Botox
How Botox Can Improve Your Look
Botox relaxes facial muscles reducing frown lines, forehead lines, and crow's feet. It can also give you a Botox brow lift and treat selected lines in the lower face. You look more rested, less stressed and angry. It is also used to decrease excessive sweating on palms and underarms, and for migraine or muscle-related headache.
About Botox Treatments
Number of Botox Treatments—one
Time to See Botox Results—varies from a few days up to fourteen days.
Duration of Results with Botox—three to six months; the average duration is four months. Then treatment is repeated.
Botox Recovery Time/Side Effects—there are usually no side effects.
- Tiny bruises may occur at injection sites, resolving quickly.
- Temporary eyelid or eyebrow droop uncommonly occurs, usually 1-2 weeks after injection, worse late in the day, and usually lasts less than 1 month. If needed, prescription eye drops can reduce this side effect.
- Headache may occur after treatment, usually minor, but occasionally moderate or severe.
- If the area around the mouth is treated, occasionally a temporary lip droop or weakness may occur.
- If the neck is treated, neck weakness rarely occurs.
- If hands are treated for sweating, temporary decreased grip strength may be noted.
- Very rarely, temporary double or blurred vision, difficulty breathing, swallowing, speaking or muscle weakness have been reported hours to weeks after injection.
- Occasionally antibodies to Botox may develop which make further treatment ineffective, but have no other known adverse effects.
Botox May Not Be Used If You Are/Have
Allergic— to human albumin or botulinum toxin
Taking— aminoglycoside antibiotics or any blood thinners
Pregnant— think you may be pregnant, or nursing
Have— Myasthenia gravis or ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) or strabismus, unless approved by your ophthalmologist
Botox Treatment Instructions
- Do not take aspirin, or NSAID's (Ibuprofen, Aleve, Motrin, etc.) 7 days before and 1 day after treatment
- Surface numbing cream will be used before treatment.
- You will receive a free GentleWaves treatment and cold packs immediately after injection to reduce swelling and bruising.
- Remain upright for at least 4 hours: do not bend over or lie down. Do not schedule on the same day before a hair or dental appointment.
- Exercise injected muscles 15 times every 15 minutes for 4 hours after treatment (15-15-4)
- For crow's feet, smile forcefully
- For frown lines, frown forcefully
- For forehead lines, raise eyebrows forcefully
- Foundation may be gently patted with fingertips
- Do not perform vigorous exercise for 4 hours after treatment
- Headache and heavy feeling in treated muscles may occur and usually lasts less than 24 hours
After Botox Injection
At least 2 weeks after treatment— if you feel you have an incomplete response you may schedule an appointment for a "touch up," usually requiring less units than the original treatment. Additional units are charged at regular price/unit.
Next regular treatment— should usually be in 3-4 months.
To maximize improvement in lines or headache— it is best to treat before the effect is completely worn off to keep muscles rested.