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Did you know Botox Cosmetic is one of the safest treatments available to eradicate wrinkles? It’s true! It’s known for having limited side effects and being suitable for almost all adults who want to prevent or erase facial lines.
If you’re new to Botox, you likely have many questions to answer when taking the first step towards a wrinkle-free you. Please keep reading to learn what you can expect from this infamous wrinkle relaxer with our list of 10 things beginners should know about Botox.
1. Botox® is Only One Brand of Wrinkle Relaxer
Botox Cosmetic has become synonymous with anti-wrinkle treatment, likely because it was the first treatment of its kind to be approved by the FDA. But it’s only one of several anti-wrinkle injectables. Other well-known brands include Dysport, Xeomin, Daxxify and Jeuveau, all neuromodulators made from a similar toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. And you may have heard about dermal fillers, but they aren’t the same. Dermal fillers are used to create fuller lips and to fill in wrinkles and folds. While these fillers and neuromodulators share a similar end goal, they differ significantly in modality.
2. Lots of People Get Botox
Not so long ago, Botox was tabloid fodder for the rich and famous. Today, millions of everyday Americans get Botox injections to diminish wrinkles and for other cosmetic purposes. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, this treatment remains the most frequently performed minimally invasive cosmetic procedure in the US year after year since its introduction in 2002.
In the not-so-distant past, surveys showed that most Botox users were working moms in their 40s to 50s. But now Botox is becoming increasingly popular among men and women in their 20s and 30s as a preventive treatment. Catch those lines before they get a chance to form.
3. It Paralyzes Facial Muscles
Botox belongs to a class of drugs known as neuromodulators. More specifically, it’s a drug containing the purified form of Botulinum toxin type A. This protein can cause the potentially deadly disease botulism. But in its refined form and the small doses found in Botox, science has found that it prevents specific muscles from moving.
When injected into specific facial muscles, it prevents communication between nerve signals responsible for muscle contraction. This keeps you from excessively frowning and squinting, which helps smooth out wrinkles and prevent new ones from forming.
4. We Use It Mostly on the Upper Face
Botox Cosmetic is FDA-approved for temporarily treating moderate to severe frown lines, worry lines and crow’s feet. Treating wrinkles in the lower face with Botox can unfavorably affect your facial expressions, giving you a frown or downcast and tired look that’s the opposite of fresh and youthful. This is why dermal fillers are preferred for lower face areas such as nasolabial folds, marionette lines and smoker’s lips instead. However, we can use Botox to contour your lower face by injecting it into specific jaw muscles, resulting in a slimmed-down appearance.
5. It Has Countless Other Benefits
Botox is not just for those “11 lines” between your brows. We can use it to diminish deep chin dimples, create a more prominent cupid’s bow on your lips and lift the brow. Injecting smaller doses of Botox into oily skin can even reduce sebum production and shrink your pores. Botox has also been approved for treating excessive sweating, migraines and overactive bladder, and there’s new evidence that Botox may work as an antidepressant for certain people.
6. Botox Is a Lunchtime Procedure
Before Botox, getting a cosmetic treatment usually meant undergoing plastic surgery with a long recovery. But with Botox, you can get rid of wrinkles and enhance facial contours during your lunch break. No preparation is needed for your appointment — although we recommend avoiding blood thinning medication and supplements a week before. And your skin should be free of active infections. The Botox injections will take around 30 minutes to an hour to be administered, and you can resume your typical day soon after. It’s a great option to squeeze in during your lunch break, and no one will know!
7. The Effects Are Temporary But Buildable
Another great thing about Botox is that it’s temporary. Initial effects last around three to six for most patients, so if you end up not absolutely thrilled with your results, there’s no worry— the effects eventually wear off. Since you’re likely to really love your results, you can repeat them periodically, and studies show that each subsequent injection tends to prolong effects. So you’ll eventually require fewer injections, and each one will last longer than ever.
8. It’s Not as Painful as It Seems
Botox is injected directly into muscles with needles. That may sound painful, but minimal discomfort is involved in this treatment. The 30-gauge needles used for this treatment are very thin, which helps minimize pain. You may feel brief mild pinching or stinging as the needle is injected into facial muscles. For really sensitive patients, a numbing cream may be administered ahead of time. Post-treatment, it’s normal to feel a bit of numbness or tingling and see swelling at the injection site. Once the effects of Botox kick in, you will notice that you cannot move the treated facial muscles as before (which may take a short time to get used to) and kick off the wrinkle-reducing effects.
9. There’s No ‘Ideal Time’ to Start Botox
Botox has been approved for use on anyone 18 years and older, and there’s no such thing as the best age to start. Known as preventive Botox, many folks as young as their 20s and 30s are now deciding to get this treatment early in life to maintain their youthful appearance and avoid aging. Botox can diminish existing wrinkles in people 40 years of age and older and stop new ones in their tracks before they form. Even if you have many wrinkles and folds, this treatment can be used in conjunction with fillers, lasers and peels to rejuvenate your face.
10. Pricing Depends on Units of Product
A unit of Botox is a measure that helps providers determine how much product to inject. Botox is usually sold in 100-unit vials. Each unit of Botox costs between $10-$25, depending on the practice. The number of units needed for your lines depends on many factors, such as the severity and number of your wrinkles as well as your gender. Men usually need more units because they have stronger facial muscles that are “tougher” to paralyze. All in all, you can expect your treatment to cost between $300 and $600.
Have More Questions About Botox?
If you’re ready for Botox, don’t hesitate to schedule your consultation with New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Bhupesh Vasisht at South Shore Plastic Surgery in New Jersey. Dr. V is happy to answer all your questions about all of our injectables and other anti-aging procedures. Call 856-784-2639 to get started today!
