What is Botox® Cosmetic?
FDA-approved Botox® injections contain a highly refined and purified protein called botulinum toxin A. Your provider uses Botox® in tiny, precise amounts to block nerve impulses and temporarily prevent certain muscles from contracting. This reduces the appearance of wrinkles caused by frowning and other facial expressions.
Untreated, these lines become creases that make you look older even when you are relaxed. Note that etched-in lines of expression won’t disappear, but may soften over time with repeated Botox treatments.
Although FDA-approved indications include areas in the upper part of the face, off-label indications can address other areas. These include:
- Bunny lines on the side of the nose
- Gummy smile
- Enlarged masseter muscles
- “Smoker’s lines” around the mouth
- Downturned corners of the mouth
- Dimpled chins
- Vertical bands of the neck
Therapeutically, they can also reduce the incidence of migraine headaches.
Although Botox Cosmetic may reduce the appearance of lines at rest, it is mostly for improving the expression lines. In other words, Botox is an “expression reducer,” not a “line eraser.”
There are four botulinum toxin products currently approved for cosmetic use. These include Botox® Cosmetic, Dysport®, Xeomin®, and Jeuveau™.
What is Botox used for?
Botox is available in both cosmetic and therapeutic forms. Examples of cosmetic products containing botulinum toxin A and their functions include:
- Botox Cosmetic is FDA-approved to reduce frown lines, crow’s feet, and horizontal forehead lines
- Botox is FDA-approved to diminish underarm sweating
- Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau are FDA-approved to reduce frown lines
- Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin are all FDA-approved to treat cervical dystonia
- All these products work similarly and can be used off-label to treat many areas of the face and neck
- Botox has several other FDA-approved indications
After a discussion of your medical history and examination, Dr. Lum will recommend which botulinum product best matches your needs based on your condition and aesthetic goals.
What should I expect during Botox injections?
Dr. Lum has been injecting Botox since 2004 and his patients are often surprised with how they don’t even feel some of the injections. Treatment strategies and Dr. Lum’s gentle technique help deliver the botulinum toxin product precisely where they are needed.
Routine photographic documentation, follow-up, and a comparison with after-treatment photographs help to your subsequent treatments. Although the procedure is quick, easy, and sometimes painless, you may feel a slight pinch or pressure when the botulinum solution is injected. Your safety and comfort are always top priorities.
After Botox treatment, you might experience:
- Mild swelling, this typically resolves in a few minutes
- Mild redness
- Bruising
- Mild tenderness
- Mild temporary headache
You can resume normal daily activities immediately after Botox injections, but Dr. Lum recommends that you avoid massaging the treatment area, strenuous exercise and that you keep your head upright for a few hours. You’ll notice optimal results in about 7-30 days, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t see effects from Botox right away.
How long do Botox injections last?
The results from Botox and other botulinum toxin injections aren’t permanent, so repeat treatments at regularly scheduled intervals are recommended if you want to maintain desired results.
The length of time Botox lasts varies from patient to patient, but you should notice benefits for 3-6 months depending on the condition of your skin, the concentration used and your body’s response to the product.
Deep set lines that have formed over decades of aging will not disappear. However, the goal is to prevent them from worsening and soften them over time.
Will Botox injections make me look worse if I stop getting them?
This question gets asked a lot. The answer is “absolutely not.” If you decide to stop receiving repeat treatments, you simply will not receive its continued benefits, but the condition of your skin may actually appear better for a while, even after the active Botox® effect has worn off.
The use of aesthetic injectable products such as Botox® is both curative and preventive. It helps reduce signs of aging and does not worsen your natural appearance upon its discontinuance.
Dr. Lum carefully selects dosages, botulinum toxin products, and injection sites needed to achieve safe, conservative and natural-looking results. When you’re ready to reduce facial lines, necklines, underarm sweating or reap other benefits to gain the confidence you desire, call Lumier Medical today or schedule an appointment online.
