BOTOX®
SMOOTH FACIAL WRINKLES—LIKE CROW’S FEET AND FROWN LINES—FOR A MORE YOUTHFUL AND REFRESHED LOOK IN THOUSAND OAKS
Why choose BOTOX® at Thousand Oaks’ Pierre Skin Care Institute? Although a good skin care routine can help to keep wrinkles at bay, it’s inevitable that your skin will become thinner as you age and a few lines will eventually form. Lines that develop on the upper third of the face—on areas such as the forehead and at the corners of the eyes—are typically associated with lifelong muscle activity. BOTOX® is specifically designed to target these wrinkles and restore a smoother, younger, and fresher appearance.
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WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACIAL WRINKLES?
There are several factors—including lifestyle and genetics—that impact the type of wrinkles you have and where they form on the face. Although it can sometimes seem as if unwanted lines appear overnight, wrinkles start off as faint imperfections close to the surface of the skin and gradually become deeper as time passes. Think of it like repeatedly creasing a same cloth in the same place. Just as repetitive folding will eventually cause a visible line to form in the fabric, decades of facial expressions that pull the skin into folds will gradually create etched-in lines.
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Not all wrinkles are the same, however! The lines fall into two main groups: dynamic wrinkles (also known as expression wrinkles due to their relationship with active muscles) and static wrinkles.
Some lines appear because aging diminishes healthy facial fat and other important elements in the skin, causing a drying, thinning, and loosening effect. These are known as static wrinkles.
Dynamic wrinkles are associated with repetitive facial movements or expressions such as smiling, frowning, squinting, and pursing the lips. These lines may also deepen and become static wrinkles over time.
Although it may not be possible to completely prevent the effects of time, gravity, and facial movements on our skin, there are cosmetic treatments like BOTOX® that can minimize signs of aging. Injectable treatments containing botulinum toxin, like BOTOX®, are used for minimizing the types of wrinkles associated with facial expressions.
Keep in mind that BOTOX® works on dynamic wrinkles, so it will not be effective on lines linked primarily to collagen loss or similar causes.
WHAT IS BOTOX® AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Relaxing your wrinkles may sound appealing, but you are also likely wondering: “What does BOTOX® do to your body?”
BOTOX®, otherwise known as onabotulinumtoxinA, is a cosmetic form of botulinum toxin that’s derived from a bacterium. This purified, diluted substance is what’s known as a neuromodulator, which is a technical term for a substance that interferes with the typical transmissions of signals in the body. Simply put, BOTOX® works by relaxing the muscles that cause facial wrinkles.
When the brain sends a signal for a muscle to contract, that message travels through a network of nerves until it arrives and triggers the desired activity. BOTOX® disrupts that message chain, preventing the muscle from moving—despite it being told to do so.
Since repetitive contractions are responsible for moving the forehead into frequent furrows and other facial folds, keeping specific muscles relaxed with BOTOX® is the key to addressing the problem. In addition to softening existing wrinkles, BOTOX® can also prevent new ones from forming.
BOTOX® remains the most commonly chosen cosmetic treatment around the world in 2023, with millions of injections helping women and men to achieve the look they want each year. Numerous studies, research papers, and FDA trials, followed by even more years of successful applications to treat a wide range of cosmetic and medical issues, have established BOTOX® as safe and effective for adults who want to do something about the visible signs of getting older that don’t reflect their age at heart.
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WHO SHOULD GET BOTOX®?
Who is a good candidate for BOTOX®? How do you know if BOTOX® is right for you?
This treatment is meant for moderate to severe facial wrinkles. If you are in good general health, are not ready to undergo cosmetic surgery but are seeking a method for temporarily reducing wrinkles, have realistic expectations and a positive outlook, and have wrinkles or concerns in areas that can be treated with this injectable, then you may be an ideal candidate for BOTOX®.
BOTOX® cannot alter your basic bone structure. It is not intended for patients who are under the age of 18, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have medical conditions affecting the muscles of the face, or have an allergic reaction to ingredients in BOTOX®.
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BOTOX®?
What can BOTOX® be used for? As previously mentioned, BOTOX® is designed to treat a specific sign of aging: dynamic wrinkles. While skin changes certainly play a role in the development of these lines, the primary culprits are the reliable facial muscles that help with each and every go-to expression. In other words, furrowing your brow gets you the same confused or angry look every time. So does each squint and eyebrow raise. Whenever the skin of your face is folded, it develops wrinkles in those areas, like what would happen to a sheet of paper. Since the skin becomes thinner as you age and collagen production declines, the skin doesn’t bounce back as easily into place when we move our face. Thus, wrinkles begin to deepen.
The FDA has approved BOTOX® for three cosmetic treatments: smoothing horizontal forehead lines, frown lines (known as “11s”) between the eyebrows, and crow’s feet.
