Botox Basics

Have you heard the legend of the Fountain of Youth? Tales of this magical spring have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, but the legend became particularly popular in the 16th century. The legend goes that Ponce de León was searching for this spring when he traveled to what is now Florida in 1513. To his great sadness, he never found it.

Fortunately for us, however, technology has helped us create a beauty procedure that keeps our skin looking as young as we feel. Botox is a “cosmetic Fountain of Youth”, and it has become increasingly popular over the last couple of decades. Hundreds of thousands of women and men pay a visit to their dermatologist to get Botox Cosmetic each year, and it is now a billion dollar industry. If you have ever been curious about Botox but haven’t yet taken advantage of this effective aesthetic treatment, here are a few helpful tidbits of information!

WHAT IS BOTOX?
First things first – what exactly is Botox? While it is commonly misunderstood to be a filler, Botox is actually a muscle and wrinkle relaxer. While dermal fillers are used to plump static wrinkle lines or contour the face, Botox is used to block the nerve impulses that cause activity and create dynamic lines. Contrary to popular belief, Botox does not completely freeze the face. The injection simply slows does the motion in the face that creates creases.

While the injection will wear off after roughly three to four months, even one injection can have dramatic results on frown lines. Many patients have noted that Botox helped them to rid themselves of bad frowning habits that could cause creases in the future. The frown area is currently the most popular area to get botox injections.

ANTI-AGING AND BEYOND
Depending on an individual patient’s needs, this cosmetic treatment can be used for prevention, relaxation, or rejuvenation. It prevents the development of wrinkles, relaxes facial muscles, and can even provide a lift to the eyes and corners of the mouth to make patients look more rested.

Botox can be used for several other purposes beyond anti-aging, however. In addition to being used as an anti-aging treatment, it can be used to stop excessive underarm sweating and to improve temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). Migraines, bladder spasms, cerebral palsy, and muscle spasms have all been treated by this wide-ranging injection. It is also being studied as a potential acne treatment, but there is still much more to be developed in that arena.

THE COSMETIC FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
While it may be a stretch to compare Botox to the legendary Fountain of Youth, it is certainly one of the closest things we have in the real world! This beauty treatment helps us achieve a youthful complexion with effective and affordable treatment options. In addition, Dr. Karen has been trained by some of the world experts in Botox Cosmetic procedures that are off-label, but can fix or treat various face, head, neck and decolletage complaints. If you are interested in finding out more, contact the Dermatology and Aesthetic Center of El Paso. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about our “cosmetic Fountain of Youth.”