Botox® Cosmetic Injections
Worried about those worry lines? Soften them in just a few minutes!
Before and after photos of Botox® treatment patients
Join the millions of Botox® users who’ve smoothed out those troublesome frown lines between the brows. Botox® treatment takes just a few minutes and you’re out the door!
Watch the video : What is Botox® treatment
If you have moderate to severe frown lines between your brows, you may want to consider this simple, non-surgical procedure. Over 11 million people have tried it, with over 97% surveyed feeling satisfied with the results.
What Is Botox®?
The botulinum toxin is diluted in saline and injected directly into the tissue.
Botox® is a well-regulated muscle relaxer. This treatment functions by injecting a powerful neurotoxin precisely into the facial muscles to relax and/or paralyze the affected muscles to achieve the desired results. The treatment is generally effective for improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and is considered a non-surgical procedure.
The bacterium used in Botox® is clostridium botulinum and is generally found in many natural locales, including forests, lakes, and soils. The botulinum toxin is diluted in saline and injected directly into the tissue.
It typically takes between 24 and 72 hours for the treatment to take effect, and it may be as long as 5 days before you are able to see the full benefits of the treatment.
How Treatment with Botox® Works
Botox® Cosmetic injections block nerve impulses to the injected area, reducing the muscle contraction activity that causes lines to form.
Before Treatment
Treatment with Botox® is quick and simple.
You’ll probably be seated in a reclining chair, much like you’d find in a dentist’s office. No anesthesia is required for Botox® injections, although we may numb the area with a cold pack or anesthetic cream.
We determine where to administer Botox® injections by examining your ability to move certain muscles in your brow area. The entire Botox® Cosmetic injection procedure takes approximately 10 minutes.
After Treatment
There’s no recovery time needed. You’re ready to get on with your day! The most common side effects following Botox® injections include temporary eyelid droop and nausea. Localized pain, infection, inflammation, tenderness, swelling, redness, and/or bleeding/bruising may be associated with the injection.
Patients with certain neuromuscular disorders such as ALS, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome may be at increased risk of serious side effects. Make sure you tell us about any medications you are taking or medical conditions you have before Botox® injections.
The Results
Before and after Botox® treatment for moderate to severe frown lines.
Within days, you may notice an improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows that can last up to 4 months. Results may vary.
Request a free comprehensive consultation that will educate you about this unique way to younger skin, without plastic surgery or other invasive treatments.
The Benefits and Risks of Botox®
Benefits
The numerous benefits of Botox® have made it a highly popular cosmetic treatment. When administered by a skilled medical professional, the treatment can help you achieve a younger, more vibrant appearance. The treatment is typically used to treat “dynamic wrinkles” or those caused by muscle movement around the eyes, brows, forehead, and mouth.
Botox® can also be used for contouring around the cheeks and jaw. This makes it an effective alternative to surgical treatments in many cases.
Botox® isn’t just used cosmetically. It has also been found to be an effective treatment for eye twitching, severe headaches and migraines, excessive sweating, and more.
Risks
When administered by an experienced doctor, Botox® is generally considered safe. Even so, the treatment can present some mild side-effects, such as:
- Injection site pain, swelling, and/or bruising.
- Flu-like symptoms or headache.
- Drooping eyelids and/or uneven eyebrows.
- Crooked smile and/or drooling.
- Eye dryness and/or excessive tearing.
While unlikely, there is the risk for more extensive negative side-effects associated with the treatment. If the botulinum toxin spreads to other parts of the body, botulism-like symptoms are possible. You should call your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following after receiving Botox®:
- Muscle weakness throughout the body.
- Vision problems.
- Changes in speech or swallowing.
- Trouble breathing.
- Loss of bladder control.
These complications are rare and can typically be minimized by working with a trusted, properly certified medical professional.
Botox® Cosmetic FAQs
Q. What is Botox and who can benefit from it?
A. Botox is an injectable substance that is capable of reducing the appearance of moderate-to-severe frown lines and worry lines by blocking the nerve signals that tell your muscles to contract and cause lines to form. With those muscles relaxed and unable to contract, the skin smoothes out, and the lines progressively disappear.
People who want to aesthetically soften their faces by smoothing out their frown and worry lines are very likely to benefit from a Botox treatment. Botox can also be used on squint lines (crows feet).
Q. How is the Botox treatment administered?
A. Botox is a non-surgical procedure and is administered via injections to your wrinkled area. The injections are delivered through sterile needles so thin and fine that they minimize discomfort to the point that anesthesia is not needed. For even the most sensitive patient a cold pack or anesthetic cream will suffice.
Botox injection sites are determined after observing the patient’s ability to contract the specific muscles that are causing the wrinkles in the targeted area. This simple procedure usually takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Q. What happens after a Botox treatment and what kind of results can you expect?
A. There is no recovery time needed after a Botox Cosmetic injection treatment; immediately following the completion of the Botox treatment, patients can get on their way to continue the rest of their day!
After the injection, patients should exercise the muscles that make the lines they are targeting, in order to hasten the distribution of the Botox throughout the targeted muscles. Typically, patients experience the onset of the muscle relaxation about 3 days after the injection, with the full affect occurring between 7-10 days.
Some patients may experience some common side effects associated with Botox treatment, such as pain as the needle is inserted, tenderness, inflammation, swelling, redness, infection, bleeding/bruising at the injection site, headaches, nausea, and/or temporary upper eyelid droop. Although rare, the upper eyelid can droop for 2-3 months. Most side effects are rare and should cease within a few days post-procedure.
Although results may vary, the majority of patients will have a noticeable reduction of their moderate-to-severe frown lines between their brows, and/or worry lines on their forehead within 5-7 days after the Botox treatment, with most continuing to see reduced lines up to four months after the procedure.
Q. What is the difference between Restylane and Botox?
A. Restylane and Botox are two completely different products.
Restylane is a dermal filler that inserts a collagen-like substance (hyaluronic acid) into the skin to plump and smooth wrinkles.
Botox is a treatment to relax or even reset the muscles of the face and surrounding area.
It is also important to note that while Botox tends to have more uses, the results from Restylane generally last longer.
Likewise, the benefits of Restylane tend to be more immediate while you might have to wait a day or two to see the maximum benefits of Botox. Nonetheless, both treatments – Restylane vs Botox – are extremely effective, generally safe, and minimally invasive.
Q. How long before you see the results from Botox injections and how long do they last?
A. Botox usually provides a nearly immediate improvement to frown lines that last between three to six months. Over time, you’ll gradually begin to notice the wrinkles reappear as the muscle action returns.
On a positive note, however, most frown lines do appear less severe and require less treatment over time as the muscle itself shrinks.
Learn More About Other Anti-Aging Treatments
Page originally published on October 27, 2014. Last reviewed on February 9, 2021 by Alice Pien, MD and Asher Milgrom, PhD.