The Secret to Successful Botox Treatments
There may not be a Fountain of Youth, but BOTOX treatments are the next best thing. As we get older and wrinkles start to set in, some of us start to feel ill at ease in our own bodies. BOTOX treatments can relieve that tension by smoothing out those wrinkles and restoring life and vitality to weary skin.
BOTOX injections are one of many professional services we offer at the offices of board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Richard J. Brown. It’s a procedure that a lot of patients have questions about, and it’s a procedure that is misunderstood by people who pay attention to tall tales and hearsay. BOTOX is actually a very safe process with a high success rate. If you want to know what the secret is to successful BOTOX treatments, read on and follow these suggestions.
1. See a Qualified Professional.
The difference between getting wonderful BOTOX treatments and terrible ones lies in the hands of the person administering the injections. Before getting BOTOX done, you’ll want to make sure that the person giving you the injections is someone who is a board certified medical professional and has a comprehensive understanding of how facial anatomy works.
Related: 6 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Plastic Surgeon
Doing your due diligence in this respect is crucial. Just because someone offers BOTOX treatments as a service doesn’t mean that they are qualified to do so. Anyone could spend a weekend doing a BOTOX training workshop and feel they’re up to doing the real thing afterwards, but that is not the case. BOTOX is a very safe procedure, but in the hands of a novice, one off-the-mark injection could affect parts of your face that don’t need treatment.
This is what a lot of people don’t understand when they pass along all those stories and pictures of “frozen faces” and Botox treatments gone wrong: That’s the handiwork of people who don’t know how to properly administer BOTOX treatments. In the hands of a qualified and board certified professional, your face should be just as expressive and natural looking after being injected with BOTOX as it was before.
[Tweet “#BOTOX gone wrong is often caused by lack of knowledge. #ReleaseYourInnerBeauty”]
It’s also important that you communicate with your doctor before getting the treatment done. Let them know what you want and how you want to look after the process. What you think looks good and what your doctor thinks looks good could be two very different things. It’s very important that your needs are communicated and that your doctor understands what you want before getting injected. The more vague you are about your BOTOX goals, the greater the chance you may end up with something you don’t want.
If you’re not sure about what areas you should get treated, ask your doctor for suggestions and make sure they explain their answers. They may even suggest alternative treatments where you wouldn’t need to use BOTOX treatments at all. No matter what they suggest, though, listen to your gut and trust your judgment.
2. You Get What You Pay For.
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Frugality is an excellent quality to have, and there’s no harm in trying to find the best possible deal. When it comes to BOTOX treatments, however, the cheaper it is, the higher the price your face will end up paying for it later. Be wary of spas trying to cut you a great deal because there’s a good chance they’re cutting corners.
One of the reasons why you should think twice about places offering very cheap BOTOX treatments is because there’s a chance you’ll get a weaker injection of it. BOTOX needs to be partially diluted with saline before being administered. Professionals know the correct mixture to keep the BOTOX both strong AND safe; other places that lack expertise or scruples will heavily dilute the treatment with saline, making it weaker and less effective. You would have to get multiple injections with that watered down dose to achieve the same effects as one dose from a more reputable provider. It isn’t just an issue of health and personal aesthetics: Paying for quality work will pay off in the long run. Why pay for a dozen shots at a mall med spa when you can get a couple of expertly delivered, properly mixed doses from Dr. Brown?
[tweet “Paying for quality #BOTOX will pay off in the long run. #ReleaseYourInnerBeauty”]
One other thing to be aware of: Make sure you’re being injected with proper BOTOX treatments. Botulinum toxin A is the only neurotoxin approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in the U.S. Any other derivatives, knockoffs, or alternate Botulinum toxin strains could be dangerous. And if you’ve had treatments done in the past and are seeing a new professional, inform them so they know you’ve been treated before and let them know which parts of your face were addressed.
Related: Remove Wrinkles With Injections
3. Prepare Yourself Beforehand.
Before you get the treatment, you should take a few steps to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Tell your doctor if you have any allergies, medical conditions or diseases. Let them know about any medical procedures you’ve recently had or plan on having. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, they’ll need to know that too. And if you’re on any kind of medication or taking supplements or herbs, you’ll need to tell them.
A week before you get Botox treatments, you’ll want to stop taking medication that can thin the blood. This will help keep bruising from happening after the injection. Blood thinners to avoid include:
- Aspirin
- Ibuprofen
- Exedrin
- Advil
- St. John’s Wort
- Vitamin E
- Fish oil or Omega-3s
- Gingko Bilboa
- Ginseng
Related: How Much Botox Can I Get?
4. Take Care of Your Skin.
BOTOX treatments can work wonders, but you have to do the work to keep those wonders going. No amount of treatments will matter in the long run if you don’t take care of your skin. You should use sunscreen regularly to reduce the damaging effects of the sun’s rays on your body. Keep your skin moisturized and avoid activities like smoking or tanning that can prematurely age you. Staying hydrated will also keep your skin healthy and looking good.
You’ll want to refrain from touching the skin where the BOTOX treatments were injected. Do not rub or massage the treated area for 24 hours: Doing that can cause the BOTOX to spread around to other muscles. As you recover, avoid doing strenuous physical activity, wearing hats and don’t have any facial treatments the day you receive BOTOX.
It can sometimes take up to a week before the wrinkle smooths over. Be patient during that time and wait for the injected site to heal before you pursue any additional BOTOX treatments. Like some other forms of plastic surgery, its benefits aren’t immediately apparent.
Related: Top 6 Foods That Are Sabotaging Your Skin’s Health
5. BOTOX Treatments are a Long Game.
BOTOX treatments are temporary. Your average injection can last from three to four months before the effects wear off. So if you want to sustain the changes brought on by BOTOX, it will require a little upkeep. The bright side is that if you do it long enough, there are studies showing that it can eventually have positive permanent effects! Over a long period of time BOTOX treatments can train your affected areas and the muscles that surround them to be relaxed. After a while the muscles might start to treat that relaxed state as their normal mode of being! Instead of having to get injections every few months, you may have to just do it a couple of times a year to maintain your youthful, line-free face.
[Tweet “#BOTOX can keep wrinkles from forming if used over time. #ReleaseYourInnerBeauty”]
The benefits to BOTOX aren’t just physical. A study from the Hannover Medical School in Germany found that treating the facial muscles involved in emotion with BOTOX treatments actually ease symptoms of depression! BOTOX can make you feel more confident and assertive, which can translate to a happier family life, stronger relationships, more fulfillment in your career and a better sex life.
Related: 7 Ways Botox Can Improve Your Life
If you’d like to know more about BOTOX treatments, we would love to help you get more informed about the process. Call the office of Dr. Richard J. Brown at 480-568-3804 to schedule an initial consultation.
