How Botox Injections Work – The Benefits of Botox
Botox is not a dermal filler but is still considered a non-invasive skin care procedure. Botox blocks nerve impulses that cause muscles to contract and cause forehead wrinkles.
Botox Cosmetic is injected into muscles, where it blocks nerve impulses to those tissues. The muscle activity that causes the frown lines is reduced, and a smoother look results. Without a contracting muscle beneath it, the skin has a difficult time wrinkling. Botox injections take about 10 minutes, and you should have no downtime afterward.
Normally you would see improvement within a few days. Botox requires two to four days for it to attach to the nerve ending that would normally stimulate the muscle to contract. The maximum effect usually occurs at about 10-14 days. Therefore, whatever effect is obtained two weeks after the injections should be considered the maximum effect that is going to occur.
Side Effects of Botox Injections
Potential Botox side effects include pain at the injection site, infection, inflammation, swelling, redness, bleeding and bruising. Dry mouth, fatigue, headache and neck pain have also been reported. Some of these symptoms may indicate an allergic reaction; other allergy symptoms are itching, wheezing, asthma, a rash, red welts, dizziness and faintness. Tell your doctor immediately if you have any breathing issues or a faint or dizzy feeling.
You may have heard of other side effects as well, such as numbness, droopy eyelids, muscle spasms or twitching, and migration of the substance. Numbness as an absence of physical sensation is not really an issue with Botox, because Botox is not an anesthetic. Numbness as the result of the inability to move a muscle is an issue for some people.
It is possible for the Botox to spread a little beyond the intended injection site and affect surrounding tissues. For example, if you receive Botox injections into the forehead close to your eyebrows or your upper eyelids, they could be affected and may droop temporarily.
Stay tuned for Part 3 in our Botox series where we talk about how you can avoid Botox side effects. Have questions now? Schedule your free consultation with Dr. Rotatori today. We’ll help you find just the right skin care treatment or in-office procedure.