There are more than two dozen muscles in your face and each is responsible for helping you to make facial expressions. When you do use your muscles to smile, frown, or raise your eyebrows in surprise, the skin on your face can crinkle and fold. When you are young, your skin simply bounces back after each expression. However, after many years of making these expressions, these folds can become more permanent.
If repetitive muscle movement in your face has started to cause deep lines around your eyes or on your forehead, you can use Botox treatments to help relax these muscles. During our Botox treatments at Chetco Medical and Aesthetics, we are experienced in targeting the muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles and treating them so that these wrinkles and lines disappear.
What Is Botox?
Botox is a medication that is made by Allergan. This treatment has been widely used for many years to minimize the appearance of wrinkles on the face. The main ingredient in Botox is a substance called botulinum toxin. When used in small doses, such as those used in cosmetic injections, Botox can have many benefits including temporary wrinkle removal and facial contouring.
Botulinum toxin is a neuromodulator which means that it can interrupt the signals between nerves and muscles. These neuromodulators cause certain muscles in the face to relax and not be as reactive when you make a facial expression. If injected into the muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles, the skin in these areas can stay smooth even when you smile or frown.
How Long Does Botox Take to Work?
Each of our patients has a unique body chemistry and will respond differently to Botox treatments. However, the average amount of time that it takes to begin seeing results is between three and seven days. It generally takes one month to see your complete results. Over time, your wrinkles can start to smooth and your face can start to look more refreshed. We have found that results can also increase when maintenance treatments are scheduled regularly.
How Long Does Botox Last?
Botox is a temporary treatment that will eventually wear off as your body metabolizes the botulinum toxin in the area where it was injected. This process typically takes three to four months. Patients who have had treatments before may be able to go longer in between treatments, while first-time patients may need a top-off sooner.
Will Your Results Look Natural?
Injecting Botox is a combination of science and art. A good injector will know how to customize treatments to fit the patient’s needs and goals. Most people who come to our clinic are interested in Botox treatments that will smooth out wrinkles without making their face look “frozen” or unnatural. We often encourage lighter applications, especially for the first treatment, to help give us a foundation to work on and to avoid overdone looks.
What Areas Can Be Treated With Botox?
Forehead Lines
Raising your eyebrows is a subconscious expression that can often accompany many different emotions from surprise and fear to displeasure and disapproval. For some people, these natural expressions can occur so frequently that wrinkles can begin to appear on their forehead even when they are younger. Injections can be given in a specific pattern to allow for continued expression without causing the skin in this area to fold anymore.
Frown Lines
Frown lines can go by many names including glabellar lines and 11s. They are the small vertical lines that often appear between the eyebrows when you frown, concentrate, or squint at a bright light. For some people, these lines can make them appear more somber even when they have a neutral facial expression. Botox is FDA-approved to treat frown lines.
Crow’s Feet
Crow’s feet or laugh lines can appear at the corners of your eyes and become more pronounced as you age. While some movement in this area is important to allow for a natural smile, light Botox treatments can be given in this area to smooth out wrinkles and make you look more youthful.
Are Treatments Painful?
Botox injections are given with a needle that is much smaller than needles that are used to draw blood. This minimizes the pain that is experienced at the injection site. Some people may not notice the injections at all while others may experience a small pinch. Topical numbing cream can make your treatment more comfortable. This can be applied 15-20 minutes before your injections to give it time to take effect.
Is There Any Downtime Associated With Botox?
One of the benefits of Botox is the short recovery time. Many of our patients come in for their Botox injections during their lunch break and then return straight to work. While you can return to most of your normal activities, we recommend staying away from facial massage after the treatment as well as intense workouts. You should also avoid extreme temperatures and prolonged exposure to sunlight.
Learn More About Botox Injections By Scheduling a Consultation in Brookings, OR
Are you looking for proven ways to help reduce the wrinkles on your face? Botox is one of the most trusted wrinkle treatments on the market today and it can be the right treatment for many people. At Chetco Medical and Aesthetics in Brookings, OR, we offer Botox treatments in a comfortable and relaxed environment. With years of experience in administering Botox injections, we can give you customized treatments that take your comprehensive health into consideration. We look forward to having a consultation with you to discuss whether Botox is the right cosmetic treatment for you.