Do you feel self-conscious about deep forehead folds and lines between your eyebrows? Do you have sagging eyebrows or drooping upper eyelids? If so, BOTOX injections at Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO may be right for you. Today, we’re taking a closer look at this non-invasive anti-aging treatment to help you determine if it is a good fit for you. Read on to discover how quickly this treatment works, how long the results last, and much more.
How Quickly Does BOTOX Start Working?
BOTOX typically starts showing results within one to four days, but it starts working immediately. Depending on the severity of your cosmetic concerns, your lifestyle choices after treatment, and other factors, it may take 10 to 14 days to see your final results.
We will evaluate the severity of your concerns during your initial consultation and give you a better idea of how soon you can expect to see satisfactory results. However, you should know that this treatment is so effective that optimal results can be achieved in just one treatment session.
What Can I Do To See My Desired Results Faster?
One of the best things you can do to see your desired results as quickly as possible is to exercise the treated muscles regularly. Typically, it is a good idea to tense and relax the treated muscles 200 times daily, breaking the sessions up into five sets of 40 repetitions. You can also expect to see your desired results faster if you follow all aftercare guidelines, including remaining upright for four hours post-treatment and not touching the treated areas for 24 hours.
How Does This Treatment Work?
This treatment works by blocking the nerve signals that your brain sends the muscles in the treated area. This reduces muscle activity, relaxing the muscles to the extent that they are no longer wrinkled. Once the underlying muscles are no longer wrinkled, your skin smooths itself out.
Eventually, your body breaks down the medication, and the signals from your brain to your treated muscles are unimpeded. This eventually causes more dynamic wrinkles in your muscles. In turn, this causes the skin to wrinkle again.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
Good candidates for this anti-aging treatment are fairly healthy and looking to address cosmetic concerns or medical conditions that are caused by overactive muscles. Most good candidates have such dynamic wrinkles as glabellar lines, forehead folds, crow’s feet, smoker’s lines, or nasolabial folds. However, you may be a good candidate for this treatment if you suffer from other muscle-related problems.
What Contraindications Are There for This Treatment?
While this treatment is suitable for most adults, there are several contraindications you should be aware of. For example, you may be considered a poor candidate for this treatment if you have a history of severe allergic reactions. Additionally, you may not be a good fit for this injectable muscle relaxant treatment if you have problems swallowing or breathing. Furthermore, you will not be considered for treatment if you are pregnant or nursing.
Moreover, you will not qualify for BOTOX injections if you suffer from certain nerve or muscle conditions, like ALS, myasthenia gravis, or Eaton-Lambert syndrome. Certain medications are also contraindications for this treatment. For example, to be considered a good candidate for injectable anti-aging treatments, you must stop taking NSAIDs, fish oil supplements, and other blood thinners. Additionally, the consumption of oral muscle relaxants must be avoided.
How Long Can I Expect My Optimal Results To Last?
The longevity of your optimal results varies on several factors. However, you can feel fairly confident that you can enjoy your desired results for at least three months. Sometimes, the results of the first treatment only last for a couple of months. With subsequent treatments, you can expect to enjoy your optimal results for longer. After several consistent treatments, you may even be able to enjoy your desired results for up to six months.
What Can I Do To Improve the Durability of My Results?
There are several steps you should consider taking if you want to enjoy your anti-aging results for as long as possible. One highly effective step you can take is to avoid sun damage. It has been proven that prolonged UV radiation exposure causes premature aging by penetrating the outer layers of your dermis and damaging the collagen that keeps your skin looking young and beautiful.
Moreover, you may want to stick to low-intensity workouts; high-intensity exercise can increase your metabolism significantly. The higher your metabolism is, the more likely it is that you will metabolize the injectable muscle relaxant sooner than expected. You can also help to increase the longevity of your results by remaining as relaxed as you can.
How Does Stress Affect the Longevity of My Results?
There are a couple of ways that stress can negatively affect the longevity of your results. Frowning and scowling can tense your forehead muscles to the point that your glabellar muscles and other nearby muscles become permanently wrinkled. Similarly, chronically clenching your jaw muscles can cause rhytids to form in your lower face.
Furthermore, your body produces a hormone called cortisol at an increased rate when you are stressed. Cortisol affects your body in many ways, including triggering an inflammatory response. This can cause your body to metabolize the medication more quickly.
Is There Anything Else I Can Do To Extend the Longevity of My Results?
Another effective step you can take to enjoy longer-lasting results is to take a 50 mg zinc supplement daily. Research shows that this can improve the durability of your results by roughly 30%. Additionally, keeping your skin moisturized will help your skin remain smooth. It is highly advisable to use a gentle, high-quality facial moisturizer daily if you want to enjoy your anti-aging results for as long as possible.
Keeping your skin moisturized is an effective way to enjoy longer-lasting results because it supports the supportive structures, like collagen, deep within your skin. Getting dermal filler injections can also help to extend the longevity of your results significantly. This is accomplished by volumizing the skin so it takes longer for your wrinkled muscles to affect the appearance of your skin. Additionally, you can keep your skin looking young by not smoking.
How Long Will My Treatment Session Take?
Depending on the severity of your cosmetic concerns and the number of cosmetic concerns you have, your treatment session may take between 10 and 20 minutes to complete. However, your session may take closer to an hour if you also need other anti-aging treatments, like injectable dermal fillers, performed during the same appointment.
Before your BOTOX treatment begins, we will verify that your skin is healthy enough for treatment and cleanse it. Then, we will use a sterile syringe to administer the ideal dose of the medication at three to five strategic points in each area of concern. Once the injections are administered, we will clean your skin again and review your aftercare guidelines with you.
Will I Need To Plan for Any Downtime?
No, there is no downtime required after this treatment.
Are There Any Other Anti-Aging Techniques That Provide More Durable Results?
Yes, you can enjoy anti-aging results that last for years if you opt for cosmetic surgery. For example, if you get a brow lift instead of BOTOX injections, your countenance may remain youthful for 10 to 12 years after surgery. Depending on your age, health, and other factors, you may even be able to enjoy a youthful upper face for 15 years.
As another example, if you opt for upper eyelid surgery, you can generally expect to enjoy your desired results for five to seven years. Furthermore, you can expect to enjoy lower eyelid surgery results for a lifetime, and if you get a facelift or neck lift, you may be able to enjoy a youthful aesthetic for up to two decades. However, it is more common that the results of these procedures last for 10 to 15 years.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
BOTOX starts working right away, but it may be a couple of weeks before your final results become apparent. To see your desired results as quickly as possible, it is important that you exercise the treated muscles 200 times daily. To find out if this injectable anti-aging treatment is right for you, schedule a consultation with us today at Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO.