BOTOX ® Cosmetic Facts

 

What causes wrinkles and frown lines?
Frown lines (vertical lines between the eyebrows), forehead lines and crows feet are caused by the constant movement of muscles beneath the skin. For example, a wrinkle in the area between the eyebrows may appear and persist because of the repeated frowning. These lines can produce an angry or frustrated look on the face. This is the same for lines by the eyes called crow’s feet, which are caused by smiling or squinting. Raising our eyebrows often will result in horizontal forehead lines.

What is BOTOX ® Cosmetic ?
BOTOX ® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and has been used safely by doctors for many years. The drug works by relaxing the overactive muscles that cause wrinkles lessening the appearance of frown lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet. This reduces or eliminates wrinkles without surgery. BOTOX ® Cosmetic is FDA approved for treating wrinkles and has grown to become one of the most popular cosmetic procedures.

Where can BOTOX ® Cosmetic be used?
The most common areas that are treated are frown lines, horizontal forehead lines, laugh lines on the nose, crow’s feet around the eyes and smoker’s line around the lips.

How does it work?
BOTOX ® Cosmetic is injected into the muscle that creates a wrinkle. This blocks the nerve impulse from reaching that area and as a result the muscle relaxes. As the muscle relaxes, the skin overlying the muscle relaxes and the wrinkles in the skin gradually soften, become less visible and often disappear.
When does it start to work?
You will notice BOTOX ® Cosmetic beginning to work in 2 - 4 days. It will improve over the following 7 - 10 days.

How long will it last?
The improvement you will achieve from BOTOX ® Cosmetic will last anywhere from 3 – 6 months. You will notice a gradual fading of its effect, at which point, you may return for re-injection. Some patient’s find that the treatments last longer after having multiple treatments and will last months more than it had in the past.

How is BOTOX ® Cosmetic injected?
BOTOX ® Cosmetic is injected into the muscle via localized pinpoint injections. The procedure takes about 10 minutes. There is no sedation or anesthetic needed and the effects are reversible. Your doctor will determine what muscle to treat to give you the best result.

Who can administer BOTOX ® Cosmetic?
Optimal results are best obtained when BOTOX ® Cosmetic is administered by a well trained physician such as a Facial Plastic Surgeon with an in depth knowledge of the muscles that control facial expression and an understanding of the dynamics of aging.