Services & Treatments

Botox® Injections for Wrinkles, Sweating and Headaches

The advent of Botox® injections has revolutionized the approach to wrinkle treatment. Botox® injection is a quick, relatively straightforward outpatient procedure, with minimal risk, that has now replaced many of the more traditional surgical approaches to facial aging. A more youthful appearance can be achieved in a single 15-minute session with one of our superbly skilled physicians.

Botox® is the trade name for a purified protein that is used in extremely small doses for certain cosmetic procedures and medical conditions. It is particularly useful for eliminating unwanted lines of facial expression, such as the frown lines between the eyebrows that may persist through repeated, often subconscious action of a muscle called "corrugator". Botox® is also a superb treatment for horizontal forehead creases, crow's feet around the eyes, lines on the upper lip caused by pursing the lips, and down turned corners of the mouth.

Additional uses of Botox® include the non-surgical brow lift, where Botox® is used to effect an elevation of the eyebrows, as well as treatment of neck wrinkles and muscular bands. These are remarkable advances in the treatment of the aging face, as traditional approaches to eyebrow depression and neck aging have previously only been invasive surgical procedures.

Botox® is also highly effective in the treatment of hyperhidrosis, or excess sweating. Many people suffer from overactive sweat glands of the hands, underarms, feet and face, and traditional topical or surgical approaches to this embarrassing and uncomfortable problem have not been very effective. Now Botox® can be injected directly into the areas of sweating, producing a sweat-free environment for up to six to twelve months at a time. This is truly a revolutionary approach to sweating, and our physicians were among the first in the world to use Botox® for hyperhidrosis. It is also helpful in many patients with tension or migraine headaches, and can provide months of relief with one simple treatment session.

Botox® for Wrinkles

Where Do You Put the Botox®?

When you purposefully make a frown, you can feel the corrugator muscle just above the inner part of your eyebrows as a thickening. Injecting Botox® into a facial muscle weakens the muscle and its associated contractions. By inhibiting contractions the muscle, and continually creasing the skin, and lines gradually improve and may disappear. Therefore, after injections with Botox® not only do the lines improve, but the area between the eyebrows can no longer make an unsightly scowl. Forehead lines are caused by contraction of the frontalis muscle, which can be seen when the eyebrows are raised. Squinting produces a gathering of the skin next to the eyes in the crow's feet area, and is caused by a portion of the orbicularis oculi muscles. Neck wrinkles and bands are caused by protruding fibers of the platysma muscle. Each of these muscles is readily visible to the skilled physician, and can be safely injected in a single session.

Are the Effects Lasting?

Treatments with Botox® take only a few minutes; the results are noticeable in three to five days and peak in seven to ten days. Gradually, over a period of three to five months, the effects of the Botox® will wear off and the muscles will again be functional. Repeat injections are done as muscle function returns.

Is There Any Danger of Botulism from Botox®?

No, it is not possible. Botulism occurs when large amounts of the toxin are ingested into the system, usually from eating contaminated food. Doses of about 3,000 units are considered highly toxic. For the procedure you have elected, you will be receiving about 10-200 units.

How has Botox® Been Tested and What are the Side Effects?

Botox® has been used since 1980 for treatment of two facial conditions, strabismus (lazy eye) and blepharospasm (uncontrolled eye blinking). It was first used for forehead wrinkles in 1989.

Side effects from Botox® are minimal when it is properly administered by a physician trained in its use. There will be a little discomfort as the solution is injected at the treatment site and there is a small chance of bruising. There have been no known reports of permanent side effects with Botox®. In very rare cases, there is a temporary, slight lowering of the eyebrow or eyelid, which often goes unnoticed by the patient.

How Will I Look After My Treatment?

Immediately after the treatment, there may be a mild amount of redness at the injection site, but this resolves in a few hours. Bruising is very uncommon. We encourage patients to use the muscles more for the first hour after injection to maximize the effects of Botox®. Some patients ask if they will have a mask-like appearance or lose facial expression. The answer is no when the procedure is done properly. Our skilled physicians have performed over 15,000 Botox® procedures, and have not observed any significant negative alterations in facial motion or expressions. Botox injection is an art form as much as it is a science. The physicians at SkinCare Physicians are very skilled at muscular shaping with Botox, and teach their injection techniques to other dermatologists and plastic surgeons around the world.

Botox® is useful for improving frown lines, crow's feet, forehead wrinkles, neckbands, and ridges, drooping eyebrows, furrows of the upper lip, turned down corners of the mouth and certain other wrinkles by relaxing the muscles so that they appear less noticeable. It can be used successfully and synergistically along with other techniques such as Restylane implants and lasers.

Botox® for Hyperhidrosis

Excess sweating of the palms, face, and underarms can be an embarrassing problem for patients. Social interactions can be adversely affected, and many patients are eager to have their sweating eliminated. Botox® injections are performed in a simple 15-30 minute outpatient session in our state-of-the-art facility. Anesthesia of the area to be treated is sometimes obtained with a topical anesthetic (applied at home a few hours before the procedure) and/or local application of ice. Multiple injections with a tiny needle are carefully performed into the areas of sweating.

The effect of Botox® injection begins to be apparent two to three days after the injection session, and lasts on average six to twelve months. Repeat injection sessions are performed as the initial effect begins to dissipate. Side effects are minimal to non-existent, and include minor bruising and occasional short-term very mild hand weakness (when the palms are treated). Driving and normal activities are generally not affected, and the weakness resolves within two to four weeks.

Botox® injections for axillary (underarm), palmar (hand), and facial sweating is an amazingly effective procedure, often referred to by our patients as the equivalent of turning off a faucet of dripping and sweating. Our physicians are pioneers in this technique, and possess the unique skill and knowledge needed to produce consistently superb results.