BOTOX® COSMETIC (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) is a minimally invasive treatment. The treatment takes an average of 15 minutes to complete, depending on the treatment area.

BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) is the perfect solution for subtly tackling the appearance of deep facial furrows, lines and wrinkles. Smoking, sun damage, and genetics further contribute to these early signs of aging and over time, these lines become deep creases which can make you appear unhappy, angry, and years older. It also prevents new lines from forming by relaxing the facial muscles and reducing excessive facial movements. The most popular places to inject BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) are around the eyes, forehead, bunny lines, gummy smiles, lip lines, frown lines, and neck lines. This treatment is used to rejuvenate the entire face, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fill in fine lines around the eyes and mouth, as well as up-turn the corners of the mouth as needed.

BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) is used to treat and prevent wrinkles, fine lines, and deep facial furrows. Once injected into targeted muscles, it produces a temporary paralysis of facial muscle by preventing transmission of nerve impulses that causes muscle contraction easing the muscle tension that causes the skin to appear wrinkled or folded caused by repetitive facial muscle movements. It takes about 4-6 hours for BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) to bind to the nerve-muscle junction, so it is of utmost importance to keep your head elevated during the time to prevent toxin spread to nearby muscles. The duration of muscle paralysis generally lasts for approximately three months.

BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) is very well tolerated and safe when used for non-invasive cosmetic treatments. There have been reports of problems after BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection), but these have been cases where large doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) were used. The amount of BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) used for cosmetic purposes is very small. While BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) does “paralyze” the muscles in the body, the effects are temporary and do not cause permanent problems.

This treatment starts with a deep cleansing technique. The skin is cleansed with a gentle facial cleanser, isopropyl alcohol and an antiseptic spray with sterile gauze. The treatment area is mapped using a water soluble pencil, and then the injection treatment is performed. Our treating provider uses a very fine needle to inject the BOTOX® COSMETIC (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) to the targeted facial muscles. Most patients compare the sensation to a pinprick. If you are particularly sensitive, we have a vibratory device that you may place on the untreated portion of the face or body for distraction. This treatment is performed in a safe, sterile and precise manner. As with any needle insertion through the epidermis, careful skin preparation for aseptic technique and comfort are part of proper treatment and results in lower risk of bruising, bleeding, pain, infection, and scarring.

To receive the best results, schedule a follow-up appointment 2 weeks after your BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) appointment. Then, maintenance treatments are recommended to maintain your results. BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) can be completed three to four times a year. However, it is not recommended to have BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) treatments less than 90 days apart.

In some cases, the initial dosage is not enough to decrease the tension in these strong facial muscles, so we ask that you follow up with our treating provider two weeks after treatment to be re-evaluated for more BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection). Consistent treatments are recommended because it prevents lines from becoming etched into the skin and deepening.

Everyone’s face and body profile is different, so the number of treatments and results can vary from patient to patient. A wide-range of factors including age, genetics, hormones, lifestyle, health, diet, metabolism, weight loss or weight gain, skin type, sun exposure, and other circumstances not related to Botox® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) can affect your treatment outcome and diminish the effects of any aesthetic treatment after a while. Our treating provider creates a custom treatment plan to best achieve your desired, long-term results.

Immediately after the treatment, you may experience tiny red bumps and a small amount of pinpoint bleeding at the injection site(s). Most patients report little to no after effects aside from small marks, minimal redness, swelling, bruising, and/or headaches, which resolves fairly quickly. A major benefit of BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) is that it requires little downtime and you will be able to return to your daily routine shortly after the treatment. Patients eligible for this treatment must adhere to an optimal skin care regimen that will preserve the effects of BOTOX® COSMETIC (onabotulinumtoxinA injection), to both strengthen the skin and minimize recovery time.

It takes about 4-6 hours for BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) to bind to the nerve-muscle junction, so it is of utmost importance to keep your head elevated during the time to prevent toxin spread to nearby muscles.

The most commonly reported side effects include temporary redness/erythema, hematoma/bruising, swelling/edema, photosensitive reaction, tightness, scabbing, tingling, localized burning during injection, tenderness, sensitive to touch, discomfort/pain, headaches/migraine, feeling of pressure or fullness, occasional stinging and/or prickly sensation. These side effects generally resolve within a few hours to a few days without any further complications.

BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Be sure to inform our treating provider immediately if you develop: facial pain, alteration of features, damage to underlying structures, deformity, inadequate reduction of wrinkles, worsening wrinkles in areas adjacent to the treatment areas, weakening muscles adjacent to treatment areas, and/or failure to achieve the desired result. Other potential risks include spock brow, eyebrow ptosis, drooping eyebrows, blepharoptosis (drooping eyelids,) eyelid ptosis, eyelid twitching, eyelid edema, eyelid ectropion (eyelid margin eversion), eye irritation, photophobia, impaired blink reflex, corneal exposure problems, lagophthalmos (incomplete eyelid closure), xerophthalmos (dry eyes), epiphora (excessive tearing), squinting, infraorbital festooning (worsening of eye bags), globe trauma, decreased eyesight, visual changes, blurred vision, diplopia (double vision), temporary or permanent vision impairment, or other eye disorders/problems. Injection site problems such as excessive bleeding, skin whitening at the injection site, skin discoloration, lumps/bumps— with or without inflammation or discoloration, skin disease inflammation (skin sarcoidosis), keloid formation/hypertrophic scarring, scarring of the skin, dilated small blood vessels (telangiectasis), acneiform skin eruptions, herpes simplex virus, blisters, vesicles, and/or open sores. Immune System Disorders: Serious and/or immediate hypersensitivity/allergic reactions include inflammation, serum sickness, red itchy welts/rash, urticaria, severe contact dermatitis, dizziness or feeling faint, soft-tissue edema, rapid swelling (angioedema), wheezing, asthma symptoms, difficulty breathing, dyspnea, and anaphylaxis. Infection including increase in redness, site warmth, tenderness, pus formation, drainage/discharge. Nervous System Disorders: numbness, nerve injury, paresis, paresthesia, facial asymmetry, alteration, or poor aesthetic results; lip ptosis, asymmetrical smile or facial muscle weakness, cheek flaccidity, oral incompetence with resultant drooling and impaired speaking, eating, or drinking, neck weakness. Non-dermatological events including dry mouth, neck or back pain, non-axillary sweating, lymphadenopathy, fever, chills, malaise, myalgia, muscle spasms, generalized muscle weakness, excessive weakness, musculoskeletal stiffness, loss of strength, asthenia, urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control), fatigue, anxiety, depression, topical/local anesthetic reactions (light-headedness, rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), syncope, local discomfort, irritation, swelling, bruising, allergic reactions to medications, seizures, possibility of complications, injury, and sometimes death.) There have also been reports of adverse events involving the cardiovascular system, including arrhythmia and myocardial infarction, some with fatal outcomes.

On average, you will begin to notice subtle changes after 3-4 days, however full results of most BOTOX® COSMETIC (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) treatment generally takes up to 10-14 days to see noticeable results. Muscle function in the treatment area gradually returns 3-4 months after BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) and you will begin to see your wrinkles returning. In some instances, results can last up to 6 months, and in other instances, you may notice some wrinkles returning after only 2 months following treatment. Due to the severity of some wrinkles on the face, sometimes Botox® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) treatment alone will not eradicate them. If you stop treatment, your skin will progressively age back to baseline in time. Be mindful of the fact that results vary and research documenting the longevity of results is still ongoing.