Botulinum toxin is a prescribed medicine injected in small doses in specific muscles of the face to improve frown lines. It diminishes the lines and the wrinkles that the muscular contraction of the mimic muscles create and helps changing the muscle dynamics making the face look more relaxed and rested.
The brows can be lifted, especially the tail of the brow, the frown lines eliminated and the crows feet invisible, while at the same time the patients will preserve the ability to convoy their emotions trough their natural expressions. They only look younger, fresher and more relaxed!
Botox: Before the treatment
Every patient will undergo a full eye and external evaluation by a trained ophthalmic plastic specialist selecting who is a good candidate for this treatment. Basically only patients with unusual illness are not good candidate for this treatment, but each of us has specific dynamics and requests and not all of us respond in the same way to the same treatment.
Therefore your treatment plan will be tailored to your specific needs. First, we determine whether you are a candidate for treatment with botulinum toxin. The areas that best respond to the treatment are:
1) the glabella (the area between the eyebrows, ‘frown lines’) where deep furrows usually forms giving the worried, angry look;
2) the forehead lines and
3) the ‘crows feet’, in each side of the periocular region, forms every time we are smiling and with time they deepen and are visible even at rest.
The treatment
No anesthesia is required. We numb the area with a cold pack or anesthetic cream to avoid discomfort. Treatment consists of a number of tiny injections made through a very fine needle directly into the muscle.
The duration is approximately 10 minutes for the entire treatment. There are no visible spots and the patients can resume their activities within minutes from the treatment.
The effects of the injections begin to appear within 48-72 hours from the injections. The results generally last around four to six months, after which time, the injections can be repeated.
Products
Nowadays the are at least three available, FDA approved brands for botulinum toxin treatment, namely Vistabex, Azzalure and Bocouture and they are all effective and safe. It is a matter of preference from the treating specialist to choose among the three or at request of the patients.
Safety
Botulin Toxin has been used in medicine for more than 30 years for different conditions and health disorders. Its cosmetic use started ten years ago providing the medication with a high safety profile.
The main risk when the patient is not injected by an expert doctor, is that drooping of the eyelid may occur. This is a temporary effect lasting from 3 to 4 weeks.
What healthcare professionals are qualified to administer?
Those doctors that understand anatomy and the disorders around the area of the eyes are the best trained to inject Botox.
Already been treated with Botox?
If you are pleased with your previous Botox cosmetic results, you may want to consider a regular treatment plan to help maintain them.
Don’t forget that you can receive injections every 3 to 4 months as long as you don’t have any serious allergic reactions or other significant side effects.