BOTOX

What Botox Can and Can’t Do

In 2002, Botox was the very first brand approved for use in treating moderate to severe glabellar (forehead) wrinkles. Today, Botox treats many different facial wrinkles and is approved for the treatment of more areas than any other similar product brand. Location of the wrinkle, type and severity will impact the results of Botox injections.

What Areas of the Face Botox Works on Best

The FDA has approved the use of Botox injections to soften moderate to severe lines in the upper facial area, including canthal lines (“crow’s feet”), glabellar lines (“elevens” or “frown lines”), and forehead lines. Wrinkles tend to form in these facial areas as the result of muscle contractions. Botox injections temporarily relax the muscles, softening lines.

The canthus is the area on the side of eyes where the upper lid meets the lower lid. Lines along the canthus are commonly referred to as crow’s feet. The inner or medial canthal lines can create bags under the eyes, creating a tired look. Botox is effective at treating crow’s feet and canthal lines.

Glabellar lines are the vertical lines between the eyebrows that extend upward into the forehead about one centimeter. They are referred to as elevens or frown lines. Glabellar lines are usually the first wrinkles to appear even as early as the mid-20s and can make a person appear older. Botox’ most popular use is typically the treatment of glabellar “elevens”.

The Botox Lip Flip

Although Botox is most commonly used in the upper facial area, it can also be used on lips to help them cover more of the gums when smiling. A skilled, experienced Botox doctor can correctly inject lips to cause muscles to relax and cause lips to curl. This allows lips to covers more gums when smiling, and makes lips appear larger.

This use of Botox to correct a “gummy smile” is sometimes referred to as a “lip flip”.

What Types of Wrinkles Botox Works on Best

Botox works best on dynamic facial wrinkles, which are lines created by the repeated movements of muscles. Botox injections block the muscle’s ability to move, therefore lines are softened. Facial wrinkles caused by muscle movements like smiling, such as the crow’s feet area, forehead and frown lines, can see great benefits from Botox.

Lines on the face caused by aging, sun damage or reasons other than muscle movement are called static wrinkles. These lines are visible on the face without muscle movement, when the face is at rest. Because static wrinkles exist without muscle movement, Botox is not as helpful in these areas.

While Botox doesn’t result in softening static wrinkles, it has been shown that using Botox for long periods of time will stop the deepening of both dynamic and shallow static wrinkles.

While Botox gives the best results for dynamic wrinkles, we offer any array of other treatments at our Birmingham, MI  Med Spa for treating static wrinkles. Chemical facial peels and IPL laser treatments work exceptionally well on static wrinkles. These procedures can also be combined with Botox injections for a full complement of wrinkle reducing treatments.

Botox – Birmingham, MI