What To Know Before Trying Neuromodulators AKA Botox
What is Botox?
Botox is a neurotoxin made from the microbes that cause botulism (a kind of food poisoning). But don’t worry, it’s safe if used appropriately by a medical professional.
Botox is most well known as a cosmetic treatment to smooth facial wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing muscles. Health care professionals also use Botox to treat neuromuscular conditions like migraine, muscle spasms, and hyperhidrosis, a condition characterized by abnormal and excessive sweating.
Injectable wrinkle treatments include Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin which are called neuromodulators, and are classified as a prescription drug. The term “Botox” is now used interchangeably with neuromodulator, similar to the way we say “kleenex” and mean facial tissue. Each brand of neuromodulator is comprised of a different subtype of botulinum toxin protein.
What is Botox used for?
If you want to improve lines and wrinkles that can make you look older Botox, Dysport or Xeomin treatments may be the solution. Some wrinkles are caused by daily facial movements from muscle contraction. Repeated folding of the skin causes “dynamic” wrinkles. Dynamic lines are more common with age as our skin becomes thinner, and loses elasticity. By preventing the contraction of targeted facial muscles, Botox softens lines and wrinkles leading to an improved appearance.
You may be surprised to learn that botulinum toxin is used to treat over 20 medical conditions! Some examples of therapeutic uses of Botox are relaxing muscle spasms in children with cerebral palsy or adults following strokes; strabismus (crossed eyes); weak bladder causing incontinence; TMJ disorder; teeth grinding; and chronic migraine headache.
Botox is used most often to soften frown lines (or glabellar lines). These are the lines formed by frowning or furrowing your eyebrows. Frown lines are sometimes called the “number 11 lines”, as they are often vertical creases between the eyebrows. Botox is also approved for treatment of the crow’s feet: the crinkles that form at the outer corners of your eyes and appear when you squint or smile. Nurse Ifeoma also uses Botox to:
soften the horizontal forehead lines
lift droopy eyebrows
smooth vertical lines around the lips (the lipstick lines)
reduce the vertical neck bands for a neck lift (called platysmal bands)
improve the horizontal neck lines (so called necklace lines)
reshape the jawline (by injecting the masseter muscles)
gently lift the corners of the mouth so you look less sad
soften bunny lines (wrinkles on the upper sides of the nose)
treat Hyperhidrosis or excessive localized sweating (armpits, palms and soles)
What happens during your Botox visit?
Let’s consider how Botox works on frown lines in more detail. Frown lines appear between the eyebrows as the result of repeated skin folding from muscles pulling the eyebrows together. When we frown, squint or become angry the muscles between the eyebrows, below the skin surface, contract. With time and age, these normal muscle contractions cause the skin to move repeatedly leading to creases, lines or wrinkles. As we age, the skin is thinner and has less ability to rebound from being repeatedly folded or creased. As a result, the frown lines become a permanent fixture on our face, and makes us appear angry, stern, cross or serious.
Nurse Ifeoma will carefully assess how your frown muscles contract: this is critical! We don’t all frown the same! A small injection of botulinum toxin will interrupt the neuromuscular signal. Without the signal, the muscle is unable to contract. And without repeated contraction of the targeted frown muscles, the overlying skin smoothes and the creases and lines soften.
How long does a Botox treatment take?
A Botox treatment in is sometimes referred to as a lunch time treatment. A typical neuromodulator visit takes no more than 15 minutes from start to finish. It takes more time to explain the procedure than to administer your Botox treatment! There is no recovery time: many happy patients return to work right after their visit.
What happens after your Botox treatment?
Following your Botox treatment, Nurse Ifeoma recommends you remain upright for 4 hours. (You can look down, but don’t bend forward or lay down). You should not rub, touch, wash or massage the treated area for 4 hours. You want to keep all the neuromodulator in the area injected for the best result, and to prevent migration of the chemical. Do not reapply makeup to the treated area for 4 hours. Please Avoid vigorous exercise right after your neuromodulator treatment.
Immediately following your treatment, you may see tiny red dots or tiny swellings at the injection sites. This is from the tiny needles used to administer the neuromodulator. These marks typically disappear in a few hours. As with any needle based treatment, there is a small chance you may get a tiny bruise from your Botox treatment. If a bruise develops, it is usually pin point in size, and easily hidden with a dab of makeup or concealer. If you bruise easily, or take a blood thinner, you have an increased risk of bruising from any type of injection, including neuromodulator injections. If possible Nurse Ifeoma recommends you stop your blood thinners (including baby aspirin) for about a week prior to injections (with approval from your treating doctor). In addition to blood thinners, supplements including Omega-3, Vitamin E, and green tea and alcoholic beverages seem to increase the risk of bruising so it is recommended you discontinue these for about a week also.
How long does Botox last?
For the average woman or man who chooses a Botox treatment, you can expect to see results in 3-14 days. Everyone metabolizes the botulinum toxin chemical differently, and this explains why there is range when you will notice improvement in your dynamic wrinkles. The average patient notices their Botox kicks in around day 5 or 6. If you are new to Botox treatment, you can expect the results to last 12-16 weeks on average. Again remember there is individual variation in the duration of neuromodulator results. Nurse Ifeoma will guide you on when you should schedule your next visit.
Think of Botox as a way to slow down the “aging clock”. If you stop neuromodulator treatment, your aging clock resumes, and your wrinkles or lines will return to where you started. By maintaining the results of your Botox treatment with regular visits, you keep looking refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated, and will delay the appearance of more creases and wrinkles.
Botox therapy is only one of a number of non-surgical options that can help you achieve a younger, smoother appearance. Nurse Ifeoma will advise you on topical creams, dermal filler injections and skin treatments that compliment neuromodulator treatment.
Who should not have Botox?
You should NOT receive Botox if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. You should not be treated with Botox if you have an allergy to botulinum toxin or any of its ingredients (such as albumin). You should not be injected if you have a skin infection or inflammation in the area to be treated. Neuromodulators should not be used in people who have certain neuromuscular diseases (such as Lambert-Eaton syndrome). Finally, you need to have realistic expectations about Botox treatment. Botox will not erase a deep fold or crease; will not eliminate facial asymmetry; is not a wrinkle filler or lip plumper.
Are there side effects?
With any injection procedure, it is possible to experience localized pain, tenderness, redness, swelling, localized infection, bleeding, or numbness. Headache or drooping eyelid following treatment with a botulinum toxin is felt to be related to injection technique.
Botox is the #1 non-surgical anti-aging treatment today. It is safe and effective when injected correctly. However there are some very rare side effects listed in the product monograph including: abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, rashes, sensory disturbance, cardiac events, seizures, and difficulty swallowing. As stated in the drug monograph, it is not certain if there is a causal relationship between these rare side effects and Botox.
Will I look fake?
Fear of looking fake, plastic, frozen or unnatural is a common concern among women and men considering a neuromodulator treatment. Prescription wrinkle treatments like Botox, Dysport and Xeomin require an experienced, expert injector. There is no “cookie cutter” approach with Botox. Nurse Ifeoma takes great care and pride in listening to your concerns and desires, and then customizes a treatment program for you. Nurse Ifeoma often uses "baby steps”, and will curate a conservative treatment schedule for you. His aim is for you to achieve a natural, refreshed, relaxed result. Our goal is that you look your best, and no one notices you have had a treatment to achieve your natural result.