Botox Cosmetic® is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium Botulinum bacteria. It has been used for wrinkle therapy since the early 1990’s with no serious side effects documented to date.
Some of the common areas treated with Botox include crow’s feet, frown lines, laugh lines, and forehead wrinkles. The toxin can also be injected to weaken the muscles responsible for a “gummy smile”, which can improve the patient’s appearance dramatically. Injections into muscles that lower the eyebrow or corners of the mouth can produce a form of temporary brow lift or lip lift.
New uses for the Botulinum toxin include reducing perspiration in the hands and armpits (hyperhydrosis) and relief of headaches.
A small amount of Botulinum toxin is injected right into the muscles that are responsible for creating wrinkles or undesirable facial muscle effects. This treatment is quick and results usually last for three to six months. The toxin temporarily arrests the muscles that produce wrinkles, thereby causing lines to disappear or diminish dramatically. It usually takes a few days after the injection to notice the wrinkle smoothing effect. After the first treatment, you may return for follow-up injections. Some doctors report that after several treatments, the effect of botox appears to last longer, often up to several months. Complications from botox injections to the upper eyelid include occasional bruising from the injection and a temporary drooping of the eyelid, which rarely occurs after frown line injection. The injected medication is used in extremely small amounts and does not spread throughout the body so you can return to full activity immediately.
Botox can be used by almost anyone, however, patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding or who have a neurologic disease should not use it.
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