When you smile, laugh, frown or look puzzled, you contract the muscles of your face. Over time, these contractions produce permanent furrows and deep wrinkles in the skin, especially around the eyes and mouth, between the eyebrows and on the forehead. These lines can make you look older, sad, angry or tired. BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments not only prevent you from deepening these lines during natural facial movements, they also erase these marks of aging, leaving you looking younger and more refreshed.
What Is Botox® Cosmetic?
BOTOX® Cosmetic is the most popular cosmetic procedure in the country and one of our most requested services. Quick, safe and effective, BOTOX® Cosmetic reduces or eliminates facial lines and wrinkles for up to six months, with no downtime and little-to-no discomfort. Through a series of tiny injections, BOTOX® Cosmetic gives you a rejuvenated look by smoothing crow’s feet beneath the eyes, frown lines between the eyebrows, horizontal lines across the forehead, worry lines around the mouth, and lines on the neck.
In addition to smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, BOTOX® Cosmetic may be useful for treating migraine headaches, excessive sweating, chronic back and jaw pain, and muscle spasms.
How Does Botox® Work?
BOTOX® Cosmetic is the brand name for botulinum toxic A, a therapeutic muscle-relaxing agent derived from the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. Originally approved by the FDA for the treatment of eye-muscle spasms, BOTOX® Cosmetic was quickly recognized for its cosmetic value.
Physicians have been using BOTOX® Cosmetic for years as a treatment to correct visible signs of stress and aging. The medication relaxes the muscles in the face that cause wrinkles. When injected in small doses in specific areas, BOTOX® injections block nerve muscles responsible for the repetitive actions that cause fine lines and wrinkles. In this way, BOTOX® Cosmetic smoothes the lines in the skin that make you look tired or angry.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Botox® Treatment?
A good candidate for BOTOX® treatment may be anyone looking to enhance her or his appearance by getting rid of unwanted lines or wrinkles. It is also important that patients seeking treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic are in good physical health, are not pregnant or nursing, and do not have a neuromuscular disorder.
Men and women considering BOTOX® treatment should have realistic expectations of what the procedure can do. You should discuss the desired results with Dr. Walden to ensure that your goals can be achieved.
Benefits of Botox® Treatment
The benefits of BOTOX® Cosmetic expand further past just being a cosmetic and aesthetic treatment. Benefits include:
- Smoothing wrinkles
- Tightening frown lines
- Eliminating crow’s feet
- Treating a droopy brow
- Treating excessive sweating, also known as Hyperhidrosis”
- Relieving eye twitching
- Reducing migraines
Be sure to ask your doctor about how BOTOX® Cosmetic can benefit you personally.
Treating Excessive Sweating With Botox®
The Botox® Cosmetic Procedure
Using a very fine needle, Dr. Walden will inject BOTOX® Cosmetic into designated muscles in your face that are causing lines and wrinkles. You may experience brief, mild discomfort during the injection, but rest assured that the treatment is very safe and effective. Taking only a few minutes, BOTOX® treatment requires no anesthetic, and recovery is immediate, allowing you to return to work and resume your normal daily activities that same day.
The Importance of Choosing a Qualified Physician
Even though the administration of BOTOX® Cosmetic is not a surgical procedure, it is very important to choose a highly experienced and qualified physician when deciding to undergo BOTOX® treatments. Doctors who are less familiar with the technique may leave you looking “frozen” or perpetually surprised.
Dr. Walden is intimately familiar with BOTOX® Cosmetic, having successfully treated hundreds of patients at her office. Not only that, Dr. Walden always takes the time to talk with patients before beginning their injections. She want to know what patients are looking to achieve, and to determine how best to correct their problem area(s), so that they go away happy with their smoother, younger-looking faces.
Botox® Cosmetic Results
Immediately following the BOTOX® treatment, some patients may experience mild bruising, which will go away shortly. You will see your wrinkles begin to fade within 24 hours, with continued improvement during the next five days. The effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic typically last up to four months, although many have reported results lasting up to a full year. After several BOTOX® treatments, the results may be prolonged.
BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment will relax the muscles in your face and soften the skin, giving you a more relaxed and youthful appearance. For optimum results, many patients choose to use BOTOX® treatments in conjunction with facelifts, skin-rejuvenation therapy and/or laser skin resurfacing.
BOTOX Cosmetic Treatment
Before & After
Side Effects of Botox® Cosmetic
Although BOTOX® is considered a generally safe procedure, it is not without its side effects. These risks include:
- Pain
- Tenderness
- Swelling and bruising
- Bleeding
These side effects typically occur around the injection site. Residual side effects tend to be mild and short-lived, lasting only a few days post-injection. If your side effects persist, be sure to contact your doctor to schedule an appointment.