BOTOX®

BOTOX Cosmetic injection is a non-surgical procedure that relaxes the muscles that cause wrinkles in your brow, forehead, and around the eyes.  After treatment you will look more relaxed and confident because the wrinkles in these areas become smoother, often raising the brow and opening the eyes wider . 

How do I know if I need BOTOX Cosmetic? 

If you have frown or forehead lines, crow’s feet, smile lines around your eyes, or all of these, Botox injections will make you appear more relaxed and less tired. 

You should not have Botox if you are pregnant, have an infection or open skin at the site of Botox injection, or have multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome. If you have any neurological disease or history of temporary paralysis, loss of vision, or double vision, you should not have Botox injections. These disorders may increase the risk of complications with Botox injection and worsen an underlying disorder. 

How does BOTOX Cosmetic work?

BOTOX Cosmetic injection is a non-surgical procedure that relaxes the muscles that cause wrinkles in your brow, forehead, and around the eyes.

Most patients find that the procedure is very tolerable. The needle is tiny and cold air and ice packs minimize the pin prick sensation during injection. The treatment takes only about 10 minutes. People who have the injections for the first time are relieved afterwards because the procedure was easier than they anticipated.  

Your provider will cleanse the target area and ask you to frown, smile, or look surprised. These facial expressions will cause you to activate the muscles to be injected. The provider will mark the injection spots with a washable pen and then precede with the treatment, usually 5 to 20 injections. 

What benefits can I expect?

Results depend on the area treated. Wrinkles on your forehead and around your eyes may become smoother, your brow may be lifted and your eyes may become more opened. Your overall facial expression will be one of greater relaxation and alertness.

Wrinkle reduction varies among patients and improvement typically lasts 3 to 4 months before another treatment is necessary. 

What are the risks and side effects? 

Our goal is always to make you look completely natural and not "frozen".  The most common effect is a small bruise.  A "Spock effect" which means one eyebrow goes up more than the other, is the next most common, and is easily corrected with an additional small amount of Botox injected above the elevated brow.  

Much less common are a drooping brow or eyelid, or double vision. These conditions are extremely uncommon and occur only if Botox migrates to nearby tissues.  We inject very carefully and dilute our Botox minimally to avoid migration.  If it does occur, it is temporary, although we will do whatever we can (prescription eye drops, additional procedures to attempt correction). 

Botox may also cause a headache, which occurs because other muscles try to compensate for the muscles that have relaxed. A severe headache may persist up to 2 weeks after Botox injections, but this is very rare.

Treatments given too early (less than 3 months) may reduce the effectiveness of Botox.

Botox has been used safely since 1998 to treat muscle diseases of the eyes and voice box, headaches, stomach spasm, and other neuromuscular diseases. Botox is approved by the FDA for the cosmetic treatment of brow wrinkles, excessive sweating of the underarms, and certain muscular disorders of the neck, eyes, and eyelids.

Prior to treatment all potential risks and side effects will be discussed with you by your medical provider and cosmetic coordinator.

How will I look and feel during and after the treatment?

The injected area may look like a mosquito bite for 20 to 60 minutes. Usually there is no residual visual evidence after that.  However, little red dots may appear but resolve in a few days. Bruising is uncommon but if it occurs, it may require 7 to 10 days to clear. In the meantime the bruise can be camouflaged with makeup, which may be applied immediately after treatment.

You can help the Botox be absorbed by the muscles by frowning, raising your eyebrows, smiling, and squinting. Do this several times for a1-2 hours after the injections. Try not to lay back or fall asleep for 4 hours after the injections because the injected Botox is more likely to then spread to nearby areas and cause unwanted relaxation of other muscles.  Feel free to resume your regular skin care immediately after treatment. Also, you may exercise immediately after treatment.

Try to avoid aspirin containing products or high-dosage vitamin E supplements for 48 hours unless your doctor has recommended otherwise.

To prevent bruising after treatment, do not take aspirin-containing products or high-dose vitamin E supplements (unless your doctor has recommended otherwise) for 10 days before the procedure. The vitamin E of a typical multivitamin may be taken during this time.

Can this be combined with other treatments?

Yes. Botox Cosmetic may be combined with many other cosmetic treatments in our office. Many patients choose combination treatments to achieve the best possible aesthetic result. 

What is the cost of BOTOX Cosmetic?

The cost for cosmetic treatments depends on the amount of Botox needed and this varies among patients. We charge on the basis of units (this is the true way of measuring it, not by the volume of fluid used because different practitioners dilute their Botox differently) used during treatment. Men need more units than women because their muscles are larger. 

 To learn more about BOTOX Cosmetic, please call 201-288-1788 or contact us to make an appointment with one of our cosmetic coordinators.