Botox or Botolinum toxin is a neuromodulator that blocks release of acethylcholine hence preventing muscle contraction. Whew! That’s a lot of technical terms! Simply put, it is a toxin that relaxes or weakens your muscles.
In Dermatology, it is mostly used to treat dynamic wrinkles on the face. Common areas are:
- Crow’s feet (lateral side of eyes)
- Forehead lines
- Frown lines (between eyebrows)
- Bunny lines (nose wrinkles)
- Cobblestone chin
There is also a procedure called “Botox lift” to produce that fresh, youthful look with a lifted appearance.
Botox can also treat TMJ disorders and bruxism (night teeth grinding).
It is also helps in producing a more V-shaped contour of the face.
Botox also helps with excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis. Patients with axillary or underarm hyperhidrosis greatly benefit from this treatment.
Fact Alert! Botox is actually a brand of the neurotoxin but is commonly used as a generic term for the procedure.
The procedure – Botox for wrinkles
Your dermatologist will plan the injection sites and number of units to be used on your face. She will ask you to make facial expressions to map out where the best injection spots are for you.
We use a very fine needle to minimize the pain with injection. Other modalities may be used such as applying ice, tapping, or if necessary, applying topical anesthesia. Most patients tolerate the procedure well and ice compress is more than enough.
When do I see the effect of my Botox treatment?
Most patients appreciate the effect after a few days of the treatment. If a touch up is necessary, this is scheduled at least two weeks after the initial treatment.
Effect of a single treatment may last 4-6 months. Factors affecting this include: strength of facial muscles, how animated or active your facial muscles are, and the number of units used. Once the effect of Botox wears off, your face will not be worse than before you had the treatment! A lot of patients worry about this. Botox will not make your wrinkles worse once it wears off, but you will do notice your wrinkles coming back.
Side effects
Some of the possible side effects are:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Redness
- Bruising
- Mild headache (uncommon)
Frozen face – we do not like this either! We aim to give you a natural, youthful look while preserving your facial expressions.
Am I a candidate for Botox?
Don’t wait to have the permanent creases or wrinkles on your face before getting a Botox treatment. Those deep lines you see in older people are harder and more expensive to treat.
The trend now is to maintain and prevent the signs of aging, as early as you can.
Experienced dermatologists can plan the best treatment for you. The number of units and the injection points vary from face to face because each face is unique!
Cheers to healthy skin!
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