contract. By not contracting the muscles are allowed to relax and your dynamic wrinkles begin to smooth away.
Botox® smoothes, flattens and relaxes:
- Horizontal creases on the forehead
- Vertical creases between the eyes (the glabella area)
- Wrinkles on the temple side of the eyes, the "crow's feet"
- Wrinkles on the sides of the nose, "bunny lines"
- Wrinkles on the upper lip, pursed lips
- Vertical cords on the neck
Botox® is also used in a variety of medical conditions, including treatment of migraine and tension headache, chronic muscular pain, abnormal facial movements, tremors, and excessive sweating of the palms, soles of the feet and underarms.
What Are Botox® Treatments Like?
Botox® treatments are simple, safe and with minimal pain - most patients compare them with a bug bite. Botox® treatments generally take about 15 to 30 minutes and can be performed in your physician´s office. Using a tiny micro-needle, a doctor will inject a minute amount of Botox® very precisely into several locations on the face. With a Botox® treatment, no sedation or local anesthetic is required, and you can resume most non-strenuous activities immediately. You can even drive yourself home or back to the office.
Results from Botox® normally appear in five to seven days after the procedure and generally last from three to six months.
Does It Hurt and What Can Go Wrong?
There can be some mild discomfort during a Botox® treatment that some describe as feeling like mild bug bites and generally the procedure is performed without any anesthesia. Some people may experience mild, short-term bruising at the injection site which covers easily with make-up. Some people may notice a mild headache, which can be simply treated with Tylenol. In rare cases, the Botox® injection can spread beyond the desired area. If the injection in the eyebrow area spreads to the eyelid, there can be a temporary drooping of the upper eyelid, which is treatable with eye drops until it resolves within a few weeks.
What should I expect from Botox® Treatment?
Botox® smoothes dynamic wrinkles and results are usually seen five to seven days after treatment and last three to six months.
First, your physician will take a complete medical history to establish that a patient is a good candidate for Botox® treatment. Then, he or she will determine which areas of your face may benefit from Botox®. Most procedures take place in a doctor's office and last 15 to 30 minutes. Immediately after the procedure you should stay upright for three to four hours and avoid rubbing the injection sites to prevent the Botox® from moving to other muscles in the face. Your physician may recommend that you perform facial exercises that he or she will demonstrate for you. You can continue with all of your activities the day following the injection.
The degree of improvement varies from person to person, but the results last for three to six months. With subsequent treatments, the results tend to last longer. The treatment will need to be repeated to maintain the result. Repeat treatment is recommended when movement in the area starts to return.
For more information about Botox® treatments, we encourage you to call to schedule an in-office consultation.
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Botox® at a Glance