Considering Botox? Here are the Things You Need to Know

Botox is one of the most popular and sought-after cosmetic procedures for smoothing out wrinkles. Ideal MedSpas offers a wide variety of services, including Botox in McDonough, helping patients improve their appearance by eliminating the appearance of wrinkles.

How does it work?

Botox is a neurotoxin that cuts out communication between the nerve and the associated muscle group.

There are two different types of wrinkles:

•         Dynamic: These wrinkles are those that are noticeable with movement.
•         Static: Wrinkles that are noticeable at rest and usually deeply-set, groove-type wrinkles. By paralyzing the muscle groups, Botox can reduce the formation of static wrinkles over time simply by reducing repetitive motion and contraction of those muscle groups, which ultimately would contribute to the appearance of wrinkles.

What are the long-term adverse effects of getting Botox repeatedly?

Many people are going after the procedure thinking that it will be preventative and will have an anti-aging benefit long-term. Botox is a safe procedure backed with great randomized trials demonstrating its efficacy and safety. Unfortunately, there is not enough data to show what the potential adverse effects are long term. Randomized safety trials mainly capture short-term safety data.

Long-term safety data relies on reporting. There have not been any reported long-term serious complications with getting Botox for many years. The toxin can help train the muscles in your face to contract less aggressively. After the Botox has worn off, you may appreciate that you do not grimace or scowl or smile as aggressively, and you have more of a relaxed face. Most patients report becoming more conscious of their facial movements after getting Botox, especially getting it repeatedly. You train yourself to move your face less without the need for Botox.  Overall, getting Botox can train your muscle groups to be more relaxed.

The other thing for you to consider is that those muscle groups that are being treated will weaken over time. Like anything, if you do not use it, you lose it; when muscles are not contracting, they atrophy. So only the muscle groups that are being treated will decrease in size or atrophy while the others will not. However, this should not be a major point of concern, especially if you get Botox a few times a year. Still, it is something to consider if you count on getting the procedure multiple times a year for many years.

As soon as you take a break from Botox, those prior treated groups are going to begin contracting again and resume their volume. Therefore, Botox does not cause permanent volume loss. However, there isn’t enough long-term data to show the impact of Botox on an aging face that is not using specific facial muscle groups over time.

For younger patients considering getting Botox, there is a risk that your skin will look thinner, especially on the forehead. This thinning of the skin is not common. However, people who start Botox at a very young age are more at risk. The skin, specifically on the forehead, will appear thinner mostly because the underlying muscle groups are smaller and can cause the veins in the skin to appear more noticeable.

Contact Ideal MedSpas to discuss the best option for you if you are considering getting Botox.