Botox

BOTOX® Cosmetic (Botulinum Toxin Type A) is a purified and sterilized extract from bacteria. It has been FDA approved since 2002 to treat the area between the eyes in a specific muscle area. However, it may be used "off-label" in other areas. Doctors have used BOTOX® Cosmetic for over 17 years to treat various medical conditions, especially around the eyes. BOTOX® Cosmetic was the most popular cosmetic procedure performed in 2007 with nearly 2.8 million treatments.
Over time, active muscle contaction will result in visible lines on the face. Lines in these areas are called dynamic lines because they are caused by over active muscles. This type of line is the type of line that can be treated with Botox. Static lines, on the other hand, are lines that are visible even when the muscles are at rest. These lines are usually treated with an injectable filler such as Juvederm, Restylane or Evolence. For example, scowl lines, frown lines, and crow's feet are some of the most concerning dynamic lines for both men and women. These lines or furrows will continue to deepen and worsen with continued muscle activity and aging.
BOTOX® Cosmetic works by temporarily weakening the targeted facial muscles. Therefore, they are not able to cause the deep furrows. During treatment, very small doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic is administered through a series of tiny injections into the area of the muscles and takes about two to five days to take effect on the muscle area. Over the following days to weeks, the lines will fade away. The timing to see results varies with the severity of the lines and furrows. They can be quite dramatic and the effects usually last 3 to 4 months in some cases longer. The length of time that the injections last also depends on the patients genetics (muscle density), the amount of BOTOX® injected, how fresh the BOTOX® is, and the skill of the plastic surgeon doing the injections. Treatments done in proper conditions will usually last progressively longer up to a point that is determined again by the BOTOX® quantity and the patient's metabolism of the product.
The common misconception about Botox is that it will give the patient a "frozen" or expressionless appearance. In fact, when administered by an experienced plastic surgeon you will still be able to smile, frown and look surprised but with less or no lines in the areas treated. If you decide to discontinue using BOTOX® Cosmetic, you will usually have a return of some of your previous muscle activity.
Some of the side effects of a treatment, though rare, may include temporary bruising, tenderness at the injection site, and headache. Depending on the where the injections are placed you may experience brow asymmetry, forehead wrinkle asymmetry or other facial asymmetry secondary to how a muscle responds to the injections. These types of issues are also temporary and can usually be adjusted by additional BOTOX® Cosmetic into the areas. More concerning, is when the medication is injected or diffuses into other muscle groups that are not intended to be treated. When this occurs you may experience complications secondary to these other muscles not working correctly. This can occur with treatment of the scowl lines and you may experience a lowering of your eyelid. This is very rare, and when it occurs it will last a few weeks. This can be treated with eye drops however when the eye drop medication wears off, the eyelid will droop again. This complication is usually seen with aggressive injections near these eye muscles. Be sure to discuss this with Dr. Garramone is you have questions or concerns.
Botox has been used therapeutically for more than 17 years and is approved for use in more than 75 countries.

This text does not contain all the information known about these products. For more information, please consult www.botoxcosmetic.com.