Botulinum Toxin for Cosmetic Uses - Health Tips

Are you interested in trying out Botox® injections for the first time?

Have you been noticing fine lines and wrinkles in the forehead and want a treatment to stop them in their tracks?

Let’s take a closer look at a few more reasons why you may want to try Botox® for the first time!

3 Reasons Why You Should Try Botox® Injections

1. Botox® can slow down your forehead wrinkles and lines.

Botox® isn’t just an excellent solution for current wrinkles and fine lines; it can actually slow down the rate at which you form additional wrinkles and lines.

Here’s how that works: Because Botox® temporarily interrupts the brain’s signals to the muscle’s nerve endings at the treatment site, it relaxes chronic micro-expressions that can contribute to the formation of lines and wrinkles (frowning, squinting, furrowing the brow, and more).

Temporarily reducing those chronic expressions means you’re less likely to form those wrinkles and fine lines – so you can continue to enjoy a more youthful appearance for longer!

2. Botox® is a highly convenient and safe treatment.

Botox® has been FDA-approved since 1989 and is one of the most popular and safe anti-aging treatments on the market today. 

Most Botox® injections take about 20 to 30 minutes to administer, making it an extremely convenient treatment for even the busiest individuals. 

Botox can take 7-14 days to take effect and results can last up to four months depending on the patient.

Botox® results can last anywhere from three to four months, making it an excellent treatment for people who want a smoother and younger-looking appearance. 

Take the Next Step

Want to learn more about Botox® injections, including if you’re a good candidate for this anti-aging treatment?

Please schedule your consultation by either filling out the form on this page or by calling Levy Dermatology, serving Memphis & Collierville at (901) 295-0183. 

We look forward to working with you!

Botox is injected with a very small needle directly into the muscle that needs to be relaxed to erase the wrinkle. Most people feel only a tiny stinging sensation. We use “numbing” cream in our office for 20-30 minutes prior to treatment to make the injections virtually painless.

The effects of Botox are somewhat cumulative. You may need to go every three to four months for the first year, depending on what area you’re treating. After that, the interval often extends out. Many of my patients who have been coming for a long time come every 5 to 6 months. Botox is still the gold standard cosmetic treatment for frown lines.

Botox is used to relax overactive muscles and smooth wrinkles. It is most often used as a cosmetic treatment in the forehead, between the brows, and for crow’s feet around the eyes. Results normally last between 3-6 months.

​I find many of my patients need a little bit less Botox as time goes on because muscles are less active.

Expect to pay approximately $200 to $500 per treatment depending on how many areas you are treating (frown lines, forehead, eyes, lower face, etc.) and depending on how big your facial muscles are.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is used to treat lines and wrinkles caused by repetitive facial movement, also known as dynamic lines. Areas commonly treated are frown lines (vertical lines or creases between your eyebrows or the 11s), forehead lines, crow’s feet (around the side of your eyes), lines caused by pursing of the lips (smoker’s lines), downturned corners of the mouth and crepey neck.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a safe and effective option for most facial rejuvenation treatment plans. It can also be used to balance facial asymmetry, modify facial features and expressions. Results may be visible within 48 hours and can take up to 2 weeks. The effect of treatment can last up to four months depending on the individual and the treatment provided.

Temporarily Minimize the Appearance of Dynamic Wrinkles

The most common cosmetic dermatology treatment sought by both women and men throughout the United States is BOTOX®.

Denver’s AboutSkin Dermatology team is surely the most experienced office in the Rocky Mountains region and one of the top in the country. In fact, only a handful of people in the world are as internationally well known for BOTOX® (and injectables, as well as lasers), with Dr. Joel Cohen having authored three textbooks and more than 262 articles, in addition to lecturing all over the world many times a year (prior to COVID).

Not only did Dr. Cohen write a 400-page textbook (the largest to date on this topic) on BOTOX® and related treatments (known as neuromodulators), but he is internationally known and respected for his publications, and he teaches and lectures throughout the world on this subject. Dr. Cohen actually studied and participated in clinical trials during his one-year fellowship with the husband and wife credited with discovering the cosmetic use of BOTOX®, dermatologist Alastair Carruthers and ophthalmologist Jean Carruthers.

