What is Botox and how does it work?

If you’ve been one to say you wouldn’t get plastic surgery, but you don’t like the fine lines and wrinkles developing on your skin, there is a perfect option for you – Botox. Plenty has been said about the substance, and in fact, many women use it to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth to turn back the hands of time when it comes to aging. Not sure what it is?

Botox is a substance derived from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Don’t let that scare you! The amount used in Botox injections is a very small amount, which effectively helps:

• Minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Help treat painful muscle spasms and contractions in shoulders and neck
• Treat eye alignment conditions or spasms
• Help reduce excess sweating

The substance in the injections “freezes” selected muscles or nerves to prevent a number of the above-mentioned symptoms. For example, if you have consistently raised your eyebrows over the years you might notice a line across the middle of your forehead, known as a “worry line”. Repeated facial movements combined with a reduction of collagen and elastin leads to wrinkles – and Botox injections freeze the muscle so you no longer have the wrinkle in the forehead.

Common locations for Botox include anywhere on the face where expression lines occur, such as the forehead, around the eyes and lips. When used subtly, Botox injections effectively improve the appearance of the face. Another advantage of Botox over a more invasive procedure, such as a facelift or eyelift, is that results do fade over time – so if you don’t like it, the good news is it’s not permanent. With each Botox injection, you can expect results to last between three and four months before a new treatment session is needed. That helps you determine if you need more or less the next time you go in to achieve your desired look.

For those living in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Botox treatments are found everywhere. It’s important to only visit reputable physicians who administer the injections in an office setting with quality products. Don’t fall for outrageous claims or reduced prices to get you in the door – you never know about the quality of the injection or the experience of the person administering it. Visit a few reputable skin care centers and ask for recommendations to select the ideal doctor for you.