What is Botox®?
Botox® is an FDA-approved, injectable wrinkle-reduction treatment. Botox® temporarily relaxes the muscles that contract to form wrinkles. That means the skin around those muscles won’t wrinkle as easily anymore.
Botox has several different uses in medicine today, but its cosmetic uses focus on wrinkles in the top third of the face. The main areas for cosmetic Botox include:
- “11” lines between eyebrows
- Long lines on the forehead
- Crow’s feet near the eyes
Botox is effective for relaxing fine lines and wrinkles, but it’s not meant for deep volume-related facial folds. For those types of wrinkles, a dermal filler from Juvéderm® is a better choice.
How does the Botox treatment process work?
Dr. Hanson typically starts your treatment by applying a topical anesthetic cream, an ice pack for numbing, or both to the treatment area. Once your skin feels numb, Dr. Hanson makes a series of injections using a very fine syringe.
The total number of injections that Dr. Hanson does depends on which area needs treatment. For the between-brow lines, Dr. Hanson typically does a total of five small injections in the muscles between and above your eyebrows.
For forehead lines, Dr. Hanson typically places five small injections across a large forehead muscle. For crow’s feet, Dr. Hanson usually does a total of six injections, three on the left outer eye area muscles and three on the right.
The whole injection process takes only about 10 minutes. Dr. Hanson may apply an ice pack again after treatment to enhance your comfort.
What is the Botox recovery process?
One of the main advantages of Botox for wrinkle reduction is that there’s no downtime. Dr. Hanson will give you a list of precautions to follow for the next day or two, including:
- Avoid lying down flat for at least a few hours
- Avoid sun and indoor tanning for at least a day
- Don’t rub or scrub the treatment area
- Don’t do any aggressive facial treatments, like chemical peels, for at least a day
Overall, the recovery process is very quick and easy.
When will I see results, and how long does Botox work for?
You may notice wrinkle relaxation as soon as 24-48 hours after your treatment. Botox lasts 3-4 months in most patients.
Use the online booking tool now or call for your Botox appointment with Dr. Hanson today.
