Every year in the United States, millions of people turn to Botox® to smooth lines and wrinkles and restore a more youthful, rested look. In fact, Botox injections are by far the most popular cosmetic enhancement treatment used in the United States.
You probably know that Botox reduces or eliminates crow’s feet and forehead lines. But that’s just part of what the injections do.
Our team at Metroderm DC: Medical, Laser, and Aesthetic Dermatology Center takes a custom approach to Botox treatment, tailoring each treatment plan to the individual patient for results that are beautiful and natural-looking.
Here’s how Botox can help you achieve your own aesthetic goals.
While dermal fillers work by plumping up or filling in lines and wrinkles, Botox works by preventing lines and wrinkles from forming.
As a neuromuscular agent, Botox blocks nerve signals between your brain and specific facial muscles. When those nerve signals are blocked, your muscles aren’t told to contract, so lines and wrinkles don’t form.
Botox works on facial folds caused by facial expressions — smiling, frowning, and scowling, for instance. Because these lines are associated with movement, they’re often called dynamic wrinkles.
Fillers, on the other hand, work on static wrinkles — lines that appear as a result of sun damage, gravity, or genetics.
Since they work on different types of wrinkles, Botox and fillers can be used together to treat lines and folds no matter where they appear on your face. In fact, the combination of Botox and fillers is so effective at rejuvenating skin’s appearance, it’s often referred to as a “liquid facelift.”
Botox is used primarily to treat wrinkles in these areas:
Because Botox relaxes muscles, it’s also effective for reducing the appearance of platysmal bands, those long, tight-looking bands that form in your neck. It can also help relax your upper lip, transforming the appearance of a gummy smile and restoring a more symmetrical look.
Before treatment, we discuss your concerns and map out your facial anatomy to design a treatment plan just for you. Our doctors are skilled in Botox injection placement, so you get maximum results while still maintaining a soft, natural look.
We use a very fine needle for the injections, and most patients report very little discomfort. If you’re very sensitive to needles, we can use a topical agent to numb the area first. Injections take only a few minutes per treatment area, and there’s no downtime afterward.
Although it’s best known as a treatment for existing lines and wrinkles, there’s some evidence that Botox may prevent wrinkles and lines from forming in the first place. In fact, we see people in their early 30s and even their mid-20s turning to Botox as a preventive treatment to keep their skin smooth.
Researchers believe Botox works preventively by stopping line and wrinkle formation early on, before they have a chance to be etched into your skin’s structure.
Botox results last about 3-4 months, after which you can return for another treatment to keep lines and wrinkles at bay. To find out more about Botox treatment at our Washington, DC, practice, call us or book a consultation online today.
