BOTOX
When it comes to reversing aging process, patients now have options that are highly effective but with less downtime and risk, than surgery. These new options are tremendously more accessible to a greater population of consumers than what has been available in the past.
As we age we observe thinning of the skin and atrophy of fat pads in the face. Bony landmarks, blood vessels, wrinkles and furrows become more visible. Smile lines like parentheses ( ) around the nose and mouth become more prominent. Dynamic wrinkles in the facial skin appear or are highlighted when the underlying muscles are in motion for example, when you smile, frown, or look surprised. Static wrinkles are present when the face is at rest or not moving.
Aging skin and wrinkles result from a combination of many factors. It’s not just about cellular changes, collagen depletion, hormone loss, or damage caused by free radicals. The 11s – those vertical lines that appear between your brows – result from muscle contractions. When you concentrate, squint, or frown, the muscles between your brows contract, causing your skin to furrow and fold. After years of frequent contraction, those wrinkles can linger even after the muscles are at rest.
Most lines on the face are caused to a large degree by the repetitive creasing and folding of the skin by underlying muscles that originate on bone and insert on skin. These lines are referred to as “dynamic wrinkles”. As we age and muscles of facial expression become hyperdynamic, we can reverse the signs of aging with the use of Botulinum toxin type A, or Botox.
BOTOX General Information
BOTOX® is a prescription medicine, highly refined purified protein, that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of moderate-to-severe frown lines between the brows in people 18 to 65 years of age for a short period of time (temporary). The results last approximately 3-6 months, at which point most patients gradually return to their original state of wrinkling.
BOTOX® is administered by Dr. Katya as a simple, nonsurgical treatment that is injected directly into the muscles of “Dynamic Wrinkles”. It works by blocking nerve impulses to the injected muscles. This reduces muscle activity that causes moderate to severe lines. By relaxing selected muscles we are able to allow skin to “recover”. Long-term, regular use of the product obtains best results and often patients will note longer duration of action thought to be in part caused by mild atrophy of the hyperdynamic muscles. As the effect wears off, strength gradually returns (along with the wrinkles caused by movement) but wrinkles are not any worse than baseline.
It takes BOTOX® approximately 1-2 hours to bind to the nerve. Because of its intracellular site of action BOTOX® takes between 2 to 10 days from injection to exert its clinical effect. Most commonly, re-treatment is between 3 to 6 months with a small percentage going considerably longer. It is not recommended to retreat a patient before 3 months.
Areas commonly treated for cosmetic purposes to smooth out wrinkles:
Glabellar (frown lines between eyebrows)
Horizontal forehead lines
Crow’s feet (outer eye area)
Radial lip lines (smoker’s lines)
Gummy smile
Downturned oral commissures
Bruxism, clenching and TMJ
Tension Headaches