Botox® is a toxin produced by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. It originally was used to restore a normal voice for people with a vocal chord condition called spasmodic dysphonia. It has also been used to treat uncontrollable eye twitches and embarrassing sweating of the palms and underarms. In the mid 1990’s, plastic surgeons began using Botox injections to treat facial wrinkles.

Botox® will dramatically improve (and often vanish) horizontal forehead creases, scowl lines between your eyebrows, crow’s feet, and vertical wrinkles of your upper lip.

HOW DOES BOTOX WORK?
Dynamic wrinkles, such as crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead wrinkles, are due to repetitive facial expression. Weakening the muscles responsible for these facial expressions can dramatically improve these wrinkles. With Botox®, these muscles can be weakened without detracting from your facial expressiveness.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THE PROCEDURE?
As Botox® is being injected, you may experience brief mild discomfort. Following injection, recovery is immediate; you may place make-up and return to work immediately. A few experience mild bruising which improves within a few days.

HOW SOON WILL I SEE RESULTS? HOW LONG WILL THE EFFECTS LAST?
Following the injections, it will take several days before you notice any change in your expression lines. The maximum effect is seen at 2 to 4 weeks. The results should last for 4-6 months. As the Botox® effects wear off, you will begin to notice increased muscle action and some reformation of wrinkles. Reinjections will be needed to maintain your results.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS WITH THIS TREATMENT?
The anticipated risk and discomforts of this treatment are minimal. You may experience temporary redness, bruising, or stinging around the injection sites. In rare cases, you could have a slight lid droop for several days or weeks after the injection. All the reported side effects of the medication have proven to be temporary. Very little of the botulinum toxin is absorbed into the bloodstream. No systemic adverse side effects have been reported from local injection of botulinum toxin at the doses used for facial wrinkles.