BOTOX® offers a wide variety of benefits beyond wrinkle reduction. It’s an incredible solution that can help relieve migraine pain, reduce excessive sweating, and treat muscle spasms. BOTOX® can also be used for aesthetic purposes, such as reshaping your jawline or lifting your eyebrows. Working with a qualified BOTOX® provider can help you achieve the results you desire, no matter what your reason for seeking BOTOX® treatment. Learn more about BOTOX® treatments at Berman Skin Institute, and schedule your first session with us.
The Science Behind BOTOX®
Botox or Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxic protein that, when administered safely by a medical provider, helps to relax muscles for various purposes. Providers inject Botox beneath the skin using a small needle, making it a minimally invasive cosmetic and therapeutic solution that delivers results. Whether you use BOTOX® to enhance your appearance, relieve pain, or reduce sweating, it’s effective because it works in the following ways:
- Binds nerve endings: A provider injects Botox directly into targeted muscle areas, binding it with the nerve endings of the desired treatment area.
- Inhibits neurotransmitters: Once Botox attaches to nerve endings, it prevents the nerves from releasing neurotransmitters. This process disrupts the communication between the targeted nerves and muscles.
- Relaxes muscles: By blocking this communication, the muscles are forced to temporarily relax. This relaxation prevents the muscle contractions that cause wrinkles when you smile, scrunch your forehead, or squint your eyes. This muscle relaxation also helps with Botox’s other beneficial purposes, such as pain relief and sweat reduction.
- Stimulates collagen: Botox also gradually stimulates collagen production if you receive consistent injections. Collagen is a protein that supports the skin’s elasticity and structure, helping smooth fine lines so you appear more youthful. This collagen stimulation can last well after the Botox itself wears off, giving you longer-lasting results.
Benefits of BOTOX®
People often associate BOTOX® with its skin-smoothing benefits, but it can do much more than reduce wrinkles. Consider the following ways BOTOX® can improve your quality of life:
Migraine Relief
BOTOX® is an excellent solution if you experience severe pain from chronic headaches or migraines. Since Botox disrupts communication between nerve cells and muscles, the neurotransmitters released when you have a migraine are blocked, decreasing the pain associated with migraines.
Professionals typically recommend Botox treatment for migraines if you experience migraines at least 15 days per month. Individuals typically receive BOTOX® injections every three months to maintain pain relief, but it can take four or more weeks after the first treatment to notice results.
When you receive BOTOX® treatment for chronic migraines, a provider will administer small injections under the skin, usually in your head and the neck and facial areas. You will consult with the medical provider beforehand to determine exactly what areas will be treated and how many injections will be required, depending on your specific goals.
Sweat Reduction
Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, is a condition that develops when the body’s sweat gland receptors are overstimulated. Hyperhidrosis can cause the hands, feet, groin, and facial areas to sweat more than the body needs them to.
If you have hyperhidrosis, you may experience excessive sweat unrelated to exercise or heat. While this condition is non-threatening, you may seek treatment to reduce odor, eliminate the appearance of sweat, and prevent staining your clothes.
When you receive BOTOX® for sweating, a provider injects the BOTOX® directly into the affected area, blocking the nerve receptors that cause overactive sweating. Results can last up to six months.
Sweat glands are just under the surface of the skin under the arms, so a series of small injections under each arm can significantly reduce sweating. Most individuals start to notice results about seven days after receiving injections, and many people notice a significant sweat reduction two weeks after treatment. While only FDA-approved to treat under the arms, providers may use BOTOX® to treat hyperhidrosis in the palms and feet.
Muscle Spasms
Muscle spasms occur when a muscle contracts when it should be relaxed. Medical conditions and health complications such as strokes, injuries, or a neuromuscular disorder can cause muscle spasms that interfere with daily life. You may experience tightness and limited motor skills if you have spasms, but BOTOX® can help relieve tightness by relaxing the affected muscles.
Relaxing your muscles with BOTOX® treatments can also help you reach your goals in physical therapy. When your muscles are relaxed, your physical therapist can help you stretch safely and effectively. Many people with muscle spasms find that they can perform more tasks and improve their motor skills after receiving BOTOX® injections. Your provider will inject the BOTOX® directly into the affected muscles, blocking the nerve signals to the muscles to prevent them from unnecessarily contracting.
Eyebrow Lifts
You can also turn to BOTOX® if you are seeking a nonsurgical brow lift. BOTOX® provides a less dramatic eyebrow change than a surgical brow lift, and many people enjoy its subtle yet long-lasting results.
BOTOX® for eyebrow lifts is more than forehead injections. The forehead contains one muscle that controls eyebrow movement, and it’s known as the frontalis muscle. However, an eyebrow lift treatment targets different muscles to achieve your desired results.
Proper eyebrow BOTOX® treatment targets muscles related to eyebrow depression and elevation, known as the orbicularis oculi, procerus, coronary supercilia, and depressor supercili. A provider injects BOTOX® into the crow’s feet area beside each eye, the area between the eyebrows, and the area directly under the eyebrows to prevent these muscles from pulling the eyebrows down.
Jawline Reshaping
BOTOX® can also help reshape the jawline and reduce jaw pain related to TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction). Jaw clenching and grinding can lead to masseter hypertrophy, which is an enlarged jaw muscle that can cause a rectangular or square facial structure and sometimes jaw pain.
Providers typically administer injections in each masseter muscle to relax the jaw during treatment, and most patients notice a more oval face shape and reduced pain within a few weeks of receiving them. For the best results, professionals recommend receiving BOTOX® for jawline reshaping every three to six months.
Potential BOTOX® Side Effects
BOTOX® is minimally invasive, and most people experience little to no pain or a slight pinprick sensation with each injection. It requires no recovery time, so you can return to your daily routine immediately after each treatment. Side effects are rare, but it’s possible to experience the following effects after BOTOX® treatment:
- Potential bruising or a small amount of bleeding at injection sites
- Small chance of infection at injection sites
- Small chance of an allergic reaction
- Redness or itchiness at injection sites
- Rare chance of Botox diffusion
How to Choose a Qualified BOTOX® Provider
BOTOX® is safest and most effective when you choose an experienced, qualified provider. Before receiving BOTOX® injections, make sure your provider meets the following criteria:
- Board certification: Choose a provider who is a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist.
- Experience: Effective BOTOX® treatment requires skill, so choosing an experienced provider is essential. Reviewing before-and-after photos and reviews from previous Botox patients can help you determine which providers have the skill, talent, and experience to provide quality BOTOX® treatment aligned with your specific treatment goals.
- Bedside manner: In addition to experience and qualifications, you want to choose a provider who truly cares about you and your expectations. Meet with your provider before a BOTOX® treatment to determine if they are the right fit. An excellent provider seeks to understand your goals and answers any questions you may have.
Schedule Quality BOTOX® Treatment at Berman Skin Institute
BOTOX® can improve your quality of life in several ways. From smoothing your skin to relieving migraine pain, BOTOX® injections can bring you the results you desire. Berman Skin Institute’s experienced providers offer quality BOTOX® treatment for a wide variety of conditions. We use advanced skills and techniques to help you reach your medical and cosmetic goals. Schedule an appointment to learn more about how BOTOX® treatment can help you.
