Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It’s the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism. Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including:
- Temporary smoothing of facial wrinkles and improving your appearance
- Severe underarm sweating
- Cervical dystonia – a neurological disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions
- Blepharospasm – uncontrollable blinking
- Strabismus – misaligned eyes
- Chronic migraine
- Overactive bladder
Botox injections work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles or by blocking certain nerves. The effects last about three to twelve months, depending on what you are treating. The most common side effects are pain, swelling, or bruising at the injection site. You could also have flu-like symptoms, headache, and upset stomach. Injections in the face may also cause temporary drooping eyelids. You should not use Botox if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Before Your Botox Procedure
Before the procedure, you will have a consultation with your provider. There are two purposes to this appointment.
First, you can talk to them about your goals. Botox is used mostly for fine lines and wrinkles, but there are other conditions that the procedure can address as well. Things like acne, migraines and grinding teeth are sometimes treated with Botox.
Tell your provider what you are hoping to get out of the treatment. They can tell you how realistic your goals are, and help you come up with a treatment plan. This plan will take into account both the time and money that you are willing to spend achieving your goals.
During the Procedure
Most people are surprised by how little a Botox treatment interferes with their day. When you go in, your provider will inject small doses of botulinum toxin into the predetermined spots on your face. The procedure itself only takes about 10-15 minutes.
The needles used for Botox are very small, but you may feel a small and quick prick at the injection site.
After the procedure itself, you may notice small red spots at the injection site. These will fade away within a few hours. Your provider will then talk you through aftercare instructions, which we will detail in the next section.
What exactly does Botox do?
Botox injections block certain chemical signals from nerves, mostly signals that cause muscles to contract. The most common use of these injections is to temporarily relax the facial muscles that cause wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes
How long do Botox lasts?
How long do Botox lasts? Image result for what is botox In general, Botox lasts 3-4 months. There will certainly be patients in which in lasts longer, in that 4-6 month range, or shorter, in that 2-month range. It is also common for first-timers to notice that it may not last as long initially but may last longer after the second treatment.
