Botox CENTER FOR FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY AT ENT SPECIALISTS

Botox

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BOTOX

There are four commercially available brands of Botulinum Toxin or Botox commonly used in the US today: Botox®, Dysport®, Xeomin® and Jeuveau®. They all are purified proteins synthesized in the laboratory that function as muscle relaxants and none of them can cause botulism.

All four products have the same potency when equivalent number of neurotoxin units are injected but slightly different duration of action. The newer products, like Jeuveau®, tend to last longer in certain patients.

BOTOX FOR WRINKLES

Botulinum toxin is injected with ultra-fine needles into specific muscles responsible for dynamic wrinkles and lines. This relaxes the muscles and the wrinkles are drastically reduced. Properly injected, botulinum toxin does not change facial expressions. The effects last between 3 and 4 months. Bruising after treatment is not common but pinpoint bruising can happen especially if you tend to bruise easily or if you take blood thinners, anti-inflammatories (Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, etc), vitamins or supplements (fish oil, Ginko, Ginseng, Garlic etc). On very rare occasions, the body can develop antibodies against a particular type of botulinum toxin requiring for the use of a different brand.

The most common facial areas treated with Botox are: the glabellar or “11 lines” between the brows, the crow’s feet at the corners of the eyes and the forehead wrinkles. Properly injected, Botox can effectively lift the brows giving a refreshed look.

Botox can also be used to treat the “smoker’s lines” around the lips, the bunny scrunch on the nose, the peau d’orange on the chin and the vertical neck bands. When injected into the Depressor Anguli Oris (DAO) muscle, it can effectively lift the corners of the mouth.

Botulinum toxin can also be used to treat migraines and muscle spasms (Blepharospasm, Hemifacial spasm, Synkinesis or Aberrant regeneration), in which instance it could be covered by insurance.

BOTOX FOR SWEATING

Sweating is a physiological mechanism used by our body to cool down and prevent hyperthermia (excessively high body temperature). However, there are people in which profuse sweating is triggered in response to emotions or minimal changes in temperature. This condition called Hyperhidrosis is caused by an abnormal functioning of the sympathetic nervous system and can be very distressing. People with hyperhidrosis have their underarms always wet. The abnormal sweating often stains clothes and has an unpleasant smell. Sweating is often not limited to the underarms but affects also the palms and the soles, making these individuals feel very uncomfortable.

What is the treatment for abnormal sweating?

Botulinum toxin is the preferred treatment for excessive sweating and acts by blocking the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. On average 50 units of botox are used for each armpit, palm or sole. All of the commercially available brands of botulinum toxin (Botox®, Xeomin®, Dysport®, Jeuveau®) are equally effective.

BOTOX FOR SQUARE JAW REDUCTION

Botox is very effective in reducing the square jaw look in patients with prominent masseter muscles. On average, about 25 units / side are sufficient to relax the masseter muscles and create a more oval, less square facial look. A very popular procedure in Asia, Botox injections for square jaw reduction has become a frequently performed procedure in both US and Europe, with results that improve over time. It is a painless procedure that is typically repeated every 3 to 4 months. The initial result is seen as early as one week after the injection however, as times goes by, the progressive atrophy (decreased volume) of the masseter muscle leads to an ever more oval shaped face.

This procedure is sometimes covered by insurance in patients who have trismus (jaw locking) or bruxism (teeth grinding).

In contrast to Botox injections for facial wrinkles, the effect of Botox injections into the masseter muscles lasts between 6 and 12 months so, typically, the treatment is done twice a year.