Everyone knows Botox. It’s one of the world’s most well known brand names, famous for its loyal following of celebrities and people around the world thanks to its power erasing wrinkles and lines on the upper third of the face.
With the holidays and all of the events you have coming up, maybe you should put Botox on your guest list. Now is the time to come see Dr. Admire and our entire team for a Botox session.
What is Botox?
Botox is made primarily from the botulinum toxin type A. These are the same bacteria that cause botulism, but they also exist throughout the natural world, showing up in typical forest soil, for instance. Back in the late 40s, doctors found that when the botulinum toxin was injected in minute amounts into a muscle it kept that muscle from contracting for a period of time. This proved useful in treating problems with involuntary muscle spasms, which was actually the first FDA approval of Botox in 1996 (for involuntary eyelid spasms).
But in 2002, Botox became a celebrity in its own right. That’s when the FDA approved Botox for treatment of wrinkles and lines on the upper third of the face, the expressive area. When we make certain expressions, such as frowning or showing surprise, you can feel the muscles around the eyes, between the brows, and on the forehead engage. Over time and hundreds of thousands of contractions, wrinkles form on the surface skin. These are known as dynamic wrinkles.
When Dr. Admire injects Botox into one of these muscles, say the muscles creating your crow’s feet, the Botox blocks the acetylcholine, the nerve messenger in the muscle, from sending the message to the brain to contract the muscle. The brain never receives the message to contract the muscle, so the muscle stays relaxed and the wrinkle above it is erased.
Where is Botox effective?
As noted in the FDA approval, Botox is used on the upper third of the face. It is excellent for addressing crow’s feet at the outside of the eyes, glabellar lines (colloquially known as the 11s) between your eyebrows, and on forehead lines. Botox only works on dynamic wrinkles caused by muscle contractions. It has no effect on sun-damaged skin causing wrinkles or areas of volume loss due to collagen decline. These are static wrinkles, and they are the domain of dermal fillers such as Juvederm.
How long does Botox take to work and how long will my wrinkles be gone?
Botox doesn’t work instantly. It takes about 3-4 days for the botulinum toxin to block the acetylcholine and stop the muscle contractions. From there, Botox usually delivers its magical wrinkle erasing for about four months. At that point, the body will absorb the now-inert Botox and the muscle will begin to contract again. When this happens, the wrinkle on the surface skin will return. Another Botox session will maintain your results.
Ready to erase your crow’s feet, your 11s, and your forehead lines before your office parties, dinners with neighbors, and family get-togethers? Contact us today at (480) 946-3155 to schedule your Botox session. It only takes about 15 minutes.