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Introduction
Ever since we can remember, a lot of question marks and all kinds of different opinions have been floating around the word Botox. Tons of information is out there all over the internet, everyone has something to say about facial injections. But who’s right? Overwhelming isn’t it? That mystery is now history, let me break it down for you.
First of all, let’s start with the most important question which is:
What Is a Botox Injection?
Botox, or botulinum toxin, is a protein that consists of botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botox is a toxin, thankfully, doctors have been able to manipulate this little guy to serve our purposes. What it does is relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines and wrinkles, such as crow’s feet and frown lines, and other signs of aging. Of course, there are other Botox uses. These are the main things for all of you pretty ladies, so let’s keep talking about it as a cosmetic injection.
But How Does Botox Work?
Very simple. What it does is that it blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. The injected muscle can't contract, which makes all of your wrinkles relax and go to sleep. Which makes Botox injections the perfect spell for a facial slimming treatment.
And How Is It Done?
If you’re one of the many people who are scared of needles, you don’t have to worry. Let me tell you why. The treatment only takes a few minutes and is almost completely painless. So, you won’t be needing any anesthesia. The provider will use a very small needle to inject Botox into specific muscles with only minor discomfort. Then, you’ll have to wait 7 to 14 days to start seeing the effects of this magic potion. If you want to make sure to see the full effect and make the best of this injection, there’s a couple of things you need to do. First of all, get that alcohol bottle out of your sight at least one week before the procedure. Think of it this way, closing the bottle for a week to save more shots to celebrate your beauty? Has to be worth the wait. Second of all, you have to stop taking aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications two weeks before the procedure to avoid spreading bruises all over your face. And one other last thing, you should also avoid rubbing your face after the injections so you won’t spread Botox to other unwanted areas. Capiche? Awesome!
And now for the most important question of all. Drum roll…
How Long Do Botox Injections Last?
The magical effects of Botox will last for about a good 3 to 6 months. The muscles will eventually gain back their ability to move. And as they do, your wrinkles will come back to life and they’ll need to be put to sleep again. Which means another visit to your clinic. So do you have to be doing this forever?!!! Not really. Over time, the lines and wrinkles on your face will appear less severe because your facial muscles are shrinking due to their continuous state of numbness. Therefore, the end of the Botox injection fairytale is that you’ll remain beautiful and wrinkle-free forever after. Yeah, you can believe the magic you see on the Botox before and after stories that you see on Instagram. But the question remains…
How Much Does Botox Injections Cost?
Among all of the anti-aging injections, Botox injections are the most affordable ones. The average cost of Botox ranges between $ 300 and $ 500. The price of Botox is per unit. The single Botox unit has an average cost of 10$ to 18$. But here’s where it gets complicated. The total cost is always tricky because it all depends on how many units you need to achieve your beauty goals. The average Botox session consists of 20 units which will cost you 300$ to 500$ as mentioned before. But if you have a lot on your aging plate you may need more than just 20 units. It’ll probably be around 60 units which will cost you around the higher end of 1200$. Is it worth the financial trouble? It’s a solid yes for me!
What About Botox Side Effects?
Botox can pack a bunch of side effects but you don’t have to worry yourself cause our friend doesn’t cause anything severely if it was used right and responsibly.
To sum everything up, here’s a list of what to expect after your Botox session:
1. dry eye, following cosmetic uses.
2. an upset stomach.
3. numbness.
4. mild pain, inflammation, or bruising around the injected area.
5. a headache.
6. transient decreasing of the eyelids.
7. undesirable transient weak spot or paralysis in close by muscles.
8. Urinary issues after treatment for urinary incontinence.
9. a deterioration of neuromuscular diseases
10. Expect to have cardiovascular events, that would include arrhythmia and myocardial infarction.
To dive deeper into the world of Botox, let’s talk about Botox types:
What Are The Types Of Botox?
1. First of all, we've Dysport that's a natural-looking, fast-acting, long-lasting prescription injection validated to assist clean moderate to severe frown lines and wrinkles between the eyebrows, without altering the rest of your face's appearance or movement. It’s no surprise that 97% of women who were treated with Dysport said that they’d do it again. Dysport is approved in 69 countries and has a 25-year track record in clinical testing. It lasts up to 6 months and you can start seeing the results in 2 to 3 days. Why worry about your wrinkles all the time when you can turn them into history with only two sessions a year? If you’re looking for a long-lasting fast-acting injection, then Dysport is your go-to.
