BOTOX® (Botulinum Toxin for Facial Wrinkles)

With the passage of time, our skin undergoes many changes. Skin which was smooth in our youth often becomes wrinkled as we get older. Fortunately, modern medicine has developed an option for the removal of facial wrinkles. BOTOX® is a relatively new medicine, approved by the Federal Drug Administration for removal of wrinkles.

BOTOX® works by relaxing the muscles of facial expression which lie under the skin. Once the tone of these muscles is weakened, the pull of the muscles relax and wrinkles flatten out. This is an entirely different approach to treating unwanted deep lines. Fillers, such as collagen or fat are not as effective as BOTOX® in removing wrinkles in the upper third of the face, such as the forehead, glabella, and around the eyes. By physiologically relaxing the muscles, the wrinkles are removed naturally.

BOTOX® is most effective for wrinkles of the forehead, crows' feet, and frown lines. It is not effective for wrinkles in the middle and lower portion of the face since weakness in these areas distorts the smile and facial expressions. Some wrinkles of the face are not amenable to correction with BOTOX®; these are the deep creases that are not caused by the muscles pulling on the skin. These types of wrinkles tend to be in areas that are affected by trauma or in sun damaged skin frequently found in patients over 60 years of age. During your cosmetic consultation, the facial areas that are amenable to improvement with BOTOX® will be pointed out to you.

BOTOX® is utilized to enhance your appearance and does not take the place of standard facial plastic surgeries such as blepharoplasty, endoscopic forehead lift and laser skin resurfacing. BOTOX® has the ability to improve areas that are not addressed by these surgical procedures and is an effective adjunct to these procedures. BOTOX® takes 5 to 7 days to take effect and lasts 3 to 6 months. After weakening of the muscle occurs, the smoothing of the skin happens gradually over a 3 to 6 week period. When BOTOX® starts to wear off, you will notice a return of your wrinkles. Frequently when they resurface, they are not as deep. At that time, you may wish to have a re-injection of BOTOX®. It takes approximately 2-3 injections per year to maintain the appearance you have achieved with BOTOXmajority of links with "&" are failing..

Visit our eye plastic / cosmetic surgery offices located in Northridge, CA and Beverly Hills near the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles area.