Your friends are all doing it, so should you? Chances are likely that you know someone who has had BOTOX® Cosmetic. You are likely considering it yourself if you are reading this. It has become almost as common as people coloring their hair, and with good reason. When performed by a highly skilled medical professional, BOTOX® Cosmetic:
- Achieves great results
- Has minimal, if any, side effects or risks
- Doesn’t require any recovery time
- Wears off in a few months without any lasting effects
BOTOX® Cosmetic can be used to both treat and prevent facial wrinkles or lines. Treatment with injectable wrinkle reducers such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport® and Xeomin® have been exponentially increasing over the past decade. Patients 20-80+ years old are undergoing treatment with these injectables to improve the appearance of their face and neck.
Along with this increase in BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments, there has been an abundance of misinformation and myths associated with this popular nonsurgical procedure. When deciding whether to move forward with your treatment, it’s important to understand what is fact and what is myth.
What is BOTOX® Cosmetic?
- Forehead lines
- Wrinkles around the eye (crow’s feet)
- Frown lines between the eyebrows
The active ingredient in BOTOX® Cosmetic is botulinum toxin, which when placed in the correct area, can decrease the degree of muscle contraction. In increased amounts, it can completely stop movement in a muscle. Results are not immediate and begin to take effect within 24-48 hours. Full effect is seen in 2 weeks. BOTOX® Cosmetic begins to wear off after 3 months.
Myth: BOTOX® Cosmetic is only for “Old People”
Patients as young as 20 years old can be treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic. Why would a 20-year-old want Botox? Two reasons:
- They see the appearance of lines that they do not like, which can be treated by BOTOX® Cosmetic with great effect. These areas are most commonly the corners of the eyes (crow’s feet) and forehead.
- They do not want to develop the lines their mother or grandmother has.
Think of the skin as cloth draped over your face. Repeated facial movements create folds in the cloth in the same location over and over again hundreds of times a day, thousands of times a week. These folds or lines then become present even when your face is still. At that point, BOTOX® Cosmetic may help, but you will likely need other treatments to get rid of those lines. Using Botox to gently relax these areas of skin folding can delay or prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Myth: If I Get BOTOX® Cosmetic I will Look Frozen, Unnatural, and Expressionless
Looking frozen occurs for one of two reasons:
- Some patients request to have no movement in the treated area. They like the completely flat appearance, or what some would term a “frozen” look.
- An inexperienced person performed the treatment. With the rapid increase in the number of people desiring BOTOX® Cosmetic has also come a significant increase in the number of inadequately trained people performing this procedure. This accounts for many of the complications associated with BOTOX®
In order to achieve optimal results and to ensure your procedure is performed correctly, it’s best to schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon, as they are highly trained and have extensive experience in aesthetic procedures. Remember you are paying not only for the BOTOX® Cosmetic, but also the expertise of the person injecting it. Where the injection is placed and how much BOTOX® Cosmetic is used will determine how you look afterwards.
Myth: Getting BOTOX® Cosmetic is Painful
Some people tend to be nervous because they’ve heard that BOTOX® Cosmetic injections are painful. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
The treatment takes less than 5 minutes and is quite tolerable. We use a very small, fine-tip needle to complete the series of injections. Afterward, you will have raised bumps at the injection site. These will go away 10-15 minutes following your procedure.
Myth: I will Look Worse if I Stop Getting BOTOX® Cosmetic
In fact, with regular use as discussed above, BOTOX® Cosmetic will likely prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in those areas treated. However, other aspects of aging will occur, such as facial volume loss. This can be treated with dermal fillers.
BOTOX® Cosmetic isn’t permanent and as stated previously, typically lasts up to 3 months. In order to maintain these results, you must continue to get regular treatments.
Myth: BOTOX® Cosmetic is Addicting
The chemical itself is not addictive, nor is it harmful in small doses. People often say it’s addicting because they are happy with their results and continue to maintain their wrinkle-free appearance by frequenting their plastic surgeon. The vast majority of patients who try BOTOX® Cosmetic once continue to return for treatments because they love the results, not because they’ve developed an addiction.
Contact our Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon
Please contact Main Line Plastic Surgery using the form on this page or call 484-222-0010 today to schedule your BOTOX® Cosmetic consultation. We serve patients in Bryn Mawr, Villanova and throughout the Main Line of Philadelphia.
