- Botox®Cosmetic
- Introduction
- How It Is Done
- Patient Photographs
- What to Expect After Treatment
- Complications
- Care After Treatment
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Fat Injection
- Restylane® and JuvédermTM
- Laser Skin Resurfacing
- Laser Facial Hair Removal
- Laser Vein Treatment
- Eyelid Rejuvenation
- Ideal NoseTM
- Submental Liposuction
- Ear Cosmetic Surgery
- Removal of Facial Moles
- Chin and Jawline Enhancement
- Laser Treatment of Birthmark
- Microdermabrasion
Botox®Cosmetic - Introduction
One of the few treatments that is effective and has no downtime (JuvédermTM is another).
It paralyzes the facial muscles. By paralyzing these muscles, there is no longer a contracting force on the overlying skin, which creates the wrinkles in the first place.
Botox® works very well for:
- Forehead muscles
- "Corrugator" muscles that cause frown lines
- "Bunny lines" on the bridge of the nose
- Crow's feet
- Chin dimpling or "cobblestoning"
Botox® can also help:
- Upper lip vertical wrinkles "smoker's lines"
Operators have used Botox® to treat the lower face, but there is a risk of weakening the smile or the corner of the mouth, so it is less useful here. The lower face is better treated with fillers and laser resurfacing.
Frequently, patients confuse Botox® with fillers such as Restylane® and JuvédermTM. Advertising contributes to this confusion by inappropriately comparing fillers with Botox® but they are apples and oranges. Botox® is a toxin that relaxes muscles but has no substance; it is in liquid form and is absorbed. Fillers are simply materials used to fill-in creases that work by filling in volume.
The toxin is taken up "locally" by the nerve endings. The way it works is by blocking the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The nerve endings recover their function in about 3 months.
Botox® Cosmetic and Migraine Relief
Many operators, including myself, have had patients report that their migraine headaches are much improved after Botox® injection. They have fewer episodes and their symptoms are less severe. Some patients report that they no longer experience the nausea that used to accompany their migraine attacks. This is a particularly welcome side effect for these patients. We believe this relief is due to reduced compression of the sensory nerves that supply the forehead. In such patients (which include my receptionist) Botox® serves dual purpose, relieving wrinkles and frontal headaches.
Is Botox® Poisonous?
Patients generally know that this is an extremely powerful poison. They wonder how safe it is to be injected with such a substance. It is useful to know that the amount injected is so small there is no detectable level of the toxin in the bloodstream after injection. In fact, Botox® vials would not make a good bioterrorism agent because it would take about 300 bottles to achieve an estimated inhaled lethal dose for humans and much more for a lethal oral dose!
How Long Do The Nerve Effects Last?
The toxin is taken up by the nerve endings. It blocks the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The nerve endings recover their function in about three months.
