BOTOX^® Cosmetic

Botulinum toxin type A, in the form of BOTOX^® Cosmetic, is by far the most popular cosmetic treatment in the United States. This purified protein, which comes from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, has been used for decades both medically and cosmetically and has been proven to be highly effective and safe. Products derived from botulinum toxin are used to eliminate wrinkles and prevent future ones from forming.

Once you can reduce the movement of overactive facial muscles, you can then prevent those muscles from causing folds in the skin. Wrinkles and fine lines around the face are mainly created by the overarticulation of these muscles.

The most common areas for facial wrinkles to form are typically around the forehead, eyes, and mouth. This natural aging process gets more pronounced with time as deeper and deeper lines become permanently etched into our skin.

The advantages BOTOX^® offers to the cosmetic world are vast. Rather than undergoing a more invasive surgical procedure like a brow lift or facelift, which requires general anesthesia and recovery time lasting a week or so, injectables need no recovery time, and the actual procedure can be completed in less than 15 minutes.

Not only is there virtually no healing required, but the injection process itself involves very little pain—if any at all. Anesthesia is typically not needed due the nonsurgical nature of the process, but a topical numbing agent can be applied beforehand if the patient wishes.

In addition, BOTOX^® treatments are a fraction of the cost of surgery and offer the advantage of serving as a preventative measure to future wrinkles, which keeps you looking younger longer.

BOTOX^® injections are so convenient, they can be completed in Dr. Jacob Unger’s office during your lunch break on a weekday. Note that some patients experience minor headaches or bruising following the injections. The headaches should be completely gone in a few hours, and the bruises typically fade away on their own in the following days and weeks.

BOTOX^® injections at our Nashville rejuvenation center can be used to soften the lines between the eyebrows, horizontal forehead lines, crow’s feet, and smoker’s lines. Advanced techniques can correct a gummy smile, soften platysmal bands in the neck, and reduce chin dimpling or a turned-down mouth, as well as excessive sweating of the underarms, palms, or feet. Results typically last three months.

BOTOX^® can also be used for lip “enhancement,” in addition to correcting wrinkles and asymmetry. It’s commonly used for non-surgical lip treatments known as “lip flips,” which enhance the shape of the upper lip and make it appear fuller. Although a BOTOX^® treatment does not physically add volume to the lips, very small amounts of the injectable are introduced to relax the lip elevator muscles, allowing the part of the lip that’s inside of the mouth to “flip” or unfurl outward. Patients who want to make their lips look poutier without the use of dermal fillers or who want to fix a gummy smile, which shows too much of the gums because the upper lip recedes too much or disappears, tend to prefer the BOTOX^® lip flip option.

Note that a surgical lip lift is another option for patients who would prefer a long-lasting facial rejuvenation treatment so that they won’t have to return for maintenance injections every few months to consider. For this procedure, a small part of the skin above the mouth is surgically removed, creating a more symmetrical and youthful appearance with fuller-looking lips. This treatment may be best for patients who are interested in reducing the vertical space that runs between the nose and the mouth. Surgical lifts also improve the lips in a more subtle way than fillers and neuromodulators like BOTOX^®.

Dysport^® is another Botulinum toxin type A-based muscle relaxer that prevents contractions. The Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute team works directly with patients to determine which injectable would work best for them when it comes to achieving a smoother, more youthful look.

Both injectable wrinkle-smoothing treatments function similarly on the neurological level, acting as neuromuscular inhibitors that block signals from the brain to targeted muscles in the face responsible for wrinkle formation. Once the treatment is injected under the skin, it limits the chemical messenger known as acetylcholine from the nerve cells, which reduces the movement capability of an overactive muscle.

There aren’t many differences between BOTOX^® and Dysport^®, but there are some details worth noting. Although they both derive from botulinum toxin type A, Dysport^® has a reduced protein load, which means the body is less likely to attack the solution with antibodies. It also means BOTOX^® is less likely to migrate from the injection site.

In addition, Dysport^® has been known to activate a bit faster, taking about one to two days, whereas BOTOX^® generally requires two to three days to start showing results.

Whichever you prefer, the best results will be achieved by returning for injections about every three months.