What is Botox?
Botox injections are a minimally invasive treatment that temporarily relaxes your muscles. Its most popular use is relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles, making patients look younger without looking frozen or unnatural.
The active ingredient in Botox, called botulinum toxin, works by blocking nerve signals that tell your muscles to contract. Constantly contracting facial muscles lead to wrinkles and lines on your face.
Beyond its aesthetic uses, Botox can help treat several medical conditions, including urinary incontinence, migraines, and excessive underarm sweating.
What is the difference between Botox and fillers?
Botox and fillers are both injectable treatments for wrinkles and lines. While Botox paralyzes the muscles that cause wrinkles, fillers are gel substances that make up for the loss of volume in your face that leads to skin wrinkling.
How can Botox improve my appearance?
Botox can be used to target and reduce many types of wrinkles. You use the muscles in your face to eat, speak, and express yourself nonverbally. Over time, the muscles that you use most form wrinkles. Among the wrinkles that Botox injections can reduce are:
- Frown lines between your brows
- Crow’s-feet lines next to your eyes
- Forehead wrinkles
- Bunny lines on the bridge of your nose
- Wrinkles around your lips
- Marionette lines from your nose to your chin
- Chin dimpling
If you’re unsatisfied with the results, don’t fret. The effects of Botox are temporary and go away after three months or longer. If you want to keep your wrinkle-free look, simply make additional appointments for more injections as needed.
Is Botox safe?
Many patients are surprised to find that the main ingredient in Botox is a poisonous toxin found in nature. When injected correctly, it’s safe for use. However, you may experience a few side effects in the days following your injection, including:
- Minor bruising
- Swelling
- Irritation near the injection site
- Headache
- Dry eyes or excessive tearing
If side effects last longer than a couple of days, call Primary & Urgent Care immediately. More severe side effects like trouble breathing, muscle weakness, vision problems, or trouble swallowing require immediate emergency care.
Botox injections aren’t safe for you if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or allergic to any of its ingredients.
If you’re uncomfortable with the wrinkles and lines that develop on your face with age, Botox injections are a safe alternative to plastic surgery. To find out if Botox is the right treatment for you, call Primary & Urgent Care today.
