Botox Treatments : Answers To Commonly Asked Questions

The treatment of ageing skin was revolutionized by the introduction of botox, and it has become so popular that is now officially the most performed non-surgical cosmetic procedure. Still, despite its popularity, and the huge amount that has been written about it, there are many common questions that people have about it, such as…

1. What exactly is botox? Botox is special type of protein that relaxes muscles. By injecting it directly into facial muscles, lines and wrinkles that have developed as a result of frowning, worrying and laughing, are smoothed and softened.

2. What occurs during the treatment? Botox treatments are quick and simple, with each procedure taking around just 10 minutes to complete. During that time, a series of small injections of botox solution will be made directly into the areas responsible for causing the lines and wrinkles.

3. Do I need to do anything particular after having a treatment of botox? You are advised to stay upright and to try to exercise, by pulling various facial expressions, the areas treated for 2-4 hours following the injections.

4. How quickly will I notice an effect? Results are not instantaneous, and typically take a couple of days to initially become noticeable. The full effects tend to take around 7-14 days.

5. How many visits to a cosmetic surgeon are required? This varies from individual to individual, but most people tend to have 3-4 treatments over the course of the first year. The duration of effect often increases with each repeat treatment, and eventually you may only require one maintenance treatment per year.

6. Will my face ‘droop’ if I do not have repeat treatments? Absolutely not. The treatment is completely reversible there are no permanent effects. In fact, your skin is likely to have benefited from the period of reduced muscle contraction, as wrinkle formation is slower during this time.

7. Will botox ‘freeze’ my face and make me expressionless? No, definitely not. It only treats the specific muscles that are responsible for your wrinkles, minimizing any possible loss of facial expression.

8. What are the side effects? There may be slight discomfort as the needle enters the skin, and there is the possibility of a small bruise at the site of the injection. Other side effects are rare but include slight drooping of the eyelid, which usually resolves itself in a week or so, and headaches. No long term side-effects have been reported.

9. Is it safe to use botox? Whilst no medical procedure can ever be deemed to be 100% safe, that fact that botox has been approved by medical authorities in more than 60 countries, and has been in use for over 15 years, can taken as evidence that it is, for the vast majority of people, safe.

Now Try : Botox Treatments In London Or Cosmetic Surgery

Can Botox Dangerously Affect Your Brain

Botox can get into your skull.  Literally.  Researchers from Pisa, Italy have been injecting rodents with Botulinum Toxin Type A and watching what occurs. The following results were a little surprising. 

 Botox blocks the release of neurotransmitters from precise nerve endings.  When it is injected into the skin, it is taken up by the nerves, and over time stops the release of neurotransmitters, shutting down those nerves. 

 In dermatology, we use botox to shut off the nerves that workmuscles in your face, like your forehead and brow.  With those nerves off, you can’t contract the muscles, so they stay flat. Very much like your having wrinkles shorts.  While you are upright, the pants hang loosely and are smooth.  When you sit, your thighs and hips wrinkle the material, forming creases or wrinkles.  In the same way, when your facial muscles contract, they crunch up, creasing the skin and forming wrinkles. 

So what about the brain? 

Results from this Italian study refute the idea that botox stays locally in the skin.  They discovered that the botox injected into the rodenst followed the nerves back to the rat’s brain, shutting offnerves there. 

 What does this mean? 

 This is a critical question.  The study was done in rats, not people.  We do not know if it would do the same thing in humans even if some Botulinum Toxin Type A did get into the brain, there’s no proof at all that it has any meaningful effect, good or bad.  For example, we all know that smoking kills brain cells and stops other cells from developing.  Does that suggest that smokers or ex-smokers have any meaningful brain effects from their habit? 

 Botox is a superb and tough drug.  In treating wrinkles and fine lines, there are few if any treatments short of intrusive surgery that will compare to the results that botox offers.  It is , however , a drug and has complications and has the capability to be misused and even abused.  Botox has been used safely in millions of men and women, but there are hazards.  It is also dear and its effects are transient, so botox isn’t for everyone. 

 If you are not ok with presuming risks of botox, or your budget doesn’t allow for it, then consider this effective alternative : employ a night cream that contains prescription Renova or ROC.  No facial cream is more effective at reducing fine lines than tretinoin. 

 Use an cold pack to help stop swelling and bruising at the injection sites.  Putting an Ice Pack on your face before and after the process can be helpful in this regard.  Your doctor should have cold packs available for you to use. 

 Plan to go back on a consistent basis.  Most Botox treatments last at least 3 months and some last so long as a year.  There will be a point however , at which the toxin wears off and you’ll have to have the process repeated in order to maintain results.

 If you recently had botox and look in the mirror one morning and think that you are a decade younger, don’t worry, it’s not brain damage, it’s just your face on botox.