Botox® Wrinkle Reduction Treatment

Botox treatments are a simple, safe, and effective way to improve facial expression lines (frown lines between the eyebrows, crow's feet at the outside corner of the eyes, forehead wrinkles), and muscle bands in the front of the neck. Many of these problems are hereditary and are all signs of aging. "Botox" is the brand name for botulinum toxin.

Injection of minute amounts weakens specific muscles and prevents frowning, crow's feet, and expression lines. The results are usually dramatic within 5 to 7 days. A single injection of Botox can immobilize muscles for as long as 4 to 6 months. The treatment "quiets" the upper one-third of the face and the neck and can make a patient look years younger. Botox is safe and effective and provides results that were previously possible only with extensive cosmetic surgery.

How does Botox work?
Botox blocks impulses from the nerve to the tiny facial muscles that are related to expression lines. Botox relaxes the muscles so they do not contract. After treatment, the overlying skin remains smooth and unwrinkled while the untreated facial muscles contract as usual, allowing normal facial expression to be unaffected.

How safe are Botox treatments?
Botox injections have been used safely and effectively for over ten years to treat many ophthalmologic and neurological disorders. Each year many thousands of patients receive Botox treatments for a variety of conditions. It is becoming and increasingly popular treatment for reversing the visible signs of aging.

What is the treatment like?
Using a tiny micro-needle, a very small amount of Botox is injected, very precisely, into several locations in the face. No sedation or local anesthetic is required and you can resume normal activities immediately. When injected in minute amounts, Botox works to incapacitate those muscles that cause you to frown. Unlike collagen, there are no allergies associated with Botox. The injections take about 10 minutes, are inexpensive, and the effect usually lasts from four to six months.

Are there any side effects?
Some patients may experience a slight, temporary bruising at the injection site. This can be easily covered with makeup. In some cases, the Botox can migrate and cause a temporary weakness of nearby muscles. In rare cases, there can be a drooping of an eyelid or asymmetry of facial expression. The risk of any side effect depends on the muscles treated. Dr. Ellerin will discuss this with you, in detail, before your treatment.

To determine if Botox is right for you, contact us for an appointment to learn about this exciting procedure and the other skin care solutions we offer.