If you have ever considered a botox treatment and then realized that you don’t really know enough about it, read on.
With over 6,000,000 injections per year, Botox is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments. Although it has been in use for over 20 years, there are still some misconceptions floating around.
Botox is derived from a neurotoxin produced by a natural forming bacteria, Clostridium Botulinum. When applied properly and in small doses, it will make wrinkles disappear. In addition, it has a number of medical and therapeutic uses like control of excessive sweating or bladder issues.
The way our body works, a nerve releases a signal called a neurotransmitter to the muscle causing it to move. If you block that neurotransmitter to specific muscles, the muscle won’t move…and wrinkles won’t form.
For cosmetic purposes Botox is generally used to relax muscles to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and to prevent additional fine lines from forming. The typical areas of treatment include for forehead, around the eyes, and between the eyebrows. However, depending on the individual, it can also be used to soften neck and chin lines, around the mouth and jaw, and to lift the corners of the mouth. For wrinkles, the Botox inhibits or stops the facial muscle from moving as it had in the past, in that way the wrinkle eases and the face softens.
For medical conditions, it has been used to treat excessive sweating especially in the hands and feet. It can also be used to correct eye squints, jaw tension, migraines, overactive bladders, and some involuntary tics, contractions and spasms.
The amount or strength of the injection doesn’t depend on the depth of the lines, but on the strength of the muscle. Usually around 20 units of Botox will be sufficient for forehead wrinkles; 2 to 10 for crow’s feet.
The injection will take around a day or two to fully affect the muscle. Then about 3 to 7 days later you will see a marked change. About 10 days to two weeks later, the full effects of the injection will be revealed. These changes will last at least three months and many treatments last for up to six months. It will depend upon how the dosage reacts for the individual and how the body metabolizes the neurotoxin.
If for some reason the Botox injection goes awry, there is no fix. The patient simply needs to wait (as calmly as possible) until the effects wear off. It is possible that an injection of Botox can be excessive and cause problems.
When performed correctly, Botox recipients can still make appropriate facial expressions and not have a “frozen” look. The issues develop if the dosage is too high or it has been injected in the wrong direction.
This is why it is critical that you only receive Botox injections from qualified professionals like those at Botox Ottawa Downtown. If you are interested in this treatment, please contact our office to arrange an appointment to discuss the work you would like and options available.
