Undoubtedly one of the greatest and most exciting advances in cosmetic procedures for improving and even erasing the most obvious signs of aging was the discovery of Botulinum Toxin A. BOTOX® Cosmetic, or Botulinum Toxin A, has become the most requested cosmetic treatment in the United States over the past ten years, and it’s no wonder why. Safe and effective, Botox can be administered in a matter of minutes in a medical spa setting and within a couple of days you will see those unwanted dynamic lines and wrinkles of the face disappear, leaving a more youthful, rested-looking appearance.
Here’s how it works: We have two sets of nerves in the body, one is the sensory nerves which give us feeling through our skin, while another set of nerves tells our muscles to move and is dependent on the release of a chemical to respond. Botulinum Toxin A prevents the release of this chemical so the nerve can’t tell the muscle to move. Botulinum Toxin A only affects the nerves that control muscles, not sensory nerves. It cannot and will not cause any numbness in the injected areas. Also, since the muscle itself is not altered, it remains in fine working order.
Botox is injected through the skin using a microfine needle, and takes somewhere from 2 to 10 days to exert its maximum effect. This effect usually peaks in 1 to 4 weeks maintaining a steady level that starts a gradual decline at 3 to 4 months. This decline varies individually and can last up to 6 to 12 months. As the toxin wears off, your wrinkles gradually return but are not any worse than before the treatment. With repeated injections, the effects generally tend to last longer.
We schedule all patients who receive Botulinum Toxin A for a follow-up appointment 2 weeks after treatment.