Botox has been booming since 2002 when the FDA announced their consent for the use of botulinum toxin type A (Botox Cosmetic) to enhance the image of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows. In September, the FDA approved the use of Botox for the short-term improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe lateral canthal lines, better known as crow’s feet. Prior to getting Botox we’re sure you have many questions and we’re here to put your worries to rest!
Botox is an extremely purified toxin that has to ability to minimize or remove horizontal forehead lines, vertical frown lines and crow’s feet for a short-term. It decelerates muscles that contract every time you smile, laugh and frown that cause dynamic wrinkles. Many patients fear that their face will appear frozen, however, if done properly it can lift the brow, providing an attractive and genuine look. The only reason your face would appear “frozen” is if your doctor does not judge the size of your muscles correctly and overestimates how much Botox is necessary. Botox is a very safe and basic procedure. The product is targeted to locations on the face, blocking the nerve impulse to the muscle under the skin in the treated area.
After Botox injections, any remaining wrinkles are true wrinkles of the skin. The left over wrinkles can be treated with one or more of the following procedures that the Shaw Center offers: Pearl, Pearl Fractional, Pixel, PhotoFacial / IPL or Refirme. Botox is not only used to treat wrinkles but has alternative uses as well. The injections can be used to treat uncontrolled sweating in palms, soles of feet and in the armpits. Botox can also be found applicability in the treatment of medical conditions such as strabismus, blepharosplasm, hemifacial spasm, spasmodic dysphonia, oromadibular dystonia and cervical dystonia.
Since Botox is an injection, it can be somewhat painful, however, patients report that there is minimal discomfort, comparing the sensation to a bug bite. Botox usually takes 2-4 days for the results to appear, reflecting the time necessary to disrupt the synaptic process. There are minimal side effects to the procedure; temporary bruising of the injection site is the most common side effect.
Botox Cosmetic is the only FDA approved drug treatment option for lateral cantahl lines. Since there is no generic substitution available for the product, it is tedious to manufacture and costly. Botox can be sold per unit or per area depending on where you go. The Shaw Center provides Botox per unit. The advantage of paying per unit is that you pay for exactly what you receive because the amount used on each patient varies. To give you some sort of an idea, an average person needs approximately 20 units to treat horizontal forehead lines, 2 to 10 units to treat crow’s feet around the eyes and 25 units to treat the glabella (the smooth area of the forehead above and between the eyebrows). You can expect the results to last anywhere from three to six months and there is no downtime after the procedure.
If you are interested in having Botox, contact the Shaw Center at (480)767-1900!