Are you looking to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and achieve a more youthful-looking complexion? If so, you may have tried plenty of creams, lotions, and serums, all promising to give you the results you want. One treatment that actually delivers? Botox.
From celebrities to your next-door neighbor, chances are you’ve heard of at least one person who’s tried Botox injections. Today, we’re taking a closer look at what it is and how it can boost your self-esteem and improve your quality of life.
What is Botox?
Botox is the brand name for a toxin that is produced by a strain of bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. If you were to ingest this toxin in large amounts, it could have dangerous side effects, including muscle paralysis.
However, scientists have discovered a way to harness its muscle-relaxing powers for good, creating one of the most innovative health and beauty treatments to hit the market in decades. Botox injections contain very small, diluted amounts of this toxin. When this substance is injected directly into your facial muscles, it catalyzes a controlled relaxation.
Botox is injected into specific muscles using a fine needle. The procedure only lasts a few minutes and does not cause a great deal of discomfort. Most people begin to notice its effects in three to seven days, though it can take up to two weeks to take hold.
How does it work?
In essence, Botox temporarily blocks or quiets the signal that travels from your facial nerve to the injected muscle. As a result, this creates localized muscle immobilization that renders your muscle unable to tighten quite as forcefully. Throughout your treatment time, those muscles will remain essentially immobilized, producing very little movement.
This further serves to smooth the surrounding skin, as it allows it to rest in place as well. With less daily motion, your skin is able to remain relaxed for longer. This can help smooth your complexion and reduce the prominence of fine lines and wrinkles.
Most Botox injections are designed to last from one month to six months depending on your specific procedure. After repeat treatments, you should begin to notice that your lines and wrinkles appear less severe. This is because over time, your muscles have been physically trained to relax.
It’s important to note that Botox is not a facial filler. In other words, it is not designed to “fill in” any wrinkles that you already have. Rather, it works to relax the muscles that are creating those wrinkles in the first place.
What can it help?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first Botox application back in 1989. At that time, it was used to help relieve the effects of involuntary facial movements, including blepharospasm (uncontrolled blinking) and strabismus (lazy eye).
Today, it’s most often used as a cosmetic treatment for people who are seeking smoother skin with fewer wrinkles and facial creases. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common applications.
Smoothing Fine Lines
Now, there are more than 20 FDA-approved applications of Botox. A majority of them center around complexion care, with treatments designed to reduce the appearance of:
- Frown lines (on the forehead).
- Crow’s feet (around the eyes).
- Bunny lines (on the nose).
- Dimpled skin (on the chin).
- Skin bands (around the neck).
- Smoker’s lines and wrinkles (around the mouth).
If you’re feeling self-conscious about your appearance and believe that your lines and wrinkles may be aging you, Botox injections can take years off of your appearance and give you back your confidence.
Relieving symptoms of certain medical conditions.
In addition, the muscle-relaxing power of Botox injections can also help with a range of medical conditions as well. Physicians often recommend it as a therapeutic treatment to help ease the symptoms of:
- Chronic migraine headaches.
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
- Excessive teeth grinding (bruxism).
All of these dental-related conditions can be triggered by excessive tension in your facial muscles.
When you receive Botox injections, you’ll temporarily inhibit the neurotransmitters that tell those muscles to contract. In turn, that natural reaction is lessened and those muscles are allowed to relax. If you’re used to waking up with a headache or sore jaw, you’ll appreciate the difference that this treatment can make.
Botox injections can also help improve your jaw mobility as well as its overall function. In addition, these injections have also been used to help treat other medical conditions, such as urinary incontinence and excessive armpit sweating.
Enhancing Lips
A growing number of people are also turning to Botox to help their lips appear fuller, healthier, and better-defined.
If you’ve recently completed a cosmetic or restorative dental procedure, this is the extra touch that can help you show off your new smile with assurance. In addition, it’s also an ideal way to treat any skin concerns that you might have noticed around your lip area.
For instance, have the corners of your mouth started to turn downward, or do you have creases around your lips? What about a too-thin upper lip or a high lip line? Botox injections can help remedy these issues and more.
Ask us about Botox today.
Are you interested in learning more about how Botox can help improve your appearance, smooth your facial creases, and bolster your confidence? We’re proud to offer dental Botox treatments in our office. Dr. Harris has extensive training in craniofacial anatomy and applies this knowledge and skill to every procedure. You’ll leave feeling like a younger, bolder version of yourself!
To learn more about the services that our dental team provides, feel free to book an appointment today and let’s connect.
