Botox is undoubtedly the most performed and most satisfying cosmetic treatment in the world! We all are very curious about this treatment and often could not find the right answers to many of the burning questions we had
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Botox: Part 1
Botox is undoubtedly the most performed and most satisfying cosmetic treatment in the world! We all are very curious about this treatment and often could not find the right answers to many of the burning questions we had. Hence, we sat with the physician expert at Anara Medspa in New Jersey to explore and we are sharing them here so that everyone can benefit.
Qn: How soon can someone start Botox?
A: Most Botox preparations are studied from 18-65 years of age. One must be above 18, or preferably above 21 to get Botox as an approved age in most countries.
Qn: What exactly is Botox? What does it do?
A: Botox is a Botulinum toxin, a poison, made by bacteria of certain species. The term “Botox” itself is a trading name owned by a company called Allergan which first studied, standardized, and manufactured this toxin for cosmetic purposes. Nowadays, the term “Botox” itself is used generically by many to refer to all forms of Botulinum toxins.
Qn: Are there different types of Botulinum toxins? From now on we shall use the term “Botox” generically for ease of understanding by the readers.
A: All the currently available Botulinum toxins for cosmetic use are Botulinum toxins type A. The product manufactured by Allergan (now part of AbbVie) is called “Botox”. Galderma’s (which is now part of Nestle's) product is called Dysport. Merz manufactures Xeomin and from Evolus, it is called Jeuveau. Don't ask me why the latter is so complicated to spell and pronounce!
Qn: Are there any differences in how the various “Botox” toxins work?
A: No! All have the exact same mechanism of action: they simply relax the muscles that are injected. Some preparations start working within a few days and some may take up to one week to start working. They all last for a certain period of time before they are degraded by the body, which is between 3-4 months in most people. In some it is cleared by the body in 2 months and in some, it may last 5-6 months. There is a new toxin called Daxxify by Revance which is just approved and in their clinical studies shown to last for 6-9 months. The cost and efficacy in real life are awaited.
Qn: Can Botox be used for a facelift without surgery?
A: No. A lot of people think that Botox is the panacea for everything! I am here to tell you, it is not! Botox cannot replace surgery, in those who will only benefit from surgery. Surgery still has a role.
Qn: Is Botox useful for all types of wrinkles?
A: No! The Best Botox treatment only works for lines produced during expressions, like squinting, frowning, raising eyebrows, and smiling. Since Botox works by relaxing the muscles of expression, if someone has lines and wrinkles that are present EVEN when they are totally relaxed with a neutral expression, there is no further relaxation that Botox can do! Hence Botox will not work on resting lines, also called static lines.
One should not try to chase the resting lines with Botox. However, having said that, I have noticed in those with resting “permanent” FINE LINES, when they get Botox treatments regularly every 3 months, eventually, even the resting permanent lines will start to smoothen out.
This is because when you are constantly relaxing the muscles with Botox without allowing them to come back to their original strength, there is no folding action of these muscles on the skin, like the curtain lifting and hence the static fine lines improve. There could be other mechanisms too that are not yet clear. This is only true for permanent FINE lines. Deeper permanent lines may never improve with Botox. Most importantly, those with permanent lines should not expect Botox to fix it even with several sessions, and if it does, that is a bonus! It is complicated to understand but I hope this makes sense.
