What Is
BOTOX®?
BOTOX®
Cosmetic is a simple, non-surgical, treatment that can
temporarily smooth moderate to severe frown lines, forehead
lines, crows feet, chin dimples, upper and lower lip lines and
even improve the appearance of the down-turned corners of the
mouth.
*One
10-minute treatment, a few tiny injections, and within days
there's a noticeable improvement in moderate to severe lines
and wrinkles which can last up to 4 months. Results may vary.
BOTOX®
Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium
botulinum bacterium, which reduces the activity of the
muscles that cause those frown lines between the brows to form
over time.
In 2005,
almost 3.3 million procedures were performed with FDA-approved
BOTOX® Cosmetic.
BOTOX® may work for you.
When it
comes to selecting an aesthetic treatment, chances are you?ll
want proof, not just claims. The proof for BOTOX®
Cosmetic is in the numbers.
-
In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed
rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines
between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after
treatment. Results vary.
-
Results can last for up to 4 months, and may vary.
-
BOTOX® Cosmetic was approved by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002. 3.3 million procedures
were performed in 2005 alone.
-
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
ranked BOTOX® Cosmetic as the most popular
aesthetic procedure in the United States for the fourth year
in a row (surgical and nonsurgical combined).
Why
skin ages.
One day
you looked in the mirror and studied those lines that furrowed
your brow, and you wondered: Where did they come from?
Is it just
aging? Too much sun? Too much stress? In general, how skin
ages and wrinkles is a complex process. It isn't just about
cellular changes, collagen depletion, hormone loss, damage
caused by free radicals, and so on; it's a combination of many
factors.
The
Anatomy of the Wrinkle
The lines that appear between your brows (glabellar lines)
actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time.
You may have heard the expression "wearing your emotions on
your sleeve," but in reality you wear them on your face. If
you're angry or annoyed, for example, you knit your brows
together. Underneath your skin, your facial muscles contract,
cause a pleating of the overlying skin, and then, as anyone
can see, you're frowning.
After
years of crinkling and wrinkling, those glabellar lines start
to linger longer and can become more pronounced. For women,
whose faces tend to be more animated than men's, and whose
skin is typically more delicate, these lines may appear
exaggerated and more permanent.
Fortunately, there is a way to temporarily reduce moderate to
severe glabellar lines. Treatment with BOTOX®
Cosmetic can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe
frown lines between your brows. An improvement can be seen
within days and may last up to 4 months, although results may
vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed
rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between
their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment.
What
to expect.
Before you
try and schedule your first BOTOX® Cosmetic
treatment consultation, you probably have some questions, such
as: How long will it take? How long will the results last?
Will it hurt? Will I still be able to make facial expressions?
Here's
what you might expect at the doctor's office from the moment
you arrive until your procedure is done. (Please note that
although this experience is typical, the routine at your
doctor's office may be different.)
The day
of your appointment.
Allow time before your appointment for filling out forms and
for consulting with the doctor or a member of his or her
staff. If it's your initial visit, you may first meet with
your doctor personally or a staff member. Many doctors have
on-staff licensed aestheticians or nurses who are trained in
skin care and skin care procedures who can answer many of your
questions.
You may
also be asked about your expectations for treatment and if you
have any allergies or any condition that wouldn't make you a
good candidate for BOTOX® Cosmetic.
Before
the procedure.
You'll probably be seated in a reclining chair, much like you
find in a dentist's office. No anesthesia is required,
although your doctor may choose to numb the area with a cold
pack or anesthetic cream.
The
procedure.
Your doctor will determine where to administer the injections
by examining your ability to move certain muscles in your brow
area. The entire BOTOX® Cosmetic injection
procedure takes approximately 10 minutes.
After
the procedure.
There's no recovery time needed. You're ready to get on with
your day! The most common side effects following injection
include temporary eyelid droop and nausea. Localized pain,
infection, inflammation, tenderness, swelling, redness, and/or
bleeding/bruising may be associated with the injection.
Patients with certain neuromuscular disorders such as ALS,
myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome may be at
increased risk of serious side effects.
Seeing
results.