2. Now let’s talk about Xeomin. Unlike Botox, Xeomin contains a pure form of botulinum toxin without Botox’s accessory proteins. Which makes dealing with it a bit dangerous because it may cause some serious side effects that could be life-threatening. Therefore, you should really think about it before your injections are done. It’s similar to Botox when it comes to effectiveness because you don’t see any results before a week or two and it only lasts for 3 to 4 months. Xeomin was initially approved by the FDA in 2010 to not only treat fine lines and wrinkles but a bunch of other conditions. To sum it up, Botox and Xeomin are pretty much alike and the only noticeable difference is that Xeomin can be dangerous to deal with.
3. And last but not least we have monobloc. I’d suggest you stay away from this one because it has some more serious side effects that could be severe and life-threatening. Plus, it is not approved in the United States for cosmetic indications. So you have no business dealing with it whatsoever. Let’s keep it on the shelf.
With that being said, let’s move to our final thought for this subject:
How To Prepare And What To Expect?
Before you inject anything into your skin, you should tell your doctor if you’ve had any Botox injections within the past four months. Also, tell your doctor if you're using any muscle relaxants, sleeping pills, or allergy drugs. You should also stop taking blood thinners several days before your injection to reduce your risk of bleeding or bruising. As mentioned before, most people feel zero to minor discomfort during the procedure. If you don’t feel much comfortable dealing with that, you can always mention it to your doctor because doctors have various methods to make your session as easy as a walk in the park. Such as ice, topical anesthesia, and vibration anesthesia, which relies on massage to alleviate pain. Then, you just sit back and relax while your doctor handles the business. A small needle is used to inject tiny doses of Botox into your skin or muscles during the operation. Your doctor will inject the needed amount of injections and after that, you’ll be good to go and wait for the magic to happen. After the procedure, all you have to do is avoid rubbing the injected areas to not spread all the goodies somewhere else. You don’t want them to be in the wrong place. And of course, don’t forget to select your doctor carefully because injections must be placed precisely to avoid side effects. You’ll need to find an experienced doctor who wouldn’t make any mistake that will cause some unwanted troubles for both of you. Make sure to ask for a referral from your primary care doctor or look for a doctor who specializes in your condition and who has experience in administering Botox treatments. A skilled and properly certified doctor can advise you on the procedure and help determine if it best suits your needs and health.
In the end, the following question must be asked:
To Botox Or Not To Botox?
Now that’s a whole other discussion. But let’s have a brief talk about it.
Whenever anyone does a Botox treatment they always forget two things. The first thing is the reason behind doing it. Especially young ladies from ages 20 to 25. The social media impact cannot be underestimated in this case. No young lady can see the supernatural beauty that’s all over Instagram then go “no that’s not for me”. It’s simply mesmerizing. This leads me to the second thing which is that the ladies also forget that Botox is not restorative but only presentative. In the end, it’s only going to wear off leaving your skin wanting for more, and all you can do about it is to get some. So before making that decision, remind yourself why you want to do it and when is the proper time to. There’s an unpopular opinion about Botox and it’s unpopular because it’s true. It says that Botox will make you age faster. Scientifically speaking, Botox numbs your muscles to get rid of wrinkles. And because of that, other parts of your facial muscles get recruited in the process of making facial expressions which eventually causes you more wrinkles in new places which means more Botox. The point is, Botox is an actual commitment because once you open the door for it, it’s sticking with you forever. The wise thing to do here is to just do it right. Turn that table to your advantage. Instead of starting your Botox journey way too young, take care of your skin, exfoliate, use SPF, ask around and make your perfect skincare routine that will slow down the process of aging then head for the clinic when you’ve used all of your cards and there’s nothing more you can do about these wrinkles and aging signs. And once you do that, make sure to keep it nonsurgical and to have a highly specialized doctor to take care of your beauty. Your Botox journey should always be in good hands. The wiser you deal with it, the more beauty you’ll get out of it. So ladies, play your cards right.
There you have it. All the questions flying around your confused head like a gnat are now answered and you’re good to go on your skincare journey. Make sure to keep it safe, and to go to the right place.