Botox: Separating Fact and Fiction

May is the last month of spring and the beginning of summer! You will be out with the family celebrating many holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Independence Day. You may be having cookouts and family get-togethers which means lots of pictures. Botox could be the quick way to get rid of some of your wrinkles and look your best this summer!
Some people may roll their eyes at the thought of Botox treatments because of the negative portrayal of the procedure. Botox is usually portrayed as an injection that freezes your face and makes you look unnatural. In reality, Botox is a simple procedure and is one of the safest cosmetic procedures available today!
Botox injections are simple procedures that take less than 30 minutes, require no anesthesia, and are used, primarily, to reduce wrinkles around the eyes and forehead. The injection does not freeze the face. OnobotulinumtoxinA, the chemical used in Botox, is a chemical that blocks signals to the brain that causes your muscles to contract. By injecting those areas, you can stop your face from wrinkling.
Also, if you choose to only get Botox once, your wrinkles will not come back worse. They will return to how they were before the injection, meaning even with wrinkles, they will be less than you would have if you had never gotten Botox in the first place! Another common myth is that Botox is a toxin and while that is technically true, the injection amount would have to be 100X the amount used to prove fatal.
Botox is also used to treat many other things besides wrinkles. For example, patients who suffer from Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, can use Botox injections to stop their body from releasing sweat in excessive portions. Botox has also been used to treat things such as lazy eye, muscle contractures, chronic migraines, bladder dysfunction, and eye twitching.
For more information on Botox injections or if you would like to schedule an appointment, contact Western Maryland Dermatology at 301-777-7900 or visit us online at www.wmderma.com where you can chat with one of our reservation specialists.