Within days, you may notice an improvement in the moderate to
severe frown lines between your brows that can last up to 4
months. Results may vary.
The
injection process.
The beauty
of a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment is that it's a
simple, 10-minute, non-surgical process. A few tiny
injections, and within days there can be a noticeable
improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between the
brows that can last up to 4 months. Results may vary. And
there?s no recovery time. You can even do it on your lunch
break.
-
Your doctor will administer several tiny injections of
BOTOX® Cosmetic directly into the muscles that
cause those moderate to severe frown lines between the
brows.
-
Your doctor will determine where to administer the
injections by examining your ability to move certain muscles
in your brow area. The location, size, and use of the
muscles that create a furrowed brow vary markedly among
individuals.
-
No anesthesia is required, although your doctor may
choose to numb the area with a cold pack or anesthetic cream
prior to injecting. Discomfort is usually minimal and brief.
-
You can expect to be in and out of the physician?s
office without downtime. You may see a marked improvement in
the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows within
days. Improvement may continue for as long as a month, and
could last up to 4 months.
How
often is treatment recommended?
If you're
pleased with the results of a BOTOX® Cosmetic
treatment, you'll probably want to get on a treatment schedule
so you can keep on being pleased.
BOTOX®
Cosmetic is a non-surgical, physician-administered aesthetic
treatment that can temporarily reduce the moderate to severe
frown lines between your brows for up to 4 months. Within
days, you may see a noticeable improvement. Results may vary.
You can receive injections with BOTOX® Cosmetic up
to every 4 months to help you maintain the results.
If you
discontinue treatment, the frown lines between your brows
gradually will look like they did before treatment.
Side
effects of BOTOX®.
Do not use
BOTOX® Cosmetic if you:
-
have an infection where BOTOX® Cosmetic will
be injected
-
are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX®
Cosmetic
-
are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
What
should I tell my doctor before using BOTOX®
Cosmetic?
Only your
doctor can decide if BOTOX® Cosmetic is right for
you. Before starting treatment, tell your doctor if you:
-
have any diseases that affect your nerves and muscles.
These diseases may increase your chance of side effects with
BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment.
-
are breastfeeding
-
are planning to become pregnant soon.
Can any
of my medicines interact with BOTOX® Cosmetic?
Be sure that
your doctor knows the names of all the medicines you are
using, including:
-
antibiotics used to treat infections, such as gentamicin,
tobramycin, clindamycin, and lincomycin
-
medicines used to treat heart rhythm problems, such as
quinidine
-
medicines used to treat different conditions, such as
myasthenia gravis or Alzheimer?s disease.
As with
all prescription medicines, you should also notify your doctor
if you are taking any over-the-counter medicines or herbal
products.
This is
not a complete list of medicines that can interact with BOTOX®
Cosmetic.
Will
I be able to make facial expressions?
After
treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic, you may look in the
mirror and see a marked improvement in the moderate to severe
frown lines between your brows. But BOTOX® Cosmetic
will not radically change your facial appearance. You can
still frown or look surprised without the wrinkles and creases
between your brows.
BOTOX®
Cosmetic works by temporarily reducing the contractions of the
muscles that cause those persistent frown lines that have
developed between your brows over time.
Within
days, you may see an improvement that can last up to 4 months.
Results may vary. If you do not continue treatments, the frown
lines between your brows will gradually look like they did
before treatment.
What
does FDA approval mean?
You've
heard it many times before: A product is advertised as
"FDA-approved." But what does that really mean?
In the
United States, prescription drugs and biologics are required
to undergo rigorous laboratory, animal, and human clinical
testing before they can be put on the market. The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) reviews the results of these studies
to:
-
verify
the identity, potency, purity, and stability of the
"ingredients," and
-
demonstrate that the drug is safe and effective for its
intended use.
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What
about BOTOX® Cosmetic?
BOTOX®
Cosmetic received FDA approval in 2002 for the temporary
treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows
in people 18 to 65 years of age. BOTOX® Cosmetic is
available by prescription only.
Before and After Pictures
All subjects below are at
maximum frown in both before and after photos.