Misconceptions about Botox

Botox is one of the most common treatments we perform at A E Skin and there are a lot of misconceptions about it. Before going through these misconceptions, let's take a moment to understand what Botox is and what it does.

Botox is a purified protein used to treat certain wrinkles on the face, common ones include the frown lines and crows feet. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles in the face and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. There are certain risks. Any time you get an injection there is a risk for pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, and infection. Other risks from a Botox treatment include unevenness, droopy eyelids, and blurred vision.

Myth: The best time to get Botox is when I start to see wrinkles.

This is a very common misconception about Botox. Many people get preventive Botox treatments, or what we call pre-juvenation. Some people don't have wrinkles at rest, but you can see deep lines when they frown of smile. This is a great time for a Botox treatment. If you wait too long these lines will appear at rest, that is when you are not even frowning or smiling. By this point it may be too late; Botox doesn't work too well for deep wrinkles at rest. Many people start their Botox treatments in their twenties.

Myth: I will see my Botox results right away.

You will not see your Botox results right away. The Botox protein needs to bind to the receptors in your skin; this takes time. Most people see their Botox results in three to seven days. But some people do not see their full Botox results for two weeks. This is important to know if you are preparing for a big event. Dr. Alex recommends getting a Botox treatment four weeks prior to a big event. In this way if a touch up is needed, it can be done two weeks before the event and your results will be perfect at the event. When preparing for a wedding it is a good idea to get your first Botox treatment six to nine months before the big day. This will give you an idea if 1. you like the Botox results, 2. how quickly you see your Botox results, and 3. how long you enjoy your Botox results. Based on this you can determine exactly when to get your treatment before you tie the knot.

Myth: Botox will remove all wrinkles.

As mentioned above, Botox is a protein that relaxes muscles. Some wrinkles (frown lines, crows feet) are seen when we use our facial muscles as when frowning or smiling. These are ideal targets for Botox. Other wrinkles such as the laugh lines that go from the sides of the noes to the corners of the mouth are seen at rest. These are caused by volume loss, not muscle contraction. So Botox does not work on these wrinkles. Instead you need a filler to restore the lost volume. Common fillers include JuvedermRestylaneRadiesseBelotero, and VolumaJuvederm Volbella will be available in the United States in October 2016.

If the wrinkles are very deep at rest, Botox may not eliminate the wrinkle entirely. But Botox may soften it when you use the muscle.

Myth: If I stop getting Botox, my wrinkles will get worse.

Most people enjoy the results of their Botox treatment for three to four months. After that point, the skin goes back to how it was before the Botox treatment. The wrinkles do not get worse. Now if you get Botox for ten years and you stop you will be ten years older so there will be some changes seen with aging anyway.

Myth: Botox is only for women.

Although most of our patients that receive Botox are women, more and more men are getting Botox treatments every year. Some offices call this "Bro-tox" or "Boy-tox." We just call it Botox. In general men have larger muscles than women, both on the body and on the face. So often times men will receive higher doses of Botox than women.

Contact us for a free consultation with Dr. Alex.

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