LASER TREATMENTS
Cosmetic solutions for the face, skin, and body.
Botulinum toxin, otherwise known as Botox, is popular for its ability to minimize the effects of wrinkles. Many people around the world swear by Botox’s anti-aging properties. However, there are many other ways that botulinum toxin can help you that you may not know.
Have you considered getting Botox in North Babylon, NY but don’t understand how it works? Keep reading to learn what botulinum toxin is, where you can get Botox, how it works, who can administer it, how a medical spa uses it, who can get it, and the possible risks associated with Botox. Before you get the procedure, you must understand how it works and how it can help you.
What Is Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum toxin contains the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which causes the life-threatening food poisoning known as botulism. While this bacterium is poisonous in high doses, Botox only uses a small injection, making it safe. Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it for smoothing frown lines in 2002. Since then, Botox has continued to rise in popularity, and many Suffolk medical spas perform Botox treatments.
Where You Can Get Botox
You can use Botox to treat many cosmetic or medical issues. Some cosmetic uses for Botox include smoothing wrinkles on your face (such as crow’s feet, frown lines, and bunny lines), reducing the look of dimpling on the chin, and correcting a gummy smile.
However, there are also medical uses for Botox. It can help those with severe underarm sweating, chronic migraines, an overactive bladder, or a lazy eye.
Most people target areas on the face and neck that see a lot of wrinkle production, such as the forehead, nose, around the eyes, and the neck. Smoothing these wrinkly areas gives the face a more youthful appearance, which is why so many choose to get Botox.
How Botox Works
People trying to diminish wrinkles will have a small amount of botulinum toxin injected into the areas where the wrinkles are. For example, they will get Botox around the lips if those are the wrinkles they wish to erase. The botulinum toxin will weaken the muscles around the area, causing them to stop contracting. The injection will block the neurotransmitters that tell the muscles in that area to contract, keeping those signals from reaching the muscles. Your lips won’t wrinkle if the muscles around them don’t contract.
Botox does the same thing for those who struggle with chronic migraines. Botulinum toxin will block the neurotransmitters that send signals to the brain, relaxing the muscles and hoping to lower migraine days for those who suffer from them.
Botox can last around three to six months, so it’s not a permanent cure for wrinkles or these medical struggles. However, the procedure is worth it for many people if it means they can look younger or enjoy their life without the effects of migraines, an overactive bladder, or a lazy eye.
Who Can Administer Botox
Since Botox is a medical treatment, you need to have a doctor administer the injection. Luckily, you can find many medical spas in North Babylon, NY, that can provide you with Botox treatments. Do some research on the doctors in your area specializing in Botox, or ask your primary doctor for a recommendation. Since botulinum toxin is dangerous in large amounts, you should never go to someone who isn’t skilled in this treatment.
How a Medical Spa Uses Botulinum Toxin
Before the procedure starts, your Suffolk doctor may use a topical anesthesia cream to numb the area. Then, they will use a thin needle to inject the botulinum toxin into your muscles. While this seems like a simple procedure, there is more to it than that.
There are 43 muscles in your face, and your doctor has to understand where all the muscles are and what areas of your face they affect before they administer Botox. You can have adverse effects if they inject the botulinum toxin into the wrong muscle.
They will inject a small amount of this toxin into the muscle, weakening it to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. How many injections you need will depend on where the North Babylon, NY doctor administers the Botox. The larger the area, like your forehead, the more injections you’ll need to weaken the muscles successfully. The procedure will only take around 10-15 minutes to complete.
Botox will usually start working in one to three days after getting the procedure done; however, you will see the full effect of the Botox after 14 days. After that, you won’t need another session for another three to six months.
Who Can Get Botox
Luckily, most physically healthy people over the age of 18 can have Botox done in North Babylon, NY. However, there are cases where you cannot get Botox. You should not get Botox done if you have a neuromuscular disease—such as multiple sclerosis—if you are pregnant, have skin problems near your injection site, or have uneven facial features or deep scars.
Before you decide if getting Botox is right for you, make sure you speak to your doctor to determine whether it is a safe procedure for you.
Possible Risks
As with any medical procedure, there are possible risks associated with Botox. These risks include headaches, nausea, bruising at the injection site, a droopy eyelid, or a crooked smile. Thankfully, these risks are small and usually easily manageable.
However, there are some more severe risks if you go to a doctor not experienced with performing Botox treatments. As well, you can cause issues if you rub your face after treatment. This can cause the botulinum toxin to spread to other muscles beyond where your doctor injected it. Side effects from this can include difficulty breathing and swallowing, muscle weakness, inability to control your bladder, and vision problems. These symptoms can appear hours to weeks after getting Botox, and you should reach out to your Suffolk doctor immediately if you notice these side effects.
If you’re ready to look younger or help reduce your number of migraine days, call Evolution MedSpa at 631-499-5700 today and see how Botox can help you.