- Botox
- How did Botox begin?
- How is Botox administered and what wrinkles does Botox treat?
- How long does a Botox injection last?
- The sites on the body where Botox will work best
- Candidates for Botox
- Side effects and complications of Botox
- Medical and cosmetic uses of Botox
- Some questions about Botox answered
The botulinum toxin in the form of the brand your plastic surgeon or aesthetic medicine practitioner sells such as Botox, is first diluted in saline (sodium chloride or basically a salt water solution) and is then injected directly into the neuromuscular tissue. It can take between 3 and 7 days for the Botox to take effect, with full effects being achieved by 2 weeks, this is reflective of the time it takes the toxin to disrupt the muscles contracting and for the patient to see a noticeable result.
The procedure only lasts a few minutes and the drug is injected using a fine needle, causing only minor discomfort.
What kinds of wrinkles does Botox treat?
There are two different types of wrinkles, dynamic and static. Dynamic lines are wrinkles that appear when your face is animated, so when you smile or frown. Static lines are due to a loss of volume over time (these are better treated with dermal fillers).
Botox is used to treat dynamic lines, relaxing the muscles that create them and stopping more wrinkles from being formed. Botox is typically injected into the forehead, around the eyes, mouth (to soften lip lines) and also the neck.