Botulinum Toxin FAQs
Botulinum Toxin FAQs
Before Your Treatment
What is the botulinum toxin (Botox)?
Botox is a drug derived from the bacteria clostridium botulinum. It is primarily used as a cosmetic treatment for fine lines and wrinkles, but there are medical applications for Botox too. It is applied in very small doses via targeted injection. The primary way Botox works is by causing the targeted muscles to relax, which diminishes the appearance of expression lines and wrinkles.
What is the benefit of Botox treatment?
Cosmetically speaking, Botox creates a rejuvenating effect. The appearance of the face is refreshed and harmonized by the subtle blurring of wrinkles and fine lines.
Does Botox change your expression?
No. If it is applied by a qualified specialist who knows facial muscles well, you will not experience a change in facial expression, only your desired correction of wrinkles.
Does it cause addiction?
Not in the traditional sense. However, patients do often like the improvement to their appearance so much that they return for repeated doses as the prior treatment wears off.
Does Botox harm the kidneys?
There is no published study that demonstrates toxicity from Botox treatments in any organ of the body. In fact, in order for any medication to be commercially available, it must pass exhaustive laboratory testing in order to demonstrate that it does not cause any harm to human beings.
Is Botox only for older people with a lot of wrinkles?
No. This treatment can be used from a young age. There are patients, due to their type of skin and facial muscle strength (hyperkinetic), whose wrinkles start showing marks from an early age who benefit from Botox injections.
During Your Treatment
Is its application painful?
No more so than other shots or injections, and perhaps even less. We take care to provide a comfortable experience for patients. Botox is applied cold and with a topical anesthetic. The procedure is quick; it takes less than 10 minutes to treat the entire face.
After Your Treatment
How long does Botox treatment last?
Botox lasts 4 to 6 months, on average.
What is recovery like?
Since the injections are very small and targeted, recovery is simple. You will be asked to be careful with your face for the first day. Try not to rub or wash your face the first day, try to sleep face up, and avoid excessive facial expressions. These actions support absorption at the point of injection and prevent migration of the Botox to unwanted areas.
Is it true that once the Botox effect has passed, your face looks deflated and worse than before you got it?
No. Once the toxin’s effect has passed the muscles, start regaining their strength, which is why wrinkles start leaving a mark again.