Botox

What Is Botox®?

Botox® is a substance that prevents nerves from releasing a chemical called acetylcholine. This is a neurotransmitter that nerves use to send signals to muscles and allow the muscles to contract.

At Glow Aesthetic Center, we inject Botox® into lines and wrinkles, stopping those nerve signals, paralyzing the muscles, and smoothing the appearance  of different muscles of the face for three to six months.

What Are the Advantages of Botox®?

Botox® not only improves the appearance of your moderate to severe lines and wrinkles, including frown lines, smoker’s lines around the mouth, and crow’s feet, but it also stops new wrinkles from developing.

You’ll start seeing some results within a few days, your lines and wrinkles will fade away. Although you will need treatments every few months at first, Botox® eventually causes the muscles to relax, making your lines and wrinkles less visible over time.

Plastic surgery requires downtime to heal, but Botox® doesn’t. It fits into your busy life. And it has been proven safe.

Botox® keeps new lines and wrinkles from developing. It works best on mild wrinkles, keeping them from settling in. Adding Botox® to your healthy skin care routine, including wearing sunblock every day, helps keep mild lines from deepening and new lines from developing.

Before Your Next Botox® Treatment:

• The results of your Botox® injection(s) last about three months. If it is your first injection, if a long period of time has passed since your last injection, or if your facial muscles are especially strong, your results may wear off more quickly
• Patients who consistently receive their Botox® injections and/or those with smaller or weaker facial muscles can space their injections by four or five months, sometimes more
• To ensure the best result, schedule your next Botox® appointment in about three months so your results do not wear off
• Botox® is not used in pregnant or breastfeeding patients. It is your responsibility to inform our staff of your health status and to cancel or reschedule your appointment as needed
• If you have a social or work commitment immediately following your scheduled treatment that will interfere with your recovery time, please reschedule your appointment
• A week before your treatment, stop all medications and supplements that can increase bleeding at the injection sites as well as swelling and bruising of the treatment area. These include NSAIDs and fish oil.
• 24 hours before treatment, avoid alcoholic drinks because alcohol can thin the blood, causing complications
• Eat a healthy snack before your treatment to lessen the chance of lightheadedness during the procedure, and avoid caffeine
• Come to your appointment with your face freshly washed and with no makeup

After Your Treatment:

• Right after the injection, you may feel or see small nodules at the injection site. Do not massage the nodules in. They will dissipate in just a few minutes
• Following your injections, your skin may feel dry and itchy. This is a result of the clinician cleaning the injection site with alcohol before treatment. You may use Vaseline® or other moisturizer to ease these symptoms
• For 24 hours, stay away from direct high heat
• You may experience a mild headache. This is normal. The headaches are not due to anything in Botox® itself, but are due to the actual injection of the needle into your skin. They will usually pass within 36 hours. Over-the-counter pain medications can treat them, but do not take aspirin because it thins the blood, which can cause complications
• You may note small bruises. These will disappear in a few days. You may cover them with makeup if you desire.