Botox is a name-brand injection used for cosmetic dermatology and pain management treatments. It’s derived from a neurotoxic protein called botulinum toxin type A. This injection can be used to smooth skin and treat a wide range of symptoms including painful muscle contractions and spasms.
Cosmetic Facial Botox Injections
Young skin is highly elastic and returns to normal quickly after every movement and change. As we age, however, our skin begins to lose elasticity and holds wrinkles and fine lines from repeated expressions and muscle movements. Botox injections can be used to smooth out these lines, creating smoother skin that gives you a youthful appearance and preventing future wrinkles from forming.
How They Work
Botox injections are administered in small doses to target specific facial muscles that cause fine lines and wrinkles. Repeated contractions from these muscles cause creases in your skin that can remain in place over time, even when the muscle isn’t contracted. The Botox injection relaxes the targeted muscle and prevents it from receiving nerve signals that would otherwise tell it to contract.
When the muscle is relaxed with Botox, it doesn’t contract as often. Your skin smooths out, eliminating existing wrinkles and preventing new ones from forming. Botox injections are especially effective for smoothing wrinkles on the top third of your face, including lines around your eyes, eyebrows and forehead. These injections can also be used to treat creases in the neck and “pebbly chin.”