Botox / Dysport
These prescription medicines are injected into select muscles throughout the face to help improve the look of moderate to severe wrinkles caused by facial movement.
Wrinkles result from a combination of many factors including cellular changes, collagen depletion and damage caused by free radicals. Frowning, concentrating and squinting also cause your skin to furrow and fold, causing creases to form between the brows and around the eyes.
Botox and Dysport can both be injected into various muscles throughout the face, however, the three most common areas to have treated include in between the brows "frown lines," in the forehead "worry lines," and around the eyes "crow's feet."
The average number of units needed vary from person to person, and between men and women.
Between brows (glabella): 25-50 units
Forehead: 12-25 units
Around eyes: 10-18 units (per eye)
Botox and Dysport both work beneath the skin’s surface, blocking the release of a substance called acetylcholine. This temporarily reduces muscle activity that causes moderate to severe wrinkles to form.
These technique-sensitive treatments should only be performed by a medical expert who has been properly trained. You should not lose the ability to show expression.
The actual injection process is fast and easy, taking about 10 minutes. It’s also very tolerable. Most patients report feeling a slight pinching sensation. Using ice just prior to the injections can help numb the treatment areas.
You may begin to notice results within 7-14 days, with the maximum effect visible at 30 days. Deep wrinkles will take time to soften, however, they will continue to improve each day and with each treatment. For optimal improvement and to maintain your results, we recommend scheduling your treatments at three months intervals.
You should not be treated with Botox or Dysport if you have any muscle or nerve conditions such as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis or Lambert-Eaton Syndrome.
You should tell your provider about all the medications you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal products. Using Tylenol prior to treatment is ok, however, discontinue using alcohol and over the counter products such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Advil, Motrin and Fish Oil for 5-7 days prior to treatment to reduce the amount of bleeding and bruising you experience.
Common and temporary side effects associated with the injections include localized tenderness, mild swelling, redness, and bleeding/bruising.