Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox) is injected into the skin to reduce the appearance of face wrinkles temporarily. The muscles causing the wrinkles will be paralyzed once the toxin is injected. This means that your wrinkles will relax and soften and will no longer form due to facial expressions. The Botox treatment is ideal for patients with slight wrinkles and lines. Botox is most often used on forehead lines, crow’s feet (lines around the eye), and frown lines.

What is Botox used for?

Forehead Wrinkles

Forehead wrinkles are signs of age, stress, or excessive pressure on the forehead. Temporary lines form and become permanent over time with facial expressions.

Anti-Aging

As we age, our skin becomes less elastic. When we reach 70, our skin is 30 percent less elastic than it was when we were 20. Flaccid skin makes us look older and makes the skin more prone to wrinkles. Botox is a non-invasive technique designed to slow down the signs of aging or to reverse them. The toxin increases the skin elasticity, up to 30 percent more, for the three to four months that it stays active.

Deep Furrows 

One of the most common causes of deep furrows, also known as glabellar lines, is the wrinkling of the face when we show emotions, laugh, frown, and generally make expressions. These deep wavy lines run horizontally from one eyebrow to the other. They form because the skin becomes looser as we age and the collagen in the face weakens. Repeated facial expressions around the face and eyebrows begin to permanently affect the shape and texture of the skin. Sun exposure, smoking, and our sleeping position also cause glabellar lines.

Wrinkles around the mouth

The skin around the mouth begins to loosen as we get older, and the production of collagen decreases. This means that the facial muscle is not strong enough to avoid wrinkles from appearing. These “smile lines” can be caused by sun exposure, smoking, or the natural course of aging, and are more noticeable when you smile.

Under Eye Wrinkles

Wrinkles can begin to develop under the eyes as you get older – it is a natural part of aging. These wrinkles may become more prominent with smiling, frowning, and laughing. Botox is used to soften the appearance of wrinkles on this part of your face.

Frown Lines

Often called worry lines, these wrinkles appear between the eyes, adjacent to the eyebrows. They are created by facial expressions and become more noticeable with age. These creases tend to be deep, vertical lines that stretch from above the side of the nose to above the eyebrows. Botox helps create finer and softer lines and wrinkles and prevents further deepening of existing frown lines.

Smoker Lines

Smoking is a significant contributing factor to the premature ageing of your skin, as well as sun exposure. This is due to the nicotine in cigarettes—it narrows the blood vessels which supply the surface layers of your skin. Your skin cells then don’t get as much oxygen or vital nutrients needed to keep them healthy. Other chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the collagen and elastin, which causes the skin to sag and wrinkle. Smoker lines usually appear vertically above and below the lips.

Bruxism

Bruxism refers to the excessive grinding of teeth. It is a habitual activity and can occur when a person is awake or asleep.This can lead to pain, headaches, jaw ache, and damaged teeth. Injecting Botox into the chewing muscles in the cheek blocks the signals that tell these muscles to contract, which reduces the urge to grind and clench your teeth.

Crow’s Feet

Crow’s feet are wrinkles that form around the eyes. They are usually the first visible signs of aging, and they tend to become more prominent when you smile or squint. As we use the muscles that surround the eyes regularly, the skin is very fragile and delicate. It is also very thin here and loses collagen much faster than other parts of the face. Even young people can develop crow’s feet. Botox can have a dramatic impact and reduces the appearance of crow’s feet by relaxing the muscles around the corner of the eyes. Your skin under and around your eyes will look smoother and you’ll notice a real difference when you smile.

Botox Lip Flip

By injecting the Botox into your Cupid’s bow (the middle of your upper lip) and into the corners of your mouth, a Botox lip flip is achieved. The Botox causes the part of your upper lip that’s inside your mouth to “flip” upwards and outwards, giving you a fuller lip.

Botox Treatment at Primary Care Simplified

As we get older, forehead lines and frown lines become a permanent feature and can affect our appearance and self-confidence. Wrinkles occur when the skin loses collagen and elasticity through aging, sun exposure, or smoking.

Botox is safe, convenient, thoroughly tested, and approved by the FDA. Each procedure is quick and gives efficient results. Botox is also used to treat a variety of physical conditions including migraines, hyperhidrosis, and muscular spasms.

Schedule your consultation with Dr. McCracken today to see which Botox treatment is the best for you.