Why Skin Ages
One day you looked in the mirror and studied those lines that furrowed your brow, and you wondered: Where did they come from?
Is it just aging? Too much sun? Too much stress? In general, how skin ages and wrinkles is a complex process. It isn't just about cellular changes, collagen depletion, hormone loss, damage caused by free radicals, and so on; it's a combination of many factors.
The Anatomy of the Wrinkle
The lines that appear between your brows (glabellar lines) actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time. You may have heard the expression "wearing your emotions on your sleeve," but in reality you wear them on your face. If you're angry or annoyed, for example, you knit your brows together. Underneath your skin, your facial muscles contract, cause a pleating of the overlying skin, and then, as anyone can see, you're frowning.
After years of crinkling and wrinkling, those glabellar lines start to linger longer and can become more pronounced. For women, whose faces tend to be more animated than men's, and whose skin is typically more delicate, these lines may appear exaggerated and more permanent.
Fortunately, there is a way to temporarily reduce moderate to severe glabellar lines. Treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. An improvement can be seen within days and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment.
What is BOTOX® Cosmetic?
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a simple, nonsurgical, physician-administered treatment that can temporarily smooth moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people from 18 to 65 years of age. It is the only treatment of its type approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
One 10-minute treatment—a few tiny injections—and within days there's a noticeable improvement in moderate to severe frown lines between the brows, which can last up to 4 months. Results may vary.
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which reduces the activity of the muscles that cause those frown lines between the brows to form over time.
In 2005, almost 3.3 million procedures were performed with FDA-approved BOTOX® Cosmetic.
There’s only one BOTOX® Cosmetic.
BOTOX ®Cosmetic May Work For You?
When it comes to selecting a physician-administered aesthetic treatment, chances are you’ll want proof, not just claims. The proof for BOTOX® Cosmetic is in the numbers.
- In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment. Results vary.
- Results can last for up to 4 months, and may vary.
- BOTOX® Cosmetic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for the temporary treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people ages 18 to 65, and almost 3.3 million procedures were performed in 2005 alone.
- The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery ranked BOTOX® Cosmetic as the most popular physician-administered aesthetic procedure in the United States for the fourth year in a row (surgical and nonsurgical combined).
So why not ask Dr. Kau if BOTOX® Cosmetic is right for you?
The Injection Process
The beauty of a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment is that it's a simple, 10-minute, non-surgical process. A few tiny injections, and within days there can be a noticeable improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between the brows that can last up to 4 months. Results may vary. And there’s no recovery time. You can even do it on your lunch break.
- Your doctor will administer several tiny injections of BOTOX® Cosmetic directly into the muscles that cause those moderate to severe frown lines between the brows.
- Your doctor will determine where to administer the injections by examining your ability to move certain muscles in your brow area. The location, size, and use of the muscles that create a furrowed brow vary markedly among individuals.
- No anesthesia is required, although your doctor may choose to numb the area with a cold pack or anesthetic cream prior to injecting. Discomfort is usually minimal and brief.
- You can expect to be in and out of the physician’s office without downtime. You may see a marked improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows within days. Improvement may continue for as long as a month, and could last up to 4 months.
How Often Is Treatments Recommended?
If you're pleased with the results of a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment, you'll probably want to get on a treatment schedule so you can keep on being pleased.
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a non-surgical, physician-administered aesthetic treatment that can temporarily reduce the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows for up to 4 months. Within days, you may see a noticeable improvement. Results may vary. You can receive injections with BOTOX® Cosmetic up to every 4 months to help you maintain the results.
If you discontinue treatment, the frown lines between your brows gradually will look like they did before treatment.
Don't wait for a special occasion to use BOTOX® Cosmetic. Talk to Dr. Kau about a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment now.
Before and Afters
Results may vary.
Side Effect of BOTOX® Cosmetic
Do not use BOTOX® Cosmetic if you:
- have an infection where BOTOX® Cosmetic will be injected
- are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® Cosmetic
- are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
What should I tell my doctor before using BOTOX® Cosmetic?
Only your doctor can decide if BOTOX® Cosmetic is right for you. Before starting treatment, tell your doctor if you:
- have any diseases that affect your nerves and muscles. These diseases may increase your chance of side effects with BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment.
- are breastfeeding
- are planning to become pregnant soon.
Can any of my medicines interact with BOTOX® Cosmetic?
Be sure that your doctor knows the names of all the medicines you are using, including:
- antibiotics used to treat infections, such as gentamicin, tobramycin, clindamycin, and lincomycin
- medicines used to treat heart rhythm problems, such as quinidine
- medicines used to treat different conditions, such as myasthenia gravis or Alzheimer’s disease.
As with all prescription medicines, you should also notify your doctor if you are taking any over-the-counter medicines or herbal products.
This is not a complete list of medicines that can interact with BOTOX® Cosmetic. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for the Professional Package Insert for complete information.
Cost per cc $10
