Vanity Thy Name is Botox
Oct 17 '05
The Bottom Line Botox isn't for everyone. If it is for you make sure you have a good doctor and that you don't look as if you are in a Halloween costume!
I had my first Cosmetic Procedure about nine years ago and my second about four years ago. Like many of you I have used so many different brands and types of anti-aging creams that I could have paid for a couple of Botox treatments by now.
Every time I got my hair cut I made sure that my bangs were long enough to cover the fine lines between my eye brows. I didn't have deep lines; my hairdresser laughed at me. I knew the lines were there though so I decided to have Botox injected into my forehead and the lines around my eyes last week. I had two other procedures during that same visit which I will write about separately.
What is Botox and how does it work
Botox is the trade name for a medical protein that comes from botulinum toxin. This toxin is produced by a strain of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This is the same bacteria that can cause botulism or food poisoning.
Botox has been used for quite awhile to control muscle twitches. As the cosmetic procedure this toxin is called by its product name, Botox. It is a non-surgical injected substance that temporarily reduces or eliminates frown lines, forehead creases, crow’s feet near the eyes and even thick bands in the neck. It is manufactured by Allergan.
This injectable substance was discovered when scientists found that small, diluted amounts of this toxin caused muscle paralysis when injected directly into the muscle. If the amount is small enough, it causes controlled weakening of the muscle, and not full-blown muscle paralysis.
The Federal Drug Administration approved Botox for the treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows and its uses have grown since then.
Botox injections were the top non-surgical procedure done last year coming in with 2,837,346 procedures. This was true for both women and men. www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43549
How it works:
Botox prevents impulses to the nerves. In scientific terms it blocks the transmission of acetylcholine from the nerves to the muscles. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which sends a message to the muscle telling it to contract or tense up. When this is blocked there is no message telling the muscle to contract. It is that contraction which causes lines and wrinkles. So with the muscle no longer tense, the relaxation of it results in a smooth appearance of the area in which Botox was injected.
The bad news:
You should not have Botox injections if you are pregnant, nursing or have a neurological disease. If your skin is damaged due to the sun or aging and is sagging Botox will not help. You will need a knife or other non-invasive procedure to alleviate issues such as sun damage.
This is a costly procedure. You can shop around and get various prices but this is your face. Please don’t go to a doctor just because he or she is the cheapest. I travel 3 hours round trip to go to my doctor.
Other than bruising a side affect could be a headache which should be gone within a couple of days. A small percentage of patients develop eyelid drooping. If eyelid drooping does occur, it is usually gone within a few weeks. Note that this number comes from the website I will refer to below. My doctor told me that the drooping can last for months. The reason this happens is because the Botox moved into the eye area. I know when I have novacaine for my mouth sometimes it drips and makes my throat numb. This is the same principle. Do not rub the area in which you had the Botox for at least 12 hours so you don’t move any of it around. You also should be told not to lie down for several hours after the injection so the Botox won’t travel.
You should not drink alcohol for a couple of weeks before your injection.
Botox is a temporary treatment. Expect the affects to last from four to six months. Your doctor might tell you three months to be on the safe side; you may also hear of people whose Botox treatments lasted closer to a year. I would be happy if it lasted for four months. I don't plan on having the treatment four times a year but perhaps twice.
The good news:
Since this is a quick procedure without anesthesia or an operating room you will save money that you will spend on other more invasive procedures.
Although Botox is temporary your wrinkes may not be as noticeable over time because your muscles may be trained to be in a relaxed state. As I wrote this I thought of my weight training. This is not much different than what I often say to clients. I tell them to lift heavier weights than they think they can (once in awhile and only 4 reps) because you can train your muscles to think that they can actually lift more weight than they can! This is sort of the same principle. Having said that expect to repeat this procedure at some point.
Other news:
You will be instructed to avoid alcohol for at least one week prior to your Botox treatment. Anti-inflammatory medication like aspirin or ibuprofen should be avoided two weeks before your Botox treatment. This is to reduce bruising.
The Botox procedure takes only a few minutes. No anesthesia is used, nor is any required. Generally, people feel minor discomfort at most.
During the procedure, Botox will be injected into specific muscles (based on your desired results) using a narrow gauge needle.
The effects of Botox might not be felt or seen for a few days. You should feel some difference in the areas right away but it might take up to a week to see the full effect.
My experiences:
I want to start by saying that I am not a cosmetic procedure junkie. I have gone under the knife twice; had 3 collagen type injections and one injection of Botox. I am 53. I wrote and deleted a couple of paragraphs which talked about why I had this done. I decided that I don’t need to justify it to anyone and it sounded defensive.
I spoke with the doctor at length first. She explained Botox and the risks. She had me look into a mirror and show her what I wanted. I really liked the fact that she gave me advice as well. My doctor told me some of what I had already learned. She told me that Botox not only relaxes the muscles but trains them. She also told me that it acts as a preventative and lessens the lines that will form in the area in which the Botox is injected.
The cost of one vial which covered the areas I mentioned was $550. When the time comes and I have lines across my forehead or the lines around my mouth bother me she can add another 1/2 a vial which would cover those areas.
Botox was injected into a couple of lines between my brows without any Lidocaine. Lidocaine is used as a local anesthetic. The doctor also injected it into a couple of lines next to my eyes that could be seen when I wasn’t smiling. Those were the ones I was most concerned about. A narrow gauge needle was used. There was a bit of discomfort but not much. I never said ouch and tears never came to my eyes. The pain of injecting lidocaine is worse than the Botox injections.
She did my right eye first and then had me hold a cotton pad on the area since it was bleeding. She did the other side and I did the same. She waited a few seconds and then did the middle of my brow area and she held the cotton pad. Within a few minutes the bleeding had stopped and I was all done.
I felt the numbness right away but it took a few days to see the relaxing of my lines. After I left the office I was told to frown a few times an hour just for that one day to get the Botox moving in that area. I was not restricted to what I could do except I was told to sit or stand for several hours and not lie down.
I love the smoothness of my skin. For the first time in a long time I don’t feel the need to wear bangs!
I hope this has helped you. Feel free to leave a question or comment or e-mail if you want to ask something privately.
Some of this information has come from a forum that I highly recommend: www.faceforum.com
Thanks for reading and good luck. jo
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.