A major substance on the market for non-surgical facial
rejuvenation is botulinum toxin (Botox). This cosmetic procedure has
been rewarding for thousands of patients who have found their appearance
vastly improved by Botox injections. The procedure must be performed by
a skilled, certified physician who specializes in cosmetic surgery and
has prior experience with injecting the Botox treatments. Following are
ten frequently asked questions about Botox injections from an anti-aging
clinic.
1. Is Botox Safe?
Botox injections are very safe
when being performed by an experienced cosmetic specialist and is the
most common cosmetic procedure in the United States. It is FDA-approved
to treat lines, wrinkles, and excessive sweating.
Some common side
effects that may be experienced by patients are swelling or bruising at
the point of injection or flu-like symptoms and headaches. Patients
should select experienced cosmetic specialists as the correct placement
of injections is critical. Misplaced injections allow Botox to spread to
nearby tissues causing the following complications: droopy eyelids,
misaligned eyebrows, lopsided smile, dry eyes or extreme tearing.
2. Are Botox Injections Painful?
The
needles used for the injections are very thin and patients generally
report minimal pain. Some individuals prefer to have their skin numbed
prior to the injections which may be accomplished by four methods:
a.) Injecting numbing medications into the skin
b.) Applying prescription creams
c.) Spraying cold air at the skin for a few seconds
d.) Applying cold packs 10 - 20 minutes before the injection
3. How long does a Botox Treatment Take?
Botox
injections take only a few minutes. The entire procedure may last up to
twenty minutes depending on the number of injections sites needed to
receive treatment.
4. What is the Recuperation Period?
Most patients are able to get Botox injections and immediately return to their normal activities.
5. How Does Botox Work?
Botox
injections use botulinum toxin to paralyze facial muscle activity for a
period of time. The injections block specific chemical signals from the
facial nerves that cause muscles to contract which trigger wrinkles,
including: frown lines occurring between eyebrows, crow's-feet, and
forehead wrinkles.
6. How Long Does it Take to Notice Treatment Effects?
The
procedure usually takes five to seven days for maximum effects although
some patients report results in as little as one or two days. If no
results are observable after seven days, antibodies may be blocking the
Botox and additional Botox units may be needed.
7. How Long Do Botox Treatments Last?
Different
factors determine how long a Botox treatment will last. If more Botox
units are used, the results will last longer. Generally, treatments last
from two to six months but most people experience three to four months
of diminished wrinkles.
8. How Often Will I Need to get Botox Injections?
To
maintain Botox effects, patients need to receive follow-up injections
on a regular basis. With continuing treatments, most patients can
maintain treatment effects by receiving injections every four, five, or
six months.
9. What is the Success Rate for Botox?
Botox
success rate is 8.3 out of 10 or 83% worldwide. Patients that don't have
successful experiences may have received the wrong dosage, had
unrealistic expectations, or injections that were incorrectly placed. 3%
of the failures are thought to have difficulties with antibodies that
interfere with the Botox effectiveness.
10. What are the Risks?
Like
all medications, Botox may cause allergic reactions in some patients.
In some rare instances, botulinum toxin spread to other parts of the
body and caused botulism-like symptoms. Most physicians will not use
Botox when a woman is pregnant or breast-feeding.
