The signs of aging are often most noticeable on a person’s face, where a drooping brow and heavy lines can be telltale signs of getting older. This can be incredibly frustrating for people as it makes them look tired and missing the gorgeous youthful skin they once had. But at Boulder Plastic Surgery here in Boulder, CO, we can revitalize your skin and take years off your skin with Botox. This effective and minimally invasive cosmetic treatment smooths out the skin and reduces the appearance of lines, leaving you glowing and ready to take on the world.
Can Botox Lift the Eyebrows?
A common effect of aging is the sagging of the skin above the brow and on the forehead. This is something scientists call “brow ptosis”. The results can make a person look tired, angry, sad, or just much older than they actually are. It can even change the structure of your upper face. This is why it’s a commonly treated area in the cosmetic world. But a Botox brow lift can correct this and leave you with fewer wrinkles and a more youthful, refreshed appearance.
When Botox is applied to problem areas around the eyebrows, the muscles relax and the skin on top of them becomes smoother. The muscles around the eyebrows are pulled upwards, elevating the eyebrows and making a patient’s eyes appear more open. Patients are thrilled to find they look alert, peppy, and rested. But it’s not just your eyebrows. This treatment can be used all over to address many cosmetic concerns.
What Else Can Botox Treat?
Dynamic Wrinkles
Dynamic wrinkles are the deep lines that become more pronounced on your face when you move the muscles. These include smile lines when you grin, forehead lines when you furrow your brow, and crow’s feet when you squint. They can be very unflattering and age you up, making you self-conscious enough to stop emoting properly and posing for photos. No one should have to repress themselves like that! Luckily, in targeting contracting muscles, this treatment addresses this problem head-on. If the skin stays smooth no matter how much the muscles underneath them are being told to move, then you can pull whatever face you want and not have to worry about dynamic wrinkles appearing.
Other Deep Wrinkles
But some wrinkles are always there, even if we’re not moving our face. This treatment is still powerful enough to remove them; in particular crow’s feet and deep wrinkles on the forehead. So even when your face is neutral, the muscles are still more relaxed and the skin is smoother.
Minor Lines
Sometimes small lines change the way your face looks just as much as deep lines. These fine lines can appear around your forehead or eyes. They can emerge as early as in your twenties. This treatment softens them beautifully. Plus, by treating these lines before they become more severe, you can prevent them from deepening in the future. This is why this treatment is even popular with young people who are looking to maintain their youthful looks for years to come.
How Does This Treatment Work?
Botox contains a protein that blocks your nerves from talking to the muscles in your face. This protein is called botulinum toxin type A. Without any instruction from the nerves, the muscles relax. The skin on top of them smooths out and wrinkles and sagging become far less pronounced. Now, when you talk, frown, raise your eyebrows, and just generally move your face, the muscles won’t contract and lines won’t form.
How Does One Get Ready for Treatment?
The first step is to come in for a consultation at our gorgeous office here in Boulder. You can tell us what your cosmetic concerns are and what you’re hoping to get out of treatment. We’ll make sure this treatment suits your needs, examining the problematic areas of your face and looking over your medical history. If it’s a good fit, we’ll get to work preparing your personalized treatment plan. We’ll also arrange any instructions that you should follow before your session.
If I’m on Any Medication, Will I Need To Adjust It?
We’ll always tailor instructions to suit you as an individual and so this is something you’ll know for sure after your consultation. That being said, it’s generally recommended that patients avoid medication that thins the blood before treatment. There are also some supplements and herbal remedies that interfere with treatment that we may ask you to stop taking for up to a week before your session. We also recommend staying away from alcohol as your session approaches, as this can alter your blood.
What About My Skincare Routine?
It’s important that before treatment you avoid skincare products that may irritate the tissue on your face; think heavy anti-aging creams. If you’re worried about the products you use, ask us about them in your consultation and we’ll let you know if it’s safe to keep using. We also recommend not tweezing, waxing, or bleaching your eyebrows beforehand. You don’t want the area to be too sensitive.
Should I Avoid Makeup?
