Botox Treatment

What does Botox treat?
Botox both treats and prevents wrinkles. Typically it is used to treat and prevent the wrinkles from the movements of facial expressions.

What location is Botox used to treat?
The locations most commonly treated with Botox include: The lines between the eyes, the forehead lines, the lines around the eyes.
And more advanced techniques include: the lines around the mouth, the upper lip, to make more of the pink part show, the chin to decrease the pebbling of the skin, the neck to get rid of the vertical and fine lines. Additionally, it can be used in the corners of the mouth to turn them up when they are downturned at rest.

Who is a good candidate for Botox?
Anyone is an excellent candidate for Botox. My younger patients use Botox to prevent wrinkles, whereas my older patients use Botox to both prevent and treat wrinkles that are already there.

Any caution relating to patients with neuromuscular disorders?
Caution is advised in paints with neuromuscular disorders, such as myasthenia gravis.

How does the Botox treatment work?
Botox works by binding to the receptor that causes the muscles to contract. This makes the muscles relaxed. The relaxation of the muscles allows the skin to recover and rejuvenate itself so that the wrinkles are no longer present. This helps to both treat and prevent wrinkles as the skin is not constantly being creased, creating the wrinkle.

How do you prepare for your Botox treatment?
There is little to no preparation for a Botox treatment. In order to decrease the risk of bruising, if you take supplements such as fish oil or Vitamin E, it’s recommended that you stop taking them one week prior to your appointment.

What happens on your treatment day?
Upon arrival to the skin & veins institute for your Botox appointment, you will be brought into the numbing room. There, I will discuss with you your treatment goals and how many units of Botox we will use. You will then relax for about 20 minutes while your skin numbs.

Is there any downtime?
After numbing, you will then be treated with Botox. It is virtually painless and well tolerated. Afterwards, there is little to no downtime and you are able to return to your regular activities.

What are the side effects?
There are very few side effects to Botox. On rare occasions, patients will experience a bruise and if that happens it is important for you to call the Skin & Vein institute so we can see you the next day and treat you with a laser so that the bruise resolves in 24 to 48 hours. Rarely, the patient will experience a headache, which can last up to a week and typically resolves on its own. It typically only occurs with the first time that you receive the injections and does not occur at the further treatments.

Are there any precautions to consider?
A word of caution to patients looking around for Botox injection. Though the injections appear easy, it does take great skill and artistry to ensure that the eyebrows move evenly, there are no “Spock” eyebrows that the face moves in a coordinated fashion, and that there is no eyebrow or eyelid drooping. Therefore it is important to check the qualifications of your physician to ensure that they are an expert injector, and that you receive the very best care.

Is Botox safe and effective?
Botox is safe and effective for both the treatment and prevention of wrinkles. It is by far the best treatment out there for wrinkles created by the movement of muscles, and is definitely one of the safest treatments you can receive.

Why is Botox strongly recommended?
I strongly recommend that my patients add Botox to their skin care routine because it prevents new wrinkles from forming. It treats the wrinkles that are already there; it creates a natural refreshed look and keeps you looking youthful for your days to come.

Dr. Amanda Lloyd is a board certified dermatologist who practices the full spectrum of dermatology including laser and cosmetics, skin cancer management including Mohs surgery and cosmetic reconstruction, medical dermatology and phlebology. Dr. Lloyd is a firm believer in providing her patients with the most effective evidence based dermatologic care in both the medical and aesthetic realm so her patients can look stunning, always!