BOTOX®

During your BOTOX® injection, there may be an initial sting for a few seconds. After the initial injection, there is little or no discomfort. Further treatment may be advised. Generally, the effects of your Botox injections should last about 3-6 months. There are no known serious side effects, and Botox has been used safely for the past 10 years. Some temporary bruising may occur.

As a result of BOTOX® treatments, many patients gain a smooth, relaxed appearing, wrinkle-free brow. BOTOX® injections cannot help to improve wrinkles caused by aging and sun damaged skin, as these effects are unrelated to the facial muscles. Used in combination with laser skin resurfacing, BOTOX® may prolong results-especially those around the eyes.

Simply stated, BOTOX® is purified, made in the lab, botulism toxin. It is FDA approved for cosmetic applications. It is designed to relax the areas between the brows, the forehead, around the eyes, the neck and even the upper lip. This "relaxation" causes the wrinkles and lines to soften and sometimes, over time to disappear. The first time hurts the most but even this is very minimal. Until the doctor becomes familiar with how your muscles react, it may take some different injection patterns until you can pop in for a standard refill. It lasts for 3-4 months and you should follow up at the end of this time period. Over 5-6 sessions, it begins to last longer, allowing you to have treatments every 6 -8 months. You will leave our office with a few red pricks on your face, but there is no real down time. The full results are active in 24-72 hours, but you will see the lines and wrinkles smooth out increasing over the next few weeks.

Make sure your doctor uses only BOTOX® from Allergen, specifically formulated for cosmetic use. BOTOX® has gotten some bad press lately. Is it safe? Dr. Treece says, "if Botox was unsafe, I'd be dead!" The bad press seems to be from toxin "like" botox , but NOT botox. Ask your doctor. Also beware of "cheap" botox. Even if what you're getting is the real thing, it could be so diluted it doesn't work well or at all.