Botox® is a wonderful injectable product that is designed to relax targeted muscles in the face that cause expression.  As we get older, our ability to bounce back is slowed and that is evident in every part of our body and the skin is no exception.  Years of making the same expressions begin to take shape as deep lines on the forehead and a furrow between the eyebrows.  Botox®  relaxes expression lines and smoothes out targeted areas in a brief office procedure with results lasting for several months.

Glabella Treatment, Actual Before and After Results

Patients begin to notice the effects of aging as early as their twenties.  They begin to notice small fine lines around the eyes in the form of crow’s-feet and a brow furrow.  In some cases great skin care and some advanced non-surgical treatments at Oculus Skin Care Centre is all a patient needs to get their skin back up to par.  When a patient has tried these techniques with no avail or prefers a more direct approach I may suggest Botox® Cosmetic to address these expression related concerns.  Botox® is a safe option for patients as young as 18 years of age or older.  There are two basic types of wrinkles: dynamic (muscle) and static (skin at rest).  Botox® is a prefered choice  for treatment when a patient’s primary concern is expression lines; not to be confused with lines that remain on the face when the muscle is at rest.  Although Botox® can help relax these standing lines on the face, a more effective choice to treat deeper lines and wrinkles at rest is an injectable filler product that increases volume in that targeted area, smoothing out the wrinkle more fully.  Areas that are frequently treated are the forehead, the glabella ( the area between the eyebrows just above the nose,  known as ‘the 11s”), and crow’s-feet.  There is also a technique I call “The Botox® Browlift” where a small amout of Botox® is injected into the muscles, just under the brow, that pull the brow down while keeping the muscles that pull the brow up completely mobile providing the patient with a beautifully arched brow and a subtle lift to the eyelid.

Treatment with Botox® is very quick and virtually painless.  During your consultation we will discuss your concerns and I will examine the muscles in the targeted areas that you wish to have treated.  I may ask you to make an expression such as narrowing your eyes, frowning or rasing your eye brows to get an idea of muscular strength in those areas and the severity of the expression lines being treated.   Taking all of this into consideration, together we will decide an appropriate treatment plan.  The product is prepared and I will have you relax as I inject the targeted areas with a very small needle.  Patients describe the procedure as a few small pinches.  After a few minutes your treatment will be complete.  You may have some immediate swelling which typically subsides in about 20-30 minutes.

It may take a few days for the effects of the treatment to take effect and this varies by patient.    For the first 24 hours you should avoid vigorous physical activity and take care not to press on or massage the treated areas.  As with any injection there are risks to consider such as tenderness, swelling and bruising at or around the injection site. If any bruising does occur it typically resolves itself within a few days. Some patients put ice on the area immediately after the procedure to calm any post-procedure swelling or discomfort.  With that said there are some things that you can do to help you achieve optimal results even before you have your procedure.  I caution my patients that using products that thin the blood which includes but is not limited to aspirin, products that contain aspirin and some dietary supplements can increase the likelihood of bruising and suggest discontinuing use* of these products for two weeks prior to your procedure. Taking a combination of supplements called Arnica Montana and Bromelain for a few days before and after your procedure can help speed healing and help the body to resolve any bruising faster while providing an anti-inflammatory effect.  These products are offered in a kit and can be purchased at Oculus Skin Care Centre to be used in conjunction with any surgical procedures to help in this way.

Selecting the right doctor is the most important decision that you make after deciding to have a treatment with Botox®.  As with all things, you get what you pay for.  Keep in mind, you are not only paying for the actual product but for the expertise of the person that is administering the injections.  Choose a doctor, such as myself, that is well-educated about the musculature of the face.  I am honored to be a doctor that has been chosen to educate other doctors on the proper administration techniques using  Botox® and I would be delighted to share my expertise with you.  Please call Oculus Plastic Surgery to reserve an appointment today!  I look forward to meeting you soon.

From the BOTOX® Cosmetic website:

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of moderate-to-severe frown lines between the brows in people 18 to 65 years of age for a short period of time (temporary).  BOTOX® Cosmetic is administered by a healthcare professional as a simple, nonsurgical treatment that is injected directly into the muscles between the brows. It works by blocking nerve impulses to the injected muscles. This reduces muscle activity that causes moderate to severe lines to form between the brows.  BOTOX® Cosmetic, introduced in 2002, is the first botulinum toxin to be approved by the FDA to temporarily treat moderate to severe glabellar lines between the brows.

CHIPS TIPS:  Remember not everyone looks cute with wrinkles