|
What is Botox?
Botulinum toxin type A is a neurotoxin that causes a temporary cessation of muscle activity. Its effect lasts 2-4 months.
How is it used?
It was first used to control disorders of abnormal muscular spasms, such as blepharospasm. Presently Botox is used most commonly used to relax the excessive muscular tensions of the face and neck which has a pleasing cosmetic effect of smoothing wrinkles. It has also been found to relieve migraine headaches in many patients.
Is the use of Botox for cosmetic purposes appropriate for me?
Botox is particularly useful for the wrinkles that form between the eyebrows and the wrinkle lines of the forehead, but may also be used to treat the wrinkles at the edges of the eyes (crow’s feet). Botox has been approved for use in patients in the age range: 18-65 years.
What to expect?
Usually there is no local anesthetic needed. There are at least 5 small needle pricks and some burning sensation upon injection of Botox. There may be some swelling in the area of the injection, but this usually disappears within an hour.
What do I need to do?
After the injections you can apply ice covered with gauze or a washcloth until the swelling disappears. Wrinkle your brow as often as possible for the first 24 hours. Also massage the area of injection for the first several hours to diffuse the Botox into the muscles as widely as possible. This will decrease the chance that some muscle activity will persist. Avoid lying down for 4 hours to avoid spreading the Botox unevenly.
What are the risks?
Immediately after the Botox injections, you may experience the following unpleasant effects: blepharoptosis (drooping eyelid), nausea, localized pain, infection, inflammation, tenderness, swelling, erythema and/or bleeding at injection site.
Contraindications: Botox should not be injected in any skin site with evidence of an infection.
It should also not be used in individuals with known hypersensitivity to any ingredient in the formulation. Rare hypersensitivity reactions include anaphylaxis, urticaria, soft-tissue edema, and dyspnea. Rare reports of adverse events involving the cardiovascular system. Botox should not be used in patients with neuromuscular disorders, such as ALS, myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Easton syndrome. The effects of Botox may be increased with the use of aminoglycoside antibiotics or with other drugs that interfere with neuromuscular transmission.
I received Botox and Juvederm. The injections caused a small amount of pain, because I received an injection of a numbing medicine. It was better than when I had injections by a different doctor without anesthesia. I did have one area of black & blue bruising but I looked really good in 12 days. -Jennie Mildner
I had Botox and Juvederm. The procedure was painless. My lips and eyebrows came out very good and the price of the procedure was very reasonable. I’ve had it done before by another doctor. The cost was more. Also, this doctor was very meticulous about the procedure and had a follow-up appointment to check the procedure. -Anonymous
|
