What is BOTOX® and how is it used?

The purpose of BOTOX® is to relax the facial muscles causing a wrinkling between the eyebrows, upper nose, and around the eyes. BOTOX® is a highly purified solution of a motor nerve blocking agent. It is approved by the FDA and has been for nearly 20 years for treatment of patients who suffer from spasm of the upper eyelid muscles. By carefully injecting minute amounts of BOTOX® directly into the overactive muscle tissue, a temporary relaxation of the muscle is achieved. The long history of safety and effectiveness of BOTOX® makes it a very useful treatment for wrinkles.

BOTOX® treatment does not require anesthesia, however, an anesthetic cream or cold compress may be used to numb the area before injection. There is very little discomfort from the fine needle stick and occasionally a temporary redness or slight discoloration may develop around the injection site (easily covered with makeup).

Smoothing muscles to smooth skin.

Muscle movement occurs when a signal is transmitted by the brain through nerve cells. As the impulse reaches the nerve endings, a chemical transmitter, acetylcholine, is released near the adjacent muscle fiber. The release of this transmitter causes the muscle to contract. BOTOX® is a therapeutic muscle-relaxing agent that blocks the release of acetylcholine from the nerve endings. When targeted for specific facial muscles, BOTOX® blocks the release of acetylcholine, allowing the over active facial muscles to relax and forehead frown lines, laugh lines or wrinkles around the eyes to disappear.

Is BOTOX® the best treatment for you?

A complete facial analysis will determine which patients and what areas may benefit from BOTOX® treatment. Since BOTOX® can only treat wrinkles caused by wrinkle contraction, lines and wrinkles caused by loose or excess skin may require resurfacing by laser or chemical peel for maximum improvement. Excess skin around the eyes may require blepharoplasty (eyelid tuck) to correct signs of aging.

What results can be expected?

BOTOX® treatments take only a few minutes, and make-up may be applied right after the procedure. Normal activity may be resumed immediately. Results begin to show 2 to 7 days after treatment and usually last for 3 to 6 months. During this time, muscle activity will gradually return and additional treatments are usually needed to maintain the effect. Some patients, after two or three treatments, will show prolonged relaxation of these muscles (up to one year).

Patient instructions after BOTOX® treatment:

Although BOTOX® has a long history of clinical use in children and excellent safety record, there are certain precautions that should be taken after treatment. They are simple but should be followed carefully.

• First, do not massage or manipulate the treatment area for 3 to 4 hours. This will keep BOTOX® in the desired location.

• Second, the patient should remain in the upright and sitting position for 3 to 4 hours, as this will prevent BOTOX® from moving into other facial muscles.

• Third, the patient should move the affected muscles by frowning or squinting as much as possible in the first 3 to 4 hours after treatment. This will help to move the BOTOX® toward the nerve connections and speed up its effect.

Occasionally, there might be a slight redness or burning in the treated areas. This is easily covered with make-up. However if you note swelling or soreness, please call the office. Ice packs or Tylenol® are usually the only post-operative medication needed.

If you are an image-conscious individual and are concerned about facial wrinkles, laugh lines and frown lines, a complete consultation with your doctor will help you decide if BOTOX® treatments and/ or other procedures are right for you.