Botox Questions & Answers
What is BOTOX®?
BOTOX® is a prescription drug produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum toxin. Although technically classified as a neurotoxin, which may sound unappealing, the part being injected into your skin is a highly purified protein and is therefore a perfectly safe pharmaceutical medication with few side-effects.
How Long Does BOTOX® Last?
BOTOX® can last anywhere from three to four months. Results start to wear off gradually and it's recommended to repeat your treatments every three months and before full movement has returned to your facial muscles.
How Many Units of BOTOX® Do I Need?
No single BOTOX® dose is the same for everyone. It depends on the number of areas you'd like to treat and how strong the muscles are. During your consultation your doctor will assess your face and recommend the appropriate number of units. There is a range that most people fall into: frown area 20-35 units, forehead 4-12 units, crow's feet 9-15 units per side, bunny lines 3-5 per side, brow lift 3-5 per side,
What Are the Side Effects of BOTOX®?
Side-effects or allergic reactions from the medication itself are extremely rare. It’s possible to get a mild headache or even flu-like symptoms shortly after your treatment. More common are tenderness, swelling and bruising at the injection site but even these are temporary. Other side-effects can occur due to human error, such as injecting too close to the eye, resulting in ptosis (droopy eyelid) or from rubbing the area too soon after injection. But even these will resolve themselves over time and pose no serious health risk.
Which Areas Can Be Treated with BOTOX®?
The most common areas treated with BOTOX® are the crow's feet, frown and forehead lines. BOTOX® can be used off label to treat other cosmetic issues such as slimming the masseters, reducing a gummy smile and to soften lines around the neck.
What Can I Expect Immediately After My BOTOX® Treatment?
Swelling and redness at the injection site is common right after your treatment and will subside in less than an hour. It's possible to get some bruising as well which can take 7-10 days to fully resolve. After four hours it can covered up with makeup if desired.
How Was BOTOX® Discovered?
As with many breakthroughs and inventions, BOTOX® was discovered by accident. The year was 1987 and two Vancouver doctors, Jean and Alastair Carruthers, one of them an Opthalmologist (Jean) was using botulinum toxin to manage uncontrollable blinking and spasms of the eye area. Patients quickly noticed that when injected around the eyes and forehead, their wrinkles disappeared, giving the skin a smoother, more youthful appearance.
When Is Too Young to Start Using BOTOX® ?
There is mounting evidence that long-term BOTOX® use can delay and even prevent the onset of dynamic wrinkles. Since the visible signs of aging to start become noticeable in our 30’s, it makes makes sense to use BOTOX® for prevention in our mid 20’s for areas such as crow’s feet, frown lines and forehead. As we age, lines and wrinkles that are dynamic in nature (only visible when you’re making facial expressions), can become static and deep (visible when you face it at rest). Therefore prevention when you’re young is a good strategy.
Do the Effects of BOTOX® Show Immediately?
Unlike dermal fillers that plump your skin instantaneously, BOTOX® results happen gradually over the course of two weeks. Although it’s possible to start feeling less muscle contraction and smoothing out of lines after several days, the improvement continue up to fourteen days. For this reason most doctors will not schedule a follow-up visit or perform touch ups prior to this time.
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