While getting older can have its benefits, an obvious downside is the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging. Luckily, we live in a time where these issues can normally be minimized easily with BOTOX therapy, which we offer here at ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD. Although it’s well-known for its ability to correct skin imperfections, it can also prevent them, making it an appropriate treatment for just about any age.
What Is the Best Age for Getting BOTOX?
Regardless of whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or older, this treatment can be beneficial, as it can prevent many age-related issues when started early in life and can also correct some after they appear. However, when fine lines go unchecked for too long, they can be more difficult to treat later on.
For this reason, regularly scheduled treatments not only have the advantage of preventing some skin issues from appearing later on in life but can also keep many of those that have already developed from becoming more severe with time.
How Does This Treatment Work?
BOTOX is an injectable muscle relaxant that can reduce or eliminate the signs of aging. As a highly versatile treatment, it can be used to treat a wide variety of skin conditions, including fine lines and wrinkles, as well as other issues like excessive sweating. It works by blocking acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that can contract and tense muscles, and the result is often relaxed muscles, smoother skin, and a younger-looking appearance.
This treatment also stimulates collagen, which is a protein that decreases as we age but normally helps the skin to retain its firm texture. This, too, can contribute to revitalized skin, which can enhance this medication’s other effects by making it easier for the skin to return to a relaxed state, leading to fewer lines.
How Quickly Will I See the Results?
The results can be seen fairly quickly for some patients, often within seven days, but the full effects usually start by the second week after a treatment session. The effects typically begin with a relaxed feeling in the face first, then noticeable improvements afterward.
Some factors that can affect how quickly you respond to this therapy include your metabolism and how much acetylcholine your body produces. Since this medication prevents the release of acetylcholine after treatment but doesn’t remove any pre-circulating levels of this chemical messenger, it can take a while for your body to fully metabolize or “use up” this acetylcholine before optimal effects can be seen.
What Should I Expect During My First Appointment?
Here’s what you can expect before, during, and after treatment:
Pre-Treatment Consultation
Once you schedule your appointment with us, the first step afterward is the pre-treatment consultation. This involves an assessment of your skin and a brief discussion about your medical history, the reasons you want this treatment, and any medications you might be taking.
Quick Injection Process
After the consultation, we can normally begin your treatment immediately, which usually doesn’t take any longer than 15 minutes. Using a small needle, we’ll inject any muscles that might be contributing to your lines or wrinkles with the BOTOX medication, and each muscle typically receives anywhere between one to six injections.
Post-Treatment Care
Once we finish your injections, you won’t have to worry about missing any days at work, as there’s no downtime, and you can return home or to your job immediately after. We will, however, ask that you take a few precautions in the days following your treatment, such as not lying down or rubbing the treated areas for the first four hours and refraining from strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for a few days.
How Long Do BOTOX Injections Last?
The full effects of this treatment typically last about three to four months, though you can return for additional treatments anytime within this time frame before you notice the effects wearing off. If you opt for corrective treatments, you can always schedule another appointment once your lines, wrinkles, or other imperfections return.
With routine injections, you’ll likely start to notice the effects lasting longer with time after the first year or so. This therapy can train your muscles to stay more relaxed, and the positive effects it has on the skin by stimulating collagen and relaxing it can also have a cumulative effect that leads to longer-lasting results after treatments.
What Types of Conditions Can You Treat?
Because this therapy is versatile, we can treat many different types of issues, including the following conditions:
Forehead Lines
Lines that run sideways across the forehead are commonly called “stress lines” or “worry lines,” and they can appear as early as your twenties, though they usually become much more obvious for most people when they hit their 30s. Two large muscles in the forehead, the frontalis muscles, are responsible for the appearance of these lines. However, despite their large size, they normally respond very well to this treatment.
Frown Lines
Frown lines typically form at the top of the nose just below the forehead, and they’ve earned this nickname because they’re often more visible when frowning or making a pouting face. We can normally treat these quite easily by injecting the corrugator, procerus, or frontalis muscles that typically cause them.
Crow’s Feet
Lines that appear near the outer areas of your eyes are called lateral canthal lines, but most people know them as “crow’s feet” because that’s what they resemble. While they’re normally more noticeable while smiling, they can usually be minimized or completely hidden with just a few shots of this medication.
Lipstick Lines
Perioral lines, which are also known as “lipstick lines,” are mostly seen in older patients and appear between the nose and the upper lip as vertical lines. Multiple muscles near the mouth can contribute to these, though they normally only require a few injections to be effectively treated.
Bunny Lines
Nasal glabellar lines, or “bunny lines,” often run diagonally down the center of the nose, but they can also run vertically or appear on both sides of the nose. The nasalis muscle that wraps around the nose can cause these lines, though, after a few injections, most patients see major improvements in their appearance.
Gummy Smile
When smiling, you may have an excessive gingival display, which is a condition many people know as a “gummy smile.” While this can sometimes be caused by a bad bite, it’s also often the result of hyperactive muscles in the upper lip area. When this is the case, we can treat these muscles to relax the upper lip, which normally leads to a more aesthetically pleasing smile.
Neck Bands
Long, vertical bands that appear on the neck are platysmal bands, which are normally caused by aging and strong contractions of the platysma muscles, which run through both the neck and lower face. Treating these muscles can not only improve the appearance of the neck but sometimes raises sagging skin in the jawline as well.
Sagging Jawline
Sagging areas of skin in the jawline area, also known as “jowls,” are very common, though they can add years to a person’s appearance. We’ve had excellent results at treating this condition, which typically lifts the jawline and adds more well-defined contours to a person’s face, making them look much younger.
Excessive Sweating
In addition to its muscle-relaxing effect, this treatment can relax overactive nerves as well, which can effectively treat excessive sweating, otherwise known as hyperhidrosis. When sweating isn’t simply caused by exercise or heat, we can normally treat it by injecting this medication into areas where it’s occurring, such as the armpits, which can relax the nerves that are triggering the sweat glands.
Will BOTOX Change the Way I Look?
While people you regularly interact with may notice improvements in your overall appearance, this therapy won’t otherwise change how you look. You won’t have an overdone or “frozen” look with this treatment because we only use conservative amounts and are highly skilled in administering it. Your muscles will be relaxed, but you’ll still be able to make facial expressions, and you’ll still look the same, just with fewer lines and wrinkles.
Revitalize Your Appearance Today
With both corrective and preventative benefits, BOTOX can be effective for adults, young and old. To schedule your consultation and see how this treatment can help you, contact us today at ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD. After assessing your skin and any conditions you might have, we can develop a treatment plan that’s personalized to your needs.
