All Your Questions Answered About Botox
Have you been considering botox treatment, but don’t know much about it?
In a world where we want to age gracefully or not at all, botox has become a commonly administered anti-aging treatment. Of course, like all other cosmetic procedures, it must be done by a trained professional and by a nurse or doctor.
Read on to see some in-depth answers to some frequently asked questions about Botox.
1. What is Botox and what is it used for?
Botox is actually the brand name for a group of drugs called neurotoxins. Neurotoxins can be injected in small amounts in muscles to help relax their movements. We typically use botox to relax the muscles in your face that cause wrinkles with repeated movements such as the forehead or frown. However, there are other areas of treatment such as the muscles of the lower face, neck and even can even be used to treat hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating) or migraines.
2. How is it administered?
Botox actually comes in a powdered form, which is reconstituted at the clinic before injecting in your face. We typically use an insulin needle to add tiny amounts to the treatment areas. The treatment is quick and fairly painless because we are doing very tiny pricks. There is no numbing required and it takes about 30 minutes or less to administer and so you can even get treated on your lunch hour.
3. How much botox will I need?
This is really dependent on a variety of factors we assess before your appointment to see how much botox is appropriate for you. Amounts vary from person to person and per treatment area. A trained injector knows how much you will need by performing an assessment on you. Typically, women need an average of 50 units but this can be more or less depending on your age, if you have had previous treatments, the depth of your wrinkles and the strength of your muscles. Men require more units because of their muscle strength. There is a common misconception that you have to have wrinkles already in order to get botox, but this isn’t the case. The younger you are the less units you will require to prevent strong muscle movements, whereas if you have deeper lines and stronger muscles, the more units you will require to reduce the muscle movement.
4. How long does it last?
You will start seeing results within 7-10 days with full results visible at 2 weeks post-treatment. If it is your first time getting botox it can last up to 6 months, but typical results last from 3-4 months. Of course everyone’s anatomy is different and result duration does vary from person to person.
5. What is the difference between brands of Botox?
There are many brands of neurotoxins in the market. There is Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Nuceiva and more. In my practice, I typically use Botox brand or Nuceiva. Nuceiva is my preferred neurotoxin because I find it to be more cost effective for my clients and it starts working in a few days and people are really happy with the results. At times, I do use different brands especially if clients are feeling that their toxin is not lasting as long as it used to.
6. What should you know about post-care?
Post treatment, remember not to touch or rub the area and to stay upright for 4 hours. No exercise or lifting for 24 hours. No steam room, saunas or hot-tubs should be used for 24 hours. This is to ensure that the botox treatment has time to settle into the areas where it was administered and does not cause any complications such as lid ptosis (eyelid drooping).
Remember if you have any other questions or would like to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact me via the contact form.
