So a little about me I was raised in a family that eschewed anything unnatural. My mother had an organic garden, raised goats, and considered a daily shower an adequate skin care regimen. Except for the occasional concealer or blush, skin care products and make-up were non existent. Like most girls, my skin care journey started with teenage acne. My mother and two older sisters never had acne, so their advice was to scrub my face hard with Dove soap and stop eating chocolate...Skin care has certainly evolved since those days, and I am grateful that my daughter will have more effective regimens for her skin.
During residency, my husband Dr. Albright worked with two female plastic surgery residents who were so beautiful. Their foreheads were smooth, and it accentuated their face and brows. One time they happened to mention my husband injected them with Botox (Botulinum Toxin). This was my first exposure to Botox. After I had my second child, I noticed wrinkles on my forehead were starting to stay even when my face was a rest. Botox was so easy and worked so well! Although it is not cheap, it also was not as expensive as I thought. Since Botox weakens your facial muscles over time, it prevents wrinkles from progressing.
Used for spot treatments, forehead lines which don't disappear when the face is at rest, to create a smooth forehead look, or for general wrinkles.
The answer like most things in life is it depends….Don’t you hate that answer? Seriously though, I have tried to create a few rules of thumb. Of course this is based on my non-medical experience and reflects my own personal opinion:
So my first time, I was completely unprepared for the actual injections themselves. In my mind, Botox would be injected in a couple of places, and that would be it. My husband did my forehead and glabella, about ~10 injection sites. By the fifth shot, I was starting to hyperventilate. I was just too anxious and started breathing too rapidly. I made it through without passing out (thankfully), but the nurse had to bring me juice and cold packs. Once I was made aware of the importance of regulating my breathing, I have not had another experience like that again.
Although some advocate applying a numbing cream (topical anesthetic) for your first time, I have found this is not necessary after the first treatment. Topical anesthetics can require more than 30 minutes before they take affect. Not worth the wait.
The botox needle is very small. Each injection is accompanied by a slight sting which quickly fades. The number and amount of Botox to be injected depends on the area to be treated among other factors. The area between your brows (glabella) will be ~5 injections and the forehead plus glabella may be ~10 injections. A good injector should rub or hold the injection site to quickly dissipate the pain (similar to eyebrow waxing), while being careful not to displace the Botox toward the eyelids. After the first time, I think you quickly get used to the sensation. The most common side effect is a mild headache. I felt a little funny after the first time, but did not have any issues after the second time. A little bruising and bleeding around the injection site is also normal.
Last year over 1.5 million people had injections in the United States. After getting Botox, it is fairly easier to spot other people who have been treated, as their forehead or glabella do not move like normal facial expressions. Look around and you will quickly be able to tell too! Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not receive botox injections.
Alamo Plastic Surgery offers botox in San Antonio. In general, however, I would look for a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologists with good online reviews (https://www.realself.com/procedures). I prefer a physician to inject my Botox. Although Botox should wear off in 3-6 months, lopsided eyebrows are not particularly attractive! Which brings up another important point, make sure you know what your injector's revision or 'touch up' policy is.
Do not exercise or wear hats for 24 hours after Botox!
It is important to remember botox is administered in liquid forms in the areas you want to paralyze. Until the Botox binds to the nerves, the liquid can shift with movement. Therefore do not work out for 24 hours after receiving botox. I know this can be hard for everyone with a routine, but it is not worth messing it up. I do sometimes go early in the day and then still work out the next morning, but I make sure not to do any handstands! Also do not wear any hats or sweat bands for a couple of days until you see the Botox taking affect. I thought it felt a little weird to apply mascara or eyeliner at first, but after a couple of weeks I was used to it.
Botox is effective for 3 - 6 months for most people. I like to go every 6 months, but I have a good friend that says she metabolizes botox very quickly so she goes every three months.
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/botulinum-toxin
https://www.botoxcosmetic.com/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158647.php
Hope this was helpful!
