As we age, years of expression and the slow pull of gravity carve road maps of life across our face. For some, this means their stressful job as a sales director slowly threads the muscles of their forehead into a wrinkled nest. For others, it means their full and ready smile stains crow's feet at the corner of their eyes.
For those that wish to retain a youthful appearance, without the wrinkles and sagginess of age, targeting specific Botox injection sites can help you achieve the look you want.
This simple procedure has mild side effects and results that last up to 4 months. From diminishing the appearance of jowls to filling in bothersome bunny lines, Botox relaxes the overworked muscles in your face to help achieve a look that makes you feel confident and beautiful along with many more benefits.
Live like a superstar. Here's everything you need to know about Botox treatment for wrinkles.
How Do Wrinkles Form?
Over the course of our busy lives, we stand in the sun, express concern, maybe smoke a few cigarettes, or at least forget to drink enough water every day.
These factors contribute to our skin's natural depletion of elasticity and youth. Our skin slowly weakens, thins, and loses the ability to rejuvenate itself naturally.
Behind the skin, our face is striped with numerous bands of muscle. Over time, the contraction of these muscles folds the skin, creating a crease that deepens into wrinkles.
Every time you frown, small muscles around your eyes and at the top of your nose contract. Repetitive, prolonged contraction of these muscles forms wrinkles called glabellar wrinkles, or frown lines; vertical creases down the center of your brow.
A frown pulls your lower forehead in and down, so if you spend a lot of time fussing and making a face, eventually, it'll just sort of stay like that. I guess the old adage is true.
Reducing The Appearance of Wrinkles
Not all wrinkles come from decades of grumpy pouting. You don't have to look like the old man you've never seen smile or speak with an inside voice to try Botox. In fact, some wrinkles come from years of having a great time.
To keep the good times rolling and prolong the appearance you had during those memorable years of laughter, you might try Botox treatments to relax your face muscles and smooth out the skin on top. Most people that try Botox report being satisfied with the results.
How Does Botox Work?
You've seen the needle pressed against a woman's face on every magazine cover highlighting Botox, but what actually is inside that needle?
The solution is botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin that chemically stops the nerves in your face muscles from communicating with each other.
The Botox injection site isn't random, either, which I guess they sort of captured with those over-dramatized Sharpie arrows and circles. You and your doctor will discuss your problem areas beforehand and which specific muscles to target.
During the procedure, you can follow along in a mirror to make sure everything is even and to your liking. The doctor might even ask you to make faces so the muscles actively contract.
Botox injections are typically small, usually about 1 mL of solution at a time in an ultra-fine needle (30 gauge) for minimal discomfort. The doctor inserts the needle in the overactive muscles and injects the solution.
This localized neurotoxin relaxes the muscle and smooths out the wrinkle. A single injection can easily remove 10 years of aging for up to four months.
While this safe and effective cosmetic procedure is considered relatively simple, it should always be performed by a trained medical professional.
Common Botox Injections Sites
The forehead and outside corners of the eyes are the most common Botox injection sites, but many other areas on and off the face can be treated with Botox as well.
As a potent and localized muscle relaxer, Botox even treats lazy eye, bruxism eye twitching, chronic migraine, and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).
Other popular injections sites for wrinkles include:
- Neck (neck cords and bands)
- Upper lip (lip lines)
- Eyebrow (droopy eyebrows)
- Under eye (under eye wrinkles)
- Gums (gummy smile)
- Chin (chin wrinkles)
- Upper nose (nose wrinkles, also known as bunny lines)
- Jawline
- Underarm (hyperhidrosis treatment)
Botox Side Effects
With a face this beautiful, there must be a catch. Bruising commonly occurs for about 2-3 days, if at all, after the injection. Some bruising may occur for up to two weeks, but this is rare.
The bruise can range from being the size of a freckle, or grow to be almost as big as a quarter. A little bit of ice and pressure should shrink the bruise down.
You can minimize bruising beforehand by avoiding anticoagulant medications, like aspirin, for at least two weeks before the procedure. Any dietary supplements with this effect should be discontinued as well.
Other possible Botox side effects include:
- Pain or swelling around the injection site
- Headache
- Muscle stiffness or weakness
- Cold or Flu symptoms
- Anxiety about the injection
To protect your application from dispersing to other areas of the muscle, avoid drinking alcohol or working out heavily. Anything that causes the face to flush or warm up could affect the medication. This includes massaging the treated area.
You should also avoid laying on your back for up to four hours after Botox injections.
Will Botox Work For Me?
Profound dynamic wrinkles yield the most noticeable results. Botox works best on wrinkles that appear when you contract the muscles in your face, rather than wrinkles there at rest.
Luckily, Botox in combination with other cosmetic treatments, like dermal fillers, can reduce the appears of those static wrinkles.
You should not receive Botox injections if you have:
- A history of keloidal scarring
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- An immune deficiency
- A neuromuscular disorder
- Allergy to AbobotulinumtoxinA or cow's milk protein
- Eczema or psoriasis around the injection site
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
Book An Appointment
Botox Treatments in Birmingham
Whether you’re looking to reduce wrinkles, improve facial symmetry, treat excessive sweating, or alleviate teeth grinding, Dr. Aesthetica in Birmingham has you covered.
Botox is a versatile and popular treatment that offers numerous benefits:
- Smooths out wrinkles and fine lines for a more youthful and refreshed appearance
- Improves facial symmetry by precisely targeting and relaxing specific muscles
- Reduces excessive sweating in areas like the underarms, offering relief from hyperhidrosis
- Alleviates pain and tension caused by teeth grinding, jaw clenching, and migraines
- Achieves natural-looking results with custom dosing tailored to your unique facial features
At Dr. Aesthetica, we ensure that Botox is injected in just the right places to achieve the desired outcome, whether you’re looking to soften frown lines, diminish crow’s feet, or slim your jawline.
Contact Dr. Aesthetica today to learn more or schedule your Botox consultation in Birmingham!
