|
About Botox®
"The eyebrows form but a small part of
the face, and yet they darken the whole of life by the
scorn they express."
Demetrius
What can Botox® treat?
Botox can treat many conditions. The conditions
I use it for include:
Glabellar Wrinkles (wrinkles between the eyebrows)
Forehead Wrinkles
Crow’s feet
Muscular Banding in the Neck
Wrinkles Around the Mouth (to a limited extent)
Excessive Sweating (Arm Pits)
What is Botox®?
Botox is a highly purified protein that is produced
by a bacterium called Clostridium Botulinum. This
protein is very fragile and has to be kept frozen
until shortly before use to maintain its effectiveness.
The bacteria itself is not in Botox®.
How is Botox® given?
Botox is administered through a very fine needle
that is almost as thin as a human hair. It is
placed directly into the tissue that is to be
affected. Usually this tissue is a muscle but
it can also be skin that contains sweat glands.
How does Botox® work?
Botox blocks the release of the neurotransmitter
that connects nerves to muscles (and sweat glands).
Without this neurotransmitter the muscle can’t
contract and goes into a relaxed state. Botox
has no effect on the nerves that relay our sense
of touch.
How does blocking muscles get rid of wrinkles?
Humans are somewhat unique in that we have many
muscles in our face that connect to the skin for
the purpose of making facial expressions. Each
time we use those muscles it causes the overlying
skin to bunch up. Like any other material, if
you bunch skin up over and over again, eventually
it wrinkles. If you stop bunching the skin up,
the wrinkles improve or go away completely depending
on how deep they were to start with.
Will I look like a mannequin if I block facial
muscles?
Botox can be tailored to your own desires to produce
the look that you want. Most people are perfectly
happy to get rid of the ability to scowl and squint
since these are generally not considered flattering
expressions. The forehead is the area most tailored
to the individual’s desires. Treating the crow's
feet usually has no discernable effect on facial expressions.
Since Botox
is temporary, I can adjust where and how much
I use to produce exactly the effect we want.
Are there side effects?
Like any medication, there are side effects and
these depend on where the Botox® is used. Some
of the side effects include bruising, irritation,
droopy eyelid/eyebrow, and headache. All of these
side effects are temporary and usually resolve
in days to weeks.
How long does Botox® last?
Botox usually lasts about 3 months on facial muscles
and 6 months to a year for sweating. If used repeatedly,
Botox can last longer.
Before and two months after Botox to forehead, crow's feet,
and glabella (area between eyebrows) as well as upper
and lower eyelid surgery. (Before and after photos taken with identical
camera equipment, settings, and lighting.)
Before and two months after Botox to forehead:
Note the dramatic improvement in depth of horizontal creases
|