BOTOX® is also commonly used for a range of what are known as “off label” uses. It can address bunny lines that crinkle the nose, accomplish nasal tip elevation, reduce an overly gummy smile, help to slim the jaw, elevate the corners of the mouth, smooth the chin, address platysmal bands, create a “Nefertiti lift” for improved jawline definition, and lift both the upper lip (a BOTOX® “lip flip”) and brow.
WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR BOTOX®?
BOTOX® is a simple and straightforward treatment. A BOTOX® session involves precision injections made directly into the targeted areas. Dr. Pierre offers numbing solutions and other options to patients to make them as comfortable as possible throughout the process.
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The details of each injection session will depend on the specific areas being treated. In general, a treatment takes a matter of minutes, with many patients considering it to be a “lunchtime procedure.”
WHY CHOOSE PIERRE SKIN CARE INSTITUTE FOR BOTOX® IN THOUSAND OAKS?
At Pierre Skin Care Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine-trained and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre personally performs every BOTOX® injection. His commitment to maximizing safety, comfort, and natural-looking results has earned him the nickname “the gentle injector.”
With every treatment, he works to customize the results so that they do not look overdone but appear beautifully subtle so patients appear refreshed and rejuvenated. This is especially important with BOTOX®, which inhibits activity in specific muscles. A thorough understanding of facial anatomy and knowledge of the mechanics of botulinum toxin give Dr. Pierre the ability to deliver a patient’s desired results while still allowing them to freely express any emotion—as opposed to appearing “frozen.”
Dr. Pierre also tailors treatments specifically for men. While women still make up the bulk of patients seeking aesthetic treatments in the United States (and Thousand Oaks), men represent a growing demographic interested in facial rejuvenation. It is not uncommon these days for guys to type “BOTOX® near me” into search bars in an effort to discover where they can find options for getting a well-rested, less-stressed look. Given the differences between the sexes in terms of skin thickness, muscle density, general facial shape, and more, BOTOX® injections for men involve specific techniques Dr. Pierre employs in order to effectively generate natural-looking, long-lasting results.
WHAT ARE RECOVERY AND AFTERCARE LIKE FOR BOTOX®?
For anyone wondering what is the recovery time for BOTOX®, we have good news: There is usually no recovery or downtime required after botulinum toxin injections. In fact, you can resume your normal activities as soon as you’d like. However, as with all injectables, these treatments can cause any of several side effects in the targeted area. Expect some initial bruising, redness, tenderness, and swelling wherever BOTOX® was injected, though choosing an experienced injector like Dr. Pierre minimizes both the risk of these effects and their duration if they do develop. In any case, redness, swelling, and more should resolve on its own in a matter of hours.
There are other rare but serious complications to consider with BOTOX® injections. Dr. Pierre will cover these at your initial consultation, as well as answer any questions you may have about the treatment, his qualifications and experience, expected results, and more.
WHEN DO BOTOX® RESULTS APPEAR AND HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
“When do BOTOX® results start to show?” is a common question we hear at Westlake Village’s Pierre Skin Care Institute.
It takes some time for the effects of this injectable to kick in and the full results to show. This is because the product needs time to reach the cellular level of the muscles. Initial results of a BOTOX® treatment will be apparent a few days after the injection session, when muscle activity begins to slow. The desired skin-smoothing effects can take up to 14 days to fully appear.
Over time, the body metabolizes the active ingredient in BOTOX®—botulinum toxin—so the targeted muscles will gradually regain their ability to move when they get the signal. Unfortunately, that means lines will also gradually regain their severity.
Patients typically enjoy three to four months of reduced wrinkles, after which muscles begin to contract normally again. As this freedom of movement returns, so will forehead lines, crow’s feet, and other targeted signs of aging.
A fresh round of injections can be administered so patients can continue to enjoy their more youthful appearance. There is some thought that routine treatments can “train” muscles to sit still, making them less likely to pull skin into such prominent furrows in the future—even when not under the effects of BOTOX®.
WHICH COSMETIC TREATMENTS COMPLEMENT BOTOX®?
While BOTOX® is ideal for signs of aging related to muscle activity, static wrinkles—such as nasolabial folds—are best addressed with dermal fillers. These injectables are also appropriate for adding volume in the mid-face, which can flatten or become hollow over time. Unlike neuromodulators, fillers are gels that work by adding volume beneath the skin.
Loss of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin over time can also cause fine lines to form. Additionally, there may be other skin texture and tone problems that develop such as dullness, dry skin, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, uneven texture, and scars that cannot be addressed with BOTOX®. Skin rejuvenation and resurfacing techniques are best for addressing these concerns. Cosmetic dermatology options to correct these lines include laser skin resurfacing and chemical peels, as well as collagen-inducing microneedling.
Issues with pigment, such as brown spots or redness, often require a light or laser-based strategy, such as intense pulsed light (IPL) or Cutera® Excel V and Laser Genesis.
Many of these options can be combined in various ways for a holistic approach to treating facial aging, with each unique application addressing a specific condition. The ultimate result is a face that appears wholly rejuvenated.
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