Getting older is part of the cycle of life, and our once youthful looks will gradually start fading. As we get older, our skin loses its glow, vibrancy and elasticity, and we start developing wrinkles, in particular around the corners of the eyes, the brow and forehead, and our necks.
Some individuals wear their wrinkles with pride, while others are a little more self-conscious about them and have various treatments to help reduce them. One of the most popular medical treatments for wrinkles on the brow and corners of the eyes, which are affectionately known as crow’s feet, is Botox treatment.
What is Botox?
Botox is actually the trade name of a treatment, and not the actual procedure itself. It is a drug that is made from the clostridium botulinum bacterium, and it is used in small doses by medical professionals to treat various conditions and health problems. It can actually be poisonous in large amounts.
Many people associate Botox with people trying to make themselves look young and beautiful, which is partly correct. In addition to the temporary removal of wrinkles, there are also a number of medical conditions for which Botox is used such as Blepharospasm, which is when an individual suffers from uncontrollable linking, and cervical dystonia, which can be a painful neurological condition where an individuals will have strong contractions of the muscles in their shoulders and neck.
How does Botox work?
Botox is injected into certain parts of the face (or other muscle areas if being used for non-aesthetic purposes) and basically blocks the nerve signals to the muscles, which causes muscles to contract. If the muscles are not able to contract, they soften which results in the relaxing of wrinkles.
Some results of the Botox treatment can take just a couple of days to be visible, while it might take a couple of weeks for the full results to be clearly seen. The effect of the Botox can last for anywhere from 3 to 6 months, and after that time, the muscles will be able to gradually start contracting again, while will cause the appearance of the wrinkles to return. Some people will have regular Botox treatments at centers such as RevitalizeYou MD several times a year to keep their appearance as wrinkle-free as possible.
Side Effects of Botox
Botox isn’t going to be the ideal wrinkle treatment for everyone, as some people may experience a range of side effects of the treatment. Though these are rarely anything serious, for some people, even basic side effects such as an allergic reaction of headache can be enough to put them off any future treatments.
Other symptoms can include a rash or itchy skin, stiffness in the muscles, back or neck pains, nausea, diarrhea and even shortness of breath, tiredness or flu like symptoms.
Botox treatments on the face
There are many points of the face where Botox can be used. These are usually part of three main groups – the upper face, lower face and the eyes.
Upper face
Treatments on the upper face will tackle things such as forehead wrinkles, which are sometimes known as surprise lines, as they appear when you raise your eyebrows. Frown lines which appear between the eyes are also an annoyance for many people, and sometimes result in them looking tired or angry. Bunny lines on the top of the nose are also something that some people have a problem with.
Lower face
On the lower face, the main area for treatments are for lines and wrinkles that appear around the mouth, as well as dimpling on the chin, as the muscles in this part of the face often become more overactive as we age. The jaw and neckline are also a popular place where a lot of people, women in particular, require Botox treatment.
Eyes
For the eyes, the main area for treatment is for the corners of the eyes, where the wrinkles are referred to as crows feet. Botox is also used to treat hooded eyes, which is where the eyebrows start sagging down over the eyelids. Some people also have Botox treatment on the tear trough, which is the area underneath the eyes.
Fixing bad Botox treatment
Unfortunately, not all Botox treatments are done properly, and there are instances where an individual has suffered from a bad job. Maybe they had too much Botox injected into their forehead area and now walk around looking surprised 24 hours a day.
The main cause for a bad Botox job is that the strict rules relating to the anatomy of the face and the injection of neurotoxin were not followed properly. Maybe the person performing the procedure was in a rush to get it finished, or maybe they didn’t have enough experience, and used a little too much Botox.
Whatever the reason for the botched job, the individual to whom it was applied is going to most likely be pretty horrified at the results, and won’t be too eager to show off their new look anytime soon.
The good news is that all results from Botox are temporary. They won’t last forever, so you won’t have to walk around for the rest of your life looking like the Joker from Batman.
Gradually, the muscles which were temporarily paralyzed by the Botox to stop their contraction, will once again be able to contract. You could speed up the process a little quicker by making facial expressions that would normally use these muscles, but don’t expect any overnight fixes.
Some final thoughts
Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can be done to reverse the temporary effects of the Botox treatment. One thing that you can do, in order to avoid any bad Botox jobs, is to better educate yourself on how Botox works, and which procedures are likely to offer you the best results with the minimum amount of risk.
When used properly, Botox is an extremely effective treatment for wrinkles and anti-aging. It’s advisable to make sure you get it done by a trained professional who has experience in the specific treatment that you are looking to have.