Botulinum toxin is a great way to reduce wrinkles from overactive facial movements but should never be used alone as the antiaging treatment of choice as it only works on muscles. It will give much better results when combined with customized procedures such as laser resurfacing, microneedling, fillers and topical regimens that stimulate collagen in the skin to achieve more natural and longer lasting results. 

Botox: Secrets to Success:

Todd Minars, M.D.
Dermatology

The cosmetic use of Botox has literally revolutionized the treatment of wrinkles.  The results are dramatic, but natural (if done correctly) and the procedure is safe.  Here are a few tips to achieve the best results:

1. Choose the right doctor.  How?  Ask friends for a recommendation. Use a dermatologist who you have already seen for a skin problem (but make sure that you trust and like this person), or check these resources on the web: Allergan’s website www.botoxcosmetic.com and www.aboutskinsurgery.com. One caveat: If you have your Botox done by somebody who is not a physician, you are asking for trouble.

2. Do not fall for “low price” advertising. These ads in the back of magazines that seem too good to be true, are too good to be true.  Botox is expensive to buy, and they will simply use less of it.

3. Once you’ve been treated, keep your follow-up appointment.  This is an opportunity for the doctor to do “touch-ups” that can make all the difference in your final result.

4. Maintain your Botox.  This usually requires three treatments a year. Botox gives an immediate improvement (first week), but after a few months, the effect increases.  This is for two reasons:  First, the muscles that form wrinkles, smooth out with time and the skin “re-drapes”.  Second, the skin, now free from the muscle that was “ironing” in the line, has time to repair itself.

5. Deep lines need combination treatment.  Botox cannot cure every wrinkle, but results can be enhanced by combining Botox with a second minor procedure. For instance, a great way to treat “Crow’s Feet” is to combine Botox with a very light laser peel.

6. Make Botox part of an overall plan for your skin.  Wear sunscreen, start a home skin care regimen, and combine Botox with other appropriate procedures that improve the overall appearance and structure of your skin.

For more information on Botox treatment, call Dr. Todd Minars at 954-987-7512.

Facial lines caused by facial expression are called "hyperfunctional facial lines". Contractions of facial muscles scrunch the skin and can, over time, damage the collagen and cause prominent lines, such as frown lines, forehead lines and crows feet. Frown lines are often interpreted as anger, anxiety, fatigue, fear or sadness.

Relaxing those muscles with Botox®, Dysport® or Xeomin® are generally very well tolerated.

Botox®, Dysport® and Xeomin® are all proteins produced by a bacteria called “clostridium botulinum”. Botox® was first used in the early 1980?s in the treatment of a number of eye disorders, such as strabismus (crossed eyes). Now it is widely used to treat hyperfunctional facial lines. It is also very useful to reduce overactive sweating of the underarms, palms and soles.

An emerging use is in the treatment of migraine headaches.

Dysport® and Xeomin® are newer forms of botulinum toxin that provide clinical effects similar to Botox®.

These different forms of botulinum toxin all block nerve impulses. If they are injected into a muscle, they prevent the muscle from being activated and stop muscle contractions. Botox® usually takes a week or so to reach full effect. The effects of treatment with Dysport® and Xeomin® may appear a little sooner.

Because the effects tend to wear off after a few months, repeat injections are often performed 2-3 times a year. Botox® has been used in thousands of individuals over many years and has an excellent safety record. However, as with any medical treatment, side effects can occur. Reported side effects include bruising and swelling at the injection site and a transient headache. Ptosis, a drooping of the eyelid and/or eyebrow, occurs in 1-2% of patients and generally resolves within 2 weeks of treatment. Strabismus, a weakening of the eye muscles, is a temporary side effect that has been reported. Although this is a temporary reaction, it could make driving unsafe. This is rare in the doses used for wrinkle treatment.