What is Botox® Cosmetic?
Botox® is one of the most commonly requested cosmetic treatments in the United States. While the most common cosmetic surgeries number in the hundreds of thousands each year, Botox® treatments are performed over 10 million times per year.
Still, through interactions with patients, it is apparent that there is still a great deal of misunderstanding about how it works, where it can and cannot be used, how long it lasts, etc…
In the most basic terms, Botox® acts at the connection of a nerve and muscle. When your brain sends a signal through a nerve to make a muscle move, the nerve releases a liquid chemical and binds to receptor sites on the muscle. As a result the muscle will move. Botox® blocks this by disabling the receptor much like a child safety cap on a plug. In other words, the lamp still works, there is still electricity at the outlet, but the connection is blocked. So there is no permanent harm to either the nerve or the muscle. Botox® is not the same as the fillers, such as Restylane®, Juvederm®, Radiesse® etc…These agents are intended to fill deeper skin folds. Botox® smoothes the skin of fine lines by weakening the underlying muscles that cause the wrinkles.
Botox® is used primarily for frown lines between the eyes, forehead and crow’s feet. It can be used lower on the face around the mouth but these treatments require more expertise on the part of the injector and carry more risk for unwanted muscle weakening. For many, B serves as a nice substitute or at least a temporizing treatment for a brow lift or blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)
The full effect of a Botox® treatment is not apparent for 14 days and the results typically last 3 to 4 months.
With its’ ease of administration, quick treatment time (less than 10 minutes), no recovery or downtime, and dramatic results, Botox® has become the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the U.S.
https://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com/
4121 Dutchmans Lane, Suite 305
Louisville, KY 40207
502.721.0330
All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks.
