Botox® Cosmetic

CONDITIONS

Fine Lines/Wrinkles
Severe Sweating

For more information about our Botox® treatments please contact us.

What is Botox® Cosmetic?

Botox® Cosmetic works on facial wrinkles by inhibiting facial muscle contractions temporarily. Wrinkles that are "dynamic", meaning they are due to continual folding of the skin because of muscle movement, are great candidates for Botox® Cosmetic treatments. Crows feet from years of smiling and squinting respond beautifully to Botox® Cosmetic. Forehead wrinkles and frown lines usually improve as well. Wrinkles that are due to collagen depletion and sagging generally do not respond to Botox® Cosmetic. This type of wrinkle respond nicely to injections of "fillers" such as collagen and Restylane, or laser treatments to enhance your own skin's collagen production.

How long does Botox® Cosmetic Work?

Botox® Cosmetic treatments last anywhere from 3 to 6 months when injected into facial muscles. The first treatment or two last only about 3 months, then from there four months seems to be about the average. Ideally if you are able to keep the muscle from contracting for a year or two, the muscles will eventually atrophy. This means you may need less Botox® Cosmetic or none at all.After an injection your body will need to use up the neurotransmitter already produced before the Botox® Cosmetic takes effect. This usually takes 3 to 5 days but can take up to 2 weeks. Some doctors recommend repeated contraction of the muscle after injection to speed the onset of the Botox® Cosmetic, but I prefer to leave the area alone. The Botox® Cosmetic will eventually take over and the wrinkle is not promoted or enhanced in the meantime.

Is it safe?

Since gaining FDA approval for cosmetic use in 2002, Botox® Cosmetic use has skyrocketed in the US. Prior to its cosmetic indication Botox® Cosmetic has been used in various medical specialties for over 25 years. It has a proven safety and efficacy profile. 

Severe Sweating (Hyperhydrosis)

An estimated 4 million individuals are affected by a condition called Hyperhydrosis (underarm sweating) and. another 1.3 million individuals are affected by a more serious form of the condition. This medical condition that can be devastating, can effect every moment of every day, and is usually a silent struggle in which individuals avoid social scenes and try to hide the sweating.

In the body there are millions of sweat glands. Sweat is how your body regulates temperature. In Hyperhydrosis sufferers, sweating exceeds the body's normal requirements.

Botox® Cosmetic is used in the treatment of Hyperhydrosis or excess sweating. Botox® Cosmetic is injected in the armpit will prevent the sweat gland from working for a period of time-up to 8 months in some studies. It can also be injected into the palms or soles of the feet; this tends to be a painful procedure but is extremely successful.

Botulinum toxin (Botox®) is a natural, purified protein with the ability to interrupt the chemical messages released by nerve endings. For Hyperhydrosis, Botox® works by blocking the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands, reducing excessive and normal sweating by 89%.

Fine Lines and Wrinkles

As we age we produce less collagen in our skin and start breaking more of it down. The collagen fiber is a building block and support structure for our skin. As it diminishes, the skin becomes noticeably less firm and starts to sag. Lines and wrinkles form, initially in dynamic areas, (areas where there is lots of movement causing repetitive folding of the skin) and then eventually in all areas.

St. Louis Skin Solutions offers several different procedures to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Treatment type depends on what other skin issues you may want to address, look at our laser treatments for more details.

Botox® is an option for dynamic wrinkles. This is a well-known injection and is safe and effective for fine lines and wrinkles. By inhibiting muscle contraction the skin is not continuously folded and wrinkle formation is reduced.