Look Years Younger with Botox Injections
Every day facial expressions and muscle movements can do a lot to your face. They can cause frown lines, forehead creases, crow’s feet and thick bands that make you look older. That’s where Botox from Staten Island Plastic Surgeon George P. Smith comes in. Botox injections help to give the skin a smoother, more refreshed appearance. It can make you look years younger. However, Botox is also effective in relieving migraine headaches, excessive sweating and muscle spasms in the neck and eyes. Interested in Botox treatment? Contact our offices in the East Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Staten Island or Brooklyn areas. Our staff is ready to help you.
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What is Botox?
Botox® is a popular non-surgical injection that temporarily reduces or eliminates several facial lines, including:
- frown lines
- forehead creases
- crows feet near the eyes
- thick bands in the neck
Generically, Botox uses botulinum toxin type A. While there are several botulinum toxins, only A and B are approved for medical use in the United States. Botulinum toxins are made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, the same bacterium that causes the deadly food poisoning known as botulism. Don’t be put off by the connection between Botox and botulism poisoning. Clostridium botulinum has been used for decades with an excellent safety record when it is administered by a qualified cosmetic physician. Botox is a good example of something that is highly dangerous in large amounts, but helpful when used in minute amounts.
At the Practice of Dr. George P. Smith, we use Botox® Cosmetic, a prescription cosmetic product.
How Does Botox Work?
Normally, to make a muscle move, your brain sends nerve impulses to the muscles telling them to contract. The botulinum toxin used in the injection blocks the nerve impulses, paralyzing the muscles. The muscle won’t move until the Botox starts wearing off in a few months. This paralysis helps smooth out the targetted area, not only eliminating the lines and wrinkles but making them look more rested and relaxed and even happier. Botox injections may not remove a long-standing wrinkle completely, although it might lessen it. It can only keep you from furrowing your brow or squinting. However, if your wrinkles are superficial, it can smooth them considerably.
There are a lot of jokes about Botox-ed people with rigid faces and no way to show emotion. A cosmetic physician who is experienced with Botox and the correct placement and number of injections will leave you looking refreshed, not stiff.
For best results, Botox can be used in conjunction with injectable fillers such as Restylane and Sculptra to further rejuvenate your appearance.
What Is Botox Cosmetic Used For?
Botox has been approved for numerous procedures over the years:
1989
Botox is initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of a condition called blepharospasm. Blepharospasms are spasms caused by the muscles around your eye being pulled too tight.
2000
The FDA approves of the use of Botox for the treatment of cervical dystonia, where the muscles of the neck have tightened causing severe pain and pulling the head into an abnormal position.
2002
Botox Cosmetic is approved for improving the look of fine lines and superficial wrinkles caused from every day facial expressions like smiling, frowning, or squinting.
2004
The FDA approves of Botox use for the treatment of hyperhidrosis, or extreme sweating under the arms.
2010
The FDA approved intramuscular botulinum toxin injections for prophylactic treatment of chronic migraine headache
Botox is also used off-label (without FDA approval for that use) in treating other disorders. Once a drug is approved, physicians are allowed to use it elsewhere. However, the manufacturer is not allowed to publicize or advertise any off-label use. Off-label, this injectable has also been helpful for people with serious muscle contractions and muscle imbalances caused by cerebral palsy. Off-label use is also why Botox was widely used to treat wrinkles before 2002.
What to Expect at Your Appointment
Most often, Dr. Smith uses Botox to treat the forehead, the area between your eyebrows at the top of your nose (the glabella), and the outer eye area. Botox is injected with a very fine needle into the muscle or muscles that are causing the wrinkle or furrow. Usually, you will receive several injections in each muscle. It usually takes about 30 minutes to complete the whole treatment. Patients who come to our offices in East Brunswick and Staten Island report very little pain or discomfort. However, you will feel at least some discomfort from the injection. You might feel a bit of stinging or a feeling of great pressure.
We appreciate your patience and caring through both of our experiences. Needless to say, you have changed our lives for the better and we are thankful every day.
-D.M. and A.D.
In The Weeks After Treatment
After your treatment, it can take between a few hours and a few days to see the effects of Botox. In the first hours and day, you should try to move the treated muscles as little as you can.
The maximum benefit is reached in 1 to 2 weeks and you will not see any improvement beyond then. The effects last about 3 months with a single treatment session. You will see a smoothing of your skin and the improvement of fine lines and superficial wrinkles in the area of your treatment. When the effects start wearing off, you will notice a very gradual fading of the effects. At this point, you can schedule another treatment. Botox Cosmetic has proven itself again and again in eliminating superficial lines and wrinkles. Patients report that during a course of treatment their lines seem to disappear and the skin regains its former smoothness.
Botox Side Effects: Risks, Complications, and Contraindications
Although treatment is very safe, there are risks and possible complications. A major risk is that either too much is used or the injections are placed incorrectly. These issues can paralyze the wrong muscles or too many muscles. You could possibly end up with a drooping eyelid or eyebrow, double vision, an inability to move one or both eyes properly, or the inability to move other muscles in your face. However local injections of antibiotics are shown to reduce paralysis in some patients. In any event, Botox wears off in a few weeks.
Botox can cause temporary headaches. There is also the possibility of bruising at the injection sites.
Treatment with Botox can usually be repeated indefinitely, whenever you need it. However, if you are pregnant or taking certain medications, you should not receive treatments. The effects of Botox may be increased if it is used while you are taking certain antibiotics or other drugs that interfere with neuromuscular chemicals. This means that injections that had worked well in the past might paralyze a greater area than intended. Be sure to disclose all pre-existing medical conditions and all medications you are currently to the physician before having any treatment.