Botox is used by doctors worldwide to help treat facial creases and wrinkles. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website, Botulinim Toxin Type A (Botox) was the number one cosmetic minimally invasive procedure performed in 2018, up 3 percent from 2017. Botox is a brand name of a toxin produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. It makes the wrinkles relax and soften because it blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles, temporarily paralyzing them.
This procedure only takes a couple of minutes and requires no anesthesia. Some surgeons may provide a numbing cream, but most cases this isn’t necessary. The Botox is injected with a fine needle into specific muscles with minor discomfort. Most common areas to get this procedure done are the forehead lines, crows feet (around the eyes) and the frown lines (between the brows). Results can take up to 3-5 days to reach its full effect and you may get some temporary bruising, but that should only last 24-48 hours. Headaches are also a side effect, but those are very rare.
Although most people wait until they are older and already have the wrinkles and lines, Dr. Ghaderi says an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and recommends starting the procedure at an earlier age to prevent the signs of aging. Waiting till an older age will still have beneficial effects, but all signs of aging may not be able to be reversed.
In some cases, Botox can be used to treat excessive sweating, migraines, muscular disorders and some bladder and bowel disorders. You should not use Botox though if you are pregnant, breast feeding or have any neurological diseases.
Botox is growing in popularity as the years go on. It has minimal side effects with no downtime or anesthesia. It’s a quick procedure that’s affordable with results visible in days.
If you’re considering Botox, we recommend consulting with your doctor to see if it’s the right procedure for you.
