Can You Get Botox Anywhere?

Botox is one of the most common nonsurgical cosmetic procedures turned to by people looking to enhance their appearance without the long-term recovery that surgical procedures can require. Due to its popularity, it’s often administered in nonmedical settings, however, it’s much safer and more effective to get your injections from highly trained, experienced professionals like those at Skin Renewal of Tulsa in Tulsa, OK. Our primary goal is to provide results that meet or exceed each individual patient’s expectations.

What Is It?

Botox is the name of a drug made from the Clostridium Botulinum toxin type A. This is a rod-shaped protein bacterium that’s plentiful in soil. When the treatment is administered to patients in small doses, it can be a safe, effective method for smoothing wrinkles, treating a wide variety of medical conditions, and leaving patients feeling happier with their appearance.

The treatment works by blocking nerve impulses that govern muscle contractions, leading to temporary paralysis of the muscles in the target area. When muscles are unable to contract, they can’t create wrinkles, resulting in a smoother, more youthful appearance.

What Are the Most Common Uses?

Generally, the most commonly treated areas are on the face and include laugh lines around the mouth, thick wrinkles on the neck, creases between the eyebrows, forehead lines, and crow’s feet. For medical conditions, it’s commonly used to treat hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating of the hands, feet, face, or underarms). Hyperhidrosis, and the excessive sweating it brings, can be a debilitating medical issue for many because it interferes with work, social life, and day-to-day activities.

This treatment has also been successfully used to treat patients complaining of muscle spasms, including those from multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and cervical dystonia.

Where Can It Be Injected?

The treatment has been deemed both safe and effective by the FDA and is relied upon to produce results time and time again. Due to its efficacy, it can be injected in many places where a patient wants to see improvement in their skin.

The Forehead

Forehead wrinkles come about as a by-product of aging and happen to all of us, eventually. If you’re worried about the premature appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in your forehead, or you want to do all you can to prevent their formation, Botox treatments can help. Injections for forehead wrinkles are an excellent option for achieving the youthful, relaxed look you desire. By reducing the ability of the forehead muscles to contract, this treatment can significantly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Frown Lines

These are the vertical lines that sit between and above the eyebrow. Much like forehead wrinkles, frown lines typically become increasingly prominent as we age. Whenever we frown, muscles contract and form vertical frown lines that resemble an accordion when it’s being compressed. This treatment is famous for its ability to remove the lines or prevent them from becoming deeper. Both men and women benefit from the treatment of frown lines.

Crow’s Feet

If you cringe at the fine lines and wrinkles at the outer corners of your eyes, then rest assured that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes referred to as “laugh lines,” crow’s feet usually appear when the skin near the eyes begins to lose collagen and hyaluronic acid. The treatment relaxes the muscles and keeps them from causing wrinkles when we smile. The procedure is quick and can be done in as little as 30 minutes, making it perfect for a lunchtime appointment.

Under the Eyes

Lines under the eyes are created by repeated movement and contraction of the muscles around the eye and cheek. They’re exacerbated over time due to the way our skin ages and thins. Botox treatment can help soften the wrinkles under the eyes by targeting and relaxing specific muscles. Treatment for under-eye wrinkles requires very little product, and it goes a long way.

Marionnette Lines

Marionnette lines are the unsightly wrinkles that run from the side of the mouth towards the jawline. When these lines are formed, they often give the sides of the mouth a downward appearance and lead to an angry or dissatisfied resting facial expression. These lines are caused by skin laxity; that is, your skin is no longer elastic enough to bounce back into place and create a smooth, youthful look.

Other Areas

Since Botox can and is used to treat a variety of conditions beyond cosmetic wants and needs, there are other areas of the body where it can be administered. Those who suffer from hyperhidrosis, for example, may get injections in their armpits to temporarily paralyze the sweat glands there.

How Can You Get Started With Treatment?

If you think that treatment is right for you, give us a call and set up an appointment with one of our medical professionals to discuss your needs. Make sure to bring information about your medical history with you, including info on previous surgeries (especially if they were near the treatment area), present or past medical conditions, and any medications, supplements, or herbal remedies you’re currently taking or have recently taken.

