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BOTOX® Cosmetic

In Los Angeles, BOTOX® Injections Are Part of The Technology of Beauty

There is more to the technology of beauty than lasers, light and radio therapies. With the development of BOTOX® Cosmetic, a revolution in cosmetic facial rejuvenation began. BOTOX® Cosmetic is truly an innovation in wrinkle reduction treatments and has almost eliminated the need for more invasive procedures for both men and women.

Learn the basics of BOTOX® on this page, then call our office at 800.763.9968 to schedule an appointment or you can contact us for additional advice and confidential information you can trust from the privacy of your computer.

By injecting small amounts of BOTOX® Cosmetic into the muscles beneath the skin, the nerve endings that cause those muscles to contract are temporarily paralyzed causing the muscle to relax while allowing the overlying skin to remain smooth and taut. Like a fine fabric, the creases and wrinkles of your skin will diminish if allowed to lay flat for a continuous period of time.

BOTOX® Cosmetic treats crow's feet, laugh lines, frown lines, forehead creases, and lines around the lips, nose wrinkles, neck cords, and other creases known as "dynamic wrinkles." These wrinkles are caused when a muscle beneath the skin contracts causing a furrow. BOTOX® Cosmetic is even more effective when combined with a skin treatment like Microdermabrasion, chemical peel or laser skin resurfacing.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a liquid form of botulinum toxin Type A, which is a purified protein derived from the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. BOTOX® Cosmetic is very safe and has been the most popular minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure nationwide for the last few years with over 3.5 million recipients in 2005.

BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments typically take 15 to 30 minutes in our Los Angeles area plastic surgery offices. The procedure is a series of tiny injections into a specified muscle area usually along the forehead and around the eyes. No downtime is necessary; you can be up and ready to go just minutes after the final injection.

In Los Angeles, BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments are relatively painless and do not require anesthesia which is one of the reasons there is no recovery time needed. You can even drive after the treatment. Occasionally, patients develop a headache after treatment, but that can be easily alleviated with non-inflammatory pain relievers.

You will need to keep your head elevated and avoid rubbing or scratching the injected area for 4 or 5 hours, this will prevent BOTOX® Cosmetic from moving beyond the treatment area to other muscles. You can also do certain facial muscle exercises the doctor will show you.

You may not see the final result from treatment for 5 to 7 days. Treatments usually last for months, and maintenance injections are recommended every 4 to 6 months as necessary. Over time, BOTOX® Cosmetic has been shown to last longer with each treatment cycle.

In order to determine the precise and optimal treatment regimen that addresses your unique skin care needs, talk to your skin care specialist about VISIA Digital Complexion Analysis.

In some cases, the injection site can bruise. This can be easily covered with makeup and will diminish within a few days. On very rare occasions BOTOX® Cosmetic will spread beyond the desired treatment area and cause other muscles like the eyelids to be temporarily paralyzed. This condition is not permanent and in the case of eyelids can sometimes be reduced quickly with eye drops.

BOTOX® has been found to effectively treat other maladies like migraine and tension headaches, excessive sweating under the arms, of the hands and on the soles of the feet. BOTOX® can also treat some facial ticks and tremors.

If you are interested in BOTOX® alternatives or injectable cosmetic treatments, take a moment to read about wrinkle fillers. If you are interested in laser treatments, take a moment to read about Thermage™, and ThermaFrax^sm.