Skin Care - Botox®


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Skin Care - Botox®

What Is Botox?
Is Botox Safe?
Where Can Botox Be Used?
How Long Does Botox Last?
Your Botox Treatment
Post Treatment Instructions

What Is Botox®?
Botox® is a non-surgical, cosmetic treatment for reducing moderate to severe frown lines and restoring a youthful appearance to your face. It works by reducing the contractions of the muscles that cause the persistent frown lines that you may have developed over time. Botox® is administered via injection directly to the parts of the face that need treatment. With one simple, ten-minute Botox® treatment, you will see a restored facial appearance within a few days. The results of your Botox® injection will usually last for about four months. Of course, results may vary.

Botox® has been widely used for more than ten years to enhance the facial appearance of over a million men and women. It is only available through a licensed practitioner, such as the doctors at The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery, who have helped hundreds of men and woman restore and rejuvenate their facial features.

Is Botox® Safe? Botox® is a muscle relaxer that has been used for more than a decade to treat people suffering from conditions related to overactive muscles. Over the last decade, its most common use has shifted to treating people with facial wrinkles, especially those between the brow lines.

Botox® is the only Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment of its kind. Cosmetic Botox® injections have been approved by the FDA for use by people between 18 and 65 years of age. More than one million people have opted to use Botox® treatment to reduce facial wrinkles.

While there are some possible side effects, Botox® medical research shows that Botox® injections are safe for most people. However, Botox® treatments should only be performed by a Board certified plastic surgeon who has experience with all aspects of the procedure. During your initial consultation, staff and doctors of The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery will address any safety concerns you have regarding the use of Botox®.

Where Can Botox® Be Used?
The wrinkle lines that appear between your brows actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time. If you're angry or annoyed, for example, you knit your brows together. This causes the facial muscles underneath your skin to contract. Over time, this contracting causes a pleating of the overlying skin and the appearance of wrinkles, or frown lines, between your brows. As the years go by, these wrinkles start to linger longer and can become more pronounced or even permanent. Botox® treatment can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows.

How Long Does Botox® Last?
Botox® treatment reduces the mild to moderate wrinkles that appear between your brow lines. This reduction of wrinkles generally lasts for about four months. Of course, individual results may vary and it is best to discuss your individual case with the doctors and staff of The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery during your initial consultation.

Your Botox® Treatment
No anesthesia is required for your Botox® treatment, although the doctor may numb the area with a cold pack or anesthetic cream. The doctor will determine where to administer the Botox® injections by examining your ability to move certain muscles in your brow area. The location, size, and use of the muscles that create a furrowed brow vary markedly among individuals.

The doctor uses an ultra fine needle to inject the Botox® into the wrinkled area of your forehead. The entire procedure takes about ten minutes and there is minimal discomfort during or after the procedure. In fact, most patients compare the sensation to a pinprick.

No recovery time is needed; you may resume normal activity immediately. Side effects are rare and usually temporary. You will notice an improvement in the wrinkles in your brow area. This improvement generally lasts about four months.

Precautions
There are a few precautions you should take prior to your Botox® treatment.

· Avoid using aspirin, non-steroid anti-inflammatory medicines, St. John's Wort, or high does of Vitamin E supplements for one week prior to your treatment because they may increase bruising or bleeding at the site of your injections.

· Do not consume alcohol leading up to and after your Botox® treatment because alcohol can effect the circulation and blood flow in your body, which could impact the effectiveness of your treatment.

· If you have previously suffered from facial cold sores, there is a risk that the needle punctures could contribute to another recurrence.

· You should avoid receiving Botox® injections if you have an infection in the site where the infection will be placed.

· The safety of Botox® for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding has not been established.

· The safety of Botox® for patients under 18 years of age has not been determined.

· The safety of Botox® in patients with increased susceptibility to keloid formation and hypertrophic scarring has not been studied.

· You should NOT receive Botox® injections if you have a hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients in the drug formula.

· You should NOT receive Botox® injections if you have neurological disorders, such as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease), myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome.

The doctors and staff of The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery will discuss these precautions and answer any specific questions you may have during your initial consultation.

Post Treatment Instructions
While there are limited side effects from the use of Botox®, there are a few post-treatment instructions you should be aware of. The doctors and staff of The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery will discuss these instructions and answer any questions you may have prior to your treatment.

· Immediately after your treatment, you may notice temporary redness and swelling at the injection site. These effects typically disappear in less than seven days. Cold compresses may be used immediately after your treatment to reduce swelling. If the inconvenience continues beyond two to three days or if other reactions occur, call The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery.

· Until any initial redness and swelling have disappeared, avoid exposure of the treated area to intense heat (sunlamp or sunbathing).

· Avoid touching the treated area within six hours of your treatment. After that, the area can be gently washed with soap and water.

· Avoid exercise and alcohol for six hours after your treatment.

Questions You May Have

· Are there other procedures that could be done along with Botox® injections to restore the youthful appearance of my face?
There are a variety of surgical procedures that can reduce facial wrinkles and enhance the overall appearance of your face: Facelift, Brow Lift, Eyelid Surgery, or Facial Implants. Complementary procedures will be discussed with you during your initial consultation with the doctors and staff of The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery.

· Will my insurance coverage pay for my Botox® injections?
Botox® injections are considered a cosmetic treatment and, therefore, are not covered by your insurance. You are responsible for the full payment for your procedure. Cost and payment information will be discussed in detail with you during your initial consultation.