During your appointment, one of our medical professionals will examine your skin’s texture, elasticity, and degree of wrinkling. You’ll probably also undergo a simple test where a small amount of solution is injected into your forearm to test for any allergic reactions. The vast majority of people are not allergic to the treatment, but for those who are, it’s better to find out by injecting a less sensitive area.

How Long Does It Take Botox to Work?

The treatment serum is a neuromodulator that relaxes muscles and keeps them from working at their full capacity. In doing so, the fine lines and wrinkles caused by muscle constriction are reduced and, in some cases, eliminated entirely. Most patients start to notice the effects from 3 to 5 days after treatment, but sometimes it can take as many as 14 days after treatment for the full results to show.

The delay is due to the time it takes for the body to react to the treatment. In some cases, there are additional factors that figure in regarding the length of time it takes for the treatment to reach its full effect. Individuals with weaker facial muscles will generally need less time for the treatment to take effect than those with stronger ones.

For those with particularly deep facial lines, or for people who are getting their first treatment later in life, more than one injection is sometimes necessary to achieve the desired results. Also, patients in these situations may be interested in the additional treatments we provide. If you have an upcoming social event or vacation that you want to look your best for, it’s essential that you have your consultation and treatment session at least two weeks before the event. Doing so will give you more options for treatment and time for any treatment to achieve optimal results.

How Long Do the Effects of Treatment Last?

Since the effects of treatment depend largely on the body’s ability to respond, the length of time effects will last will vary from person to person and area to area. If you undergo more than one treatment session, it’s generally believed that the effects will last longer because your skin has more time to regenerate the collagen in the treatment area.

For the most part, treatment for cosmetic purposes lasts an average of 4 to 6 months. If it’s your first treatment session, the effects may wear off sooner. Because of this, many first-time patients like to schedule follow-up treatments at the 2 or 3-month mark.

What Factors Influence the Duration of Effects?

The time it takes for the effects of treatment to show, as well as how long they last, varies from person-to-person. There are also a variety of elements that will influence the duration of a treatment’s effects.

Strength of Dosage

Botox is typically diluted with 1 to 3 ccs of saline solution, though the area you’re having treated will influence the strength of your dosage. The more concentrated the solution is, the more focused the area of treatment will be. Additional saline causes the solution to diffuse into surrounding areas, which can be beneficial if you’ve got a large area you’re wanting to have treated.

It’s important to be aware that in some clinics the solution is over-diluted and patients will not benefit from the full power of the solution. The end result will reflect that. This is why it’s important to only receive treatment from qualified providers and not at a beauty spa or Botox party.

Your Metabolism

How fast your metabolism is will play a part in how long the effects of your treatment last. Bodies with a faster metabolism tend to eliminate the serum more quickly, causing its effects to fade faster. Bodies with a slower metabolism usually experience the opposite. If you work out a lot, whether professionally or for your own wellbeing, you probably have a faster metabolism and should be aware of its possible effect on your treatment.

The Injection Site

The muscle(s) being treated and how large the treatment site is will affect the duration of your results. Larger muscles, such as the frontalis muscle on the forehead, tend to experience the benefits of treatment for a shorter period of time than smaller muscles, such as those responsible for crow’s feet.

The average treatment duration for larger muscles lasts between 3 and 4 months, while the treatment of smaller muscles will last for 4 to 6. However, as mentioned before, all bodies are different and these figures can shift in either direction depending on the individual being treated and their lifestyle choices.

Age of the Patient

As we get older and the effects of aging take hold, our skin’s elasticity and ability to produce collagen both diminish. This is why fine lines and wrinkles eventually become much deeper and more defined over time. In these patients, the effects of treatment tend to wear off faster than in younger ones.

Treatment Schedule

First-time treatments tend to have the shortest durations. The more regular you become with your treatment schedule, the longer the effects will last. If you have any questions or concerns about the longevity of your treatment, you should always talk with us before doing anything.

Conclusion

Botox is one of the safest, most widely used, and effective non-invasive options on the market today for treating fine lines and wrinkles. The areas most often treated are on the face, though other areas of the body are eligible as well. If you have any questions about whether Botox treatment is right for you, contact Skin Renewal of Tulsa in Tulsa, OK today at 918-992-4898 and speak with a medical professional on our staff.