What Is Botox: The Complete Guide
Fillers in Dubai | 12 May 2020
What are Wrinkle Relaxing (Botox®) Injections?
Wrinkle relaxing injections are more commonly referred to as Botox®, short for Botulinum Toxin. Botox® itself is a registered trademark and brand name by the market leader, but other Botulinum Toxin products are available.
Whatever you call it and regardless of brand, Botox® when injected acts as a nerve block. So what really happens is your brain sends the message to the muscle to move, however the nerve can no longer respond as the Botox® has blocked the message being sent, resulting in a reduction in the movement of the muscle. This helps to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, as these are caused by repetitive contractions of the muscle. It’s also used to relax tight muscles, which is more common in the lower face.
The thing to remember here is that this is only a temporary effect, eventually the Botox® wears off and the muscle starts moving as it did previously.
Is Botox® safe?
Botox® has been used in cosmetic procedures for at least the past 50 years – yes that’s right, it’s been around that long! Once reserved for the rich and famous due to its cost, it is now used widely mainly due to the reduction in the cost of treatments over the past 20 years. It is extremely rare for individuals to be allergic to Botox® or have anaphylactic reactions to it post injection.
What is Botox® used for?
More and more studies are carried out on Botox® every year and the list of the conditions it can treat almost seem endless, it is now known to significantly reduce facial scarring after trauma and also reduce psoriasis skin plaques; it really is a wonder drug. I use Botox® on both men and women to smooth out lines and wrinkles around the eyes, on the forehead and the glabella (between the eyebrows). I also use it to relax muscles around the lower jaw and smooth out the neck, this procedure is called the Nefertiti Lift.
You can also use Botox® to treat Hyperhidrosis,also known as excessive sweating. Although you can have the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet treated, the most common area tends to be the armpits. It’s a highly successful treatment that can significantly reduce the amount of sweat produced under the arm and for real sufferers of excessive sweating, this treatment can be a real lifesaver, especially during the summer months.
People also use Botox® to help alleviate the symptoms of migraines, unlike other headaches migraines are transmitted across the nerve endings of the forehead, by having Botox® in this area and blocking the nerve endings the migraine isn’t able to travel and for many people it will stop it altogether.
Are there any side effects to Botox®?
The most common side effects are slight swelling at the injection site, this is normal and shows that the Botox® has got into the muscle; these little bumps will go down within approximately 40 minutes. You may also have some redness around the injection site and you may get some bruising. If you do get bruising it is likely to be small pin prick marks which will may take up to 7 days to completely disappear. Some people do suffer with headaches post treatment, if you do just take Paracetamol or Ibuprofen as you would do normally.
One side-effect of Botox® that concerns people is something called a ptosis, these are related to injections of Botox® in the forehead when post treatment the brow drops and feels very heavy. Full ptosis is extremely rare, however what is more common is something called a partial ptosis, if you get a partial ptosis it is unlikely that anyone else will notice and it will resolve within about 4-6 weeks.
How quickly will I see results from a Botox® treatment?
You will start to see results about 4 days post treatment, however it could take 10-14 days for the full results to be seen. We expect to see a significant reduction in the size and the depth of the lines and wrinkles 14 days post treatment.
How long do the results last?
Typically results can last between 3-6 months, generally you start to see some muscle movement around 3 months post treatment, however it takes about 5-6 months for full muscle movement to return. Most people tend to have Botox® treatment every 4 months, the more you have it done, the longer the results tend to last.
Will Botox® make me feel numb?
No, everything will feel just as it did before, you will not have any reduced sensation in the area you’ve had treated. Some people have reported that their forehead feels “tight” and occasionally the brow may feel a little heavy, but these feelings are likely to reduce over the first 4-6 weeks following treatment.
How should I prepare for a Botox® treatment?
If you are concerned about bruising, or you tend to bruise easily avoid taking Aspirin, Ibuprofen and Vitamins for 3 days before treatment.
12 May 2020 | Fillers in Dubai