We won’t ask you to stay away from makeup in the days leading up to your treatment. On the day, however, you must come in with a clean face free from makeup. We’ll also ask that you avoid putting any creams, lotions, or other beauty products near the treatment areas. We can’t risk any foreign substances touching the needle.
What Can I Expect During Treatment?
You’ll start your session seated in a comfortable chair in a private room at our practice. We’ll gently sterilize your face so you’re all clean. We may administer a numbing cream to the treatment area. This process is very relaxing and may take a few minutes to complete. Then we will start the injections. The number of injections you receive, as well as how much product we use, depends on both what your cosmetic goals are and the make-up of your face and its tissue. We take about fifteen minutes to perform the treatment and then you’re all done!
What’s the Recovery Period Like?
Incredibly, there’s no downtime needed following this treatment. Surgical brow lifts require very lengthy recovery periods, where you end up missing work, seeing friends and family, and chances to exercise. But with this simple injectable treatment, you can get straight back into your day of working or running errands. You can even drive yourself to and from your session. At most, we may give you some specific instructions based on your personal needs or requirements.
One thing we may encourage is for you to try moving your face and warming up the muscles again. It’s good to try this about sixty minutes after your session. For example, if you’ve gotten injections in your brow, you could try raising your eyebrows or frowning. This will help the product get to work improving your wrinkles and sagging skin.
We’ll also ask you to avoid certain activities immediately after treatment as they may cause a spike in your blood pressure. Getting too hot by lying in the sun or sitting in a hot tub or sauna is off-limits, as is rigorous exercise. But don’t worry – it’s only for a few hours! You should also avoid rubbing or touching the treated skin for about 24 hours, letting the skin settle. Make sure to stay away from face massages during this time.
How Long Will It Take To See Results?
While it’s a little different for everyone, patients usually notice the effects of Botox after three to seven days. That’s when the skin gets a little smoother and lines become less pronounced. After about fourteen days, you’ll likely see the full effects, such as a lifted brow, a lessening in fine lines, or severe lines not appearing as you move your face.
How Long Do Results Last?
This gorgeous new look will stay with you for about three to four months. This is why many patients, so in love with their new look, schedule maintenance appointments. As the effects wear off, they can come back in and rejuvenate their skin with some more injections. Interestingly, more frequent maintenance sessions often lead to the results lasting longer. Some patients who have been getting this treatment for years find their maintenance sessions become more sparse.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
If you’re over eighteen and have noticed lines and dynamic wrinkles on your face, or a sagging forehead that’s making you look angry, old, or tired, then this treatment may be right for you. We encourage candidates of any age, gender, or skin tone to come in for a consultation. The signs of aging can affect everyone, so ipso facto this treatment can help everyone. Things like pregnancy, certain medical conditions, and types of medication may prevent you from being a suitable candidate for treatment, or maybe your skin concerns just won’t be properly addressed by Botox. Luckily here at Boulder Plastic Surgery, we offer some great alternative treatments that we’d be happy to talk through with you.
What Are Some Good Alternatives to This Treatment?
Although it’s an incredible product, there’s a chance Botox may not be right for you. If you have deep folds caused by sagging skin, for example, relaxing your muscles may not do much to soften them out because it’s probably caused by a loss of collagen and elastin in the body. You may instead need to add volume to the skin to make it plump and supple again. This will fill out wrinkles and lift sagging skin, especially around the cheeks and jawline. We can do this with dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane.
These injectables restore elasticity to the skin with hyaluronic acid and can work to fill hollow cheeks, flatten nasal folds and marionette lines, and even reshape your jawline by lifting heavy jowls. It can also treat the lips, plumping them up for a gorgeous smile. If we think one of these dermal fillers might work better for your cosmetic concerns, we’ll talk about it in your consultation and show you some references you have an understanding of all the different treatments.
Ready To Say Goodbye to Drooping Eyebrows and Deep Lines?
If you’re sick of looking tired or worn-out and want your face to reflect the real, gorgeous you, then Botox may be right for you. With relaxed muscles and smoother skin, you’ll feel younger and supple with the glow to match. And we want to help. Contact us at Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO, and schedule a consultation today.