Botox Specialist
Adult and Pediatric Dermatology
Botox Q & A
What is Botox?
Botox is an injectable treatment made of purified botulinum toxin. It significantly reduces the appearance of wrinkles. In some cases, the treatment temporarily eliminates the targeted wrinkles.
Botox stops muscle contractions. When your provider injects Botox, the muscles relax, and the wrinkles caused by those muscle contractions disappear.
What wrinkles does Botox treat?
As you age, you develop two kinds of facial wrinkles. Age-related changes like the loss of collagen and dehydration cause one kind. The second kind of wrinkle develops as muscles contract to
Over years of making the same expressions and repeating the same muscle movements, the constant tugging on your skin leads to wrinkles like:
- Frown lines
- Crow’s feet
- Forehead furrows
- Bunny lines (on your upper nose)
How does Botox work for wrinkles?
To understand this, you need to know how wrinkles appear in the first place. Our skin is elastic, meaning it can contract or expand and return to its normal position. And this contraction or expansion of the skin happens due to the movement of the muscle underneath it.
However, as we age, our skin loses some of its elasticity. It means the skin can’t completely go back to its normal position after a contraction or expansion. This is when you see wrinkles on the skin.
To prevent the skin from wrinkling, stopping the movement of the muscle underneath is crucial. Botox does that by blocking brain signals to that muscle. This neurotoxin kills the connection between the brain and the target muscle.
As a result, signals to contract or expand the muscle don’t reach the targeted area through the nervous system. So, the target muscle becomes paralyzed temporarily.
As the muscle gets relaxed over time, the skin over it also gets smoother. This is how Botox prevents skin from wrinkling. Once the effective period of Botox is over, the muscle can again start responding to brain signals and contract. Thus, you might see the wrinkles on the skin again.
Will I look natural after Botox?
What should I expect during a Botox treatment?
At your first visit, your provider examines your skin and talks with you about the changes you want to make and the results you want to see. They only recommend Botox when it’s the best choice to achieve your goals.
Before your Botox treatment, your provider discusses ways to numb your skin, and you can decide if you need a topical anesthetic. Everyone tolerates the injections differently. Some need the anesthetic, while others manage the procedure without numbing their skin.
Your provider uses a thin needle to inject small doses of Botox into several areas during your treatment. When your injections are done, you can return to your daily routine.
When will I see results after a Botox treatment?
You’ll see some improvement in your appearance in 24-48 hours. However, it can take up to 30 days to achieve full results.
Most people find that their results last up to four months. After your Botox treatment wears off, you can choose to get another one to maintain your results.
If you’re ready to do away with frown lines and crow’s feet, call Adult and Pediatric Dermatology or book an appointment online today.
*Individual results may vary.
Do Botox injections hurt?
No, Botox injections don’t hurt. However, you experience a slight stinging sensation during the needle insertion. But that isn’t something to be identified as pain. Besides, before Botox is injected, an anesthetic cream helps numb the target area.
The cream numbs the area temporarily, so patients won’t feel any pain. Even if the anesthetic cream isn’t used, doctors may use cooling gels or ice packs to create a cooling sensation. This reduces the feeling of pain while inserting the needle.
Another important thing is worth noting here. Healthcare providers use tiny and sharp needles to inject Botox. The sharp needle pierces the skin fast and you might not even feel it. And doctors remain careful so that the injection doesn’t hurt patients. So, you can take Botox injections without the fear of pain.
However, some patients may indeed feel pain afterward. If the needle isn’t removed properly or someone has sensitive skin, the surface can pop out a bit. This is a temporary thing and will disappear after some time.
In fact, Botox injections are so convenient that you can get back to your daily routine after a few minutes of the injection.
Do Botox injections have side effects?
- Slight pain is a common side effect of Botox injections. After taking the injection, you may experience the pain in the target area. This pain usually doesn’t last for a long time. If the pain sustains, doctors might suggest medication for that.
- Another common side effect of Botox injections is swelling. Muscles around the target area can react to the injection, which will cause swelling. It is also a temporary side effect and takes some time to heal.
- Bruising can happen if you massage the injection area with your fingers. To avoid bruising after Botox injections, lightly rubbing the area with ice can give good results.
- Also, eyelids can droop after Botox injections in some patients. In this case, lower eyelids will bend downward or sag a bit. You may need a few days to recover from this side effect.
- Other common side effects include nausea, headache, or flu.
Before & After
