While you may have a passing familiarity with Botox, chances are you don’t know exactly how the treatment works. Every dermatologist in Newport Beach is regularly asked about what results to expect and recovery time but many patients schedule a Botox treatment without knowing how it gets rid of wrinkles. These days Botox is the most popular cosmetic treatment in the world but it has actually been around for decades and was previously used to treat eyelid spasms, migraines, and joint disorders, among other maladies. So how does it work magic on wrinkles?
When you get Botox treatment at an office, you are being treated with a serum that is derived from botulinum toxin type A. At first some people were turned off because this is the same bacteria causes botulism, but the treatment is completely safe and was approved by the FDA in 2002. The truth is, it is the botulinum bacteria which actually makes Botox so effective in fighting the signs of aging.
Our Practice is much more than simply caring for skin, it’s also making you look and feel better which is what Botox accomplishes. Very small amounts of the botulinum bacteria are injected into facial muscles below the wrinkles you want to see vanish. The injection blocks the nerve from sending a message to the brain telling it to contract the muscle. As a result, the muscle stops contracting and the wrinkle on the skin above it begins to become less visible and maybe even disappear. After about four to six months the Botox is completely absorbed by the muscle and it begins to contract again so the wrinkle appears once again.
Because it affects facial muscles, Botox works only on what are known as dynamic wrinkles. These are creases in the skin which are caused by repeated muscle contractions during everyday actions like smiling, frowning, squinting, laughing, and more. Unfortunately, Botox is unable to work on what are known as static wrinkles, the lines in your skin caused by sun damage or are simply the result of aging.
Botox is a simple and safe treatment that can visibly decrease crows feet and lines between your eyebrows and on your head. The results typically take three to five days to fully appear and patients are advised not to rub the injected area for at least 12 hours following treatment to avoid the Botox from spreading to other areas.
If you hope to get rid of dynamic wrinkles in an effort to achieve a more youthful appearance, or if you have any other questions about Botox or dermatology in general, contact Dr. Stefani Kappel, an experienced Newport Beach dermatologist.