Are you bothered by early signs of aging when you look in the mirror? Those first lines and wrinkles on your brow or around your eyes may not be serious enough to warrant a surgical procedure like a facelift or a brow lift, but they can certainly be noticeable and concerning. Rest assured you are not alone in your self-consciousness about the changes to your appearance. In fact, hundreds of thousands of Americans find them problematic enough each year to visit their plastic surgeon’s office asking what their options are — and Botox® Cosmetic is often the solution.

Botox® Cosmetic is a non-invasive injectable treatment that can help you eliminate fine lines and wrinkles like worry lines, frown lines or crow’s feet. This product works thanks to its active ingredient, botulinum toxin. Botulinum toxin is a naturally occurring protein with nerve-blocking properties that can interrupt the nerves that tell your muscles to contract. When you make a particular facial expression repeatedly, such as furrowing the brow or squinting, the delicate muscles of your face create lines around the eyes and brow that can become a permanent addition to your appearance over time. When Botox® Cosmetic is injected into those problem spots, the medication releases those muscles and restores a smooth, youthful expression.

Is Botox® Cosmetic Right for Me?

Botox® Cosmetic is among the most popular aesthetic treatments available, with over 7 million treatments administered in 2017 alone. Men and women of all ages can have Botox® Cosmetic– it’s a highly customizable, low-risk and cost-effective option for treating early stages of facial aging. As with any cosmetic procedure, the ideal candidate for Botox® Cosmetic is in overall good health with no history of adverse reactions to botulinum toxin treatments and no known allergies to Botox® Cosmetic ingredients.

You’ll also need to be sure that the wrinkles you want to address are the type that Botox® Cosmetic is meant to treat. Some facial wrinkles occur due to skin damage or loss of tissue volume rather than the activity of your facial muscles. These aging symptoms may be better suited for a different kind of treatment, such as dermal fillers. You will need to schedule a consultation with an experienced Botox® Cosmetic provider, preferably a member of the California Society of Plastic Surgery (CSFPS), so they can evaluate your skin and identify which treatment will be most appropriate for you.

What to Do Before Choosing Botox

While Botox® Cosmetic is versatile and effective, it’s necessary to understand its drawbacks and limitations before deciding that it’s the treatment you want. Since it’s simple and non-invasive, many people with facial signs of aging find it an appealing potential solution to their concerns. But Botox® Cosmetic cannot treat all facial aging, and it is only a temporary solution — after about four months, your body will metabolize the botulinum toxin and your lines and wrinkles will reappear unless you choose regular treatments. Thus, for those with more advanced aging, Botox® Cosmetic does not always make sense. While facial plastic surgery can seem like a drastic decision compared to an injectable treatment like Botox, in many cases the surgical route is a better investment of time and money. If your concerns related to facial aging are extensive, you’ll need to work with a facial plastic surgeon to determine your best options.

Even though Botox® Cosmetic is a non-surgical procedure, it’s still important to work with a qualified provider — not only will they be able to ensure that Botox® Cosmetic is right for you, but they will also be able to create natural results that don’t leave you looking “frozen” or overdone. You should look for a licensed and certified injector in your area who provides Botox®. Opting for a provider without medical affiliations may put you at risk for lower safety standards or poor outcomes.

Finding an expert injector local to your area is easy when you’re selecting from our list of qualified members. Once you have identified a provider in your area, you’ll visit them for a consultation. Since Botox® Cosmetic is a quick procedure, it’s common to receive your treatment during the same appointment as soon as your provider establishes that you are a good candidate.

The Botox® Cosmetic Procedure

A Botox® Cosmetic treatment consists of a simple series of tiny injections, placed carefully around the face to target the areas of concern. Expert Botox® Cosmetic providers know just the right amounts and placements for each injection to ensure that your face retains natural mobility while the appearance of lines and wrinkles are reduced. You’ll talk to your provider in depth during your consultation about the kind of results you are hoping for, and they will plan your injections accordingly.

The entire Botox® Cosmetic process typically takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending on how much you are having done. Since Botox® Cosmetic doesn’t use any surgical elements such as anesthesia or sutures, you can leave your appointment and resume all normal activities right away. You should avoid strenuous exercise the day of your treatment, but there are no restrictions on your activity levels as of the second day after Botox. There are very few side effects, so many Botox® Cosmetic clients feel comfortable returning to work or another public setting immediately after treatment. Some clients, especially first-time clients, may experience some redness or swelling in the area — this dissipates within a few days and can be treated with cold compresses, antihistamines like Benadryl or anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen.

Botox® Cosmetic Results

You’ll see the results of your Botox® Cosmetic treatment emerge over the first week after your appointment. As your body adjusts to the effects of the botulinum toxin, your facial muscles will slowly relax and release their creased position. The full results of your treatment will be visible within five to seven days. If you find that your results are less noticeable than you would have liked, your provider can safely administer more Botox® Cosmetic at any time. The results of your Botox® Cosmetic treatment will last approximately four months, with many clients choosing to book maintenance appointments around the three-month mark to prevent their new look from wearing off completely.

For the right person, Botox® Cosmetic is a remarkably safe and effective treatment that can reduce and even eliminate unwanted lines and wrinkles. The simplicity of this procedure makes it a popular choice that has brought relief to and restored the confidence of millions of people since it was first introduced. If you are interested in finding out whether Botox® Cosmetic can have the same benefits for you, find an expert injector in your area today through CSFPS, and schedule a consultation.