At Elite Plastic Surgery, we offer patients the latest Botox® techniques to address your aesthetic concerns and help you regain the beautiful appearance of your youth! Our board-certified plastic surgeons serve patients in Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas of Michigan. Call (866) 331-0612 today to schedule a personalized consultation and learn whether you are a candidate for Botox®!
What is Botox®?
Botox® is classified as a neuromodulator. It is made primarily from the botulinum toxin type A. These are the same bacteria that can lead to botulism, but they also occur throughout the natural world, even in basic forest soil. Way back in the 1950s scientists discovered that if a tiny amount of the toxin was injected into a muscle, it temporarily stopped that muscle from contracting. This proved instantly intriguing as a medical treatment for issues with involuntary muscle spasms. In fact, that turned out to be the first FDA approval for Botox® — for the treatment of involuntary eyelid spasms (blepharospasm) in 1989.
But Botox® became a household name in 2002. That was the year the FDA approved Botox for aesthetic use, removing frown lines and forehead lines. The FDA added crow’s feet approval in 2013, although it had been used off-label for years before that.
How Does Botox Work?
Botox® works by blocking the acetylcholine, the nerve messengers, in muscles. When injected into a muscle, the botulinum toxin blocks the nerve messages sent from the muscle to the brain. The brain never receives the message to contract the muscle, so the muscle stays relaxed.
Why does this matter for wrinkles? Certain wrinkles, known as dynamic wrinkles, form due to muscle contractions when we make various expressions such as frowning and showing surprise. Go ahead. Make a frown or squint. You can feel the muscles around your eyes, brows, and on your forehead engage. Over time we form hundreds of thousands of those expressions and muscle contractions. As we age and our skin thins, wrinkles begin to form on the surface skin above these muscle contractions.
You see where this is going. When Botox® is injected into the muscles that contract and create your crow’s feet, frown lines, or forehead lines, it blocks the nerve messages, so the muscle stays relaxed. This erases or dramatically reduces the wrinkles on the surface skin. Botox® keeps the muscles relaxed for around four months.
What Problems Can Botox Fix?
Moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows- Crow’s feet around the eyes
- Horizontal forehead lines
Moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrowsWho is a candidate for Botox?
Whether or not Botox® will erase your wrinkles depends on their location and the type of wrinkle. Botox® doesn’t have any effect on what are called “static” wrinkles. Static wrinkles show themselves at all times and are usually the result of sun damage, declining collagen production, and natural aging. Typical static wrinkles are smile lines, parentheses lines, barcode lines, and such. Static wrinkles can be treated with dermal fillers, such as Juvéderm® or the different fillers in the Restylane® line.
However, if the wrinkles you seek to treat are on the upper third of the face and are the result of muscle contractions under the skin, then Botox® is the answer.
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What to expect during treatment
Most patients say that it feels like a pinch. If you are concerned about feeling any discomfort, we may use a numbing cream at the treatment site. Botox® treatments typically take about 10 minutes. After your treatment, you can resume your day.
Is there recovery after having Botox injections?
There isn’t any recovery. That’s why Botox® was deemed “the lunchtime treatment,” as you can come in during your lunch hour, have Botox® injected in just 10-15 minutes and then get right back to work or your other normal activities.
There can be some slight redness and swelling at the injection sites (just as with any injection), but these typically pass within a few hours.
The one thing you’ll need to avoid after your injections at Elite is rubbing the injection sites. This can cause the Botox® to migrate to an adjacent, unwanted muscle. This can lead to temporary drooping of an eyelid and other unwanted issues. Because of this, it is important to not rub or touch the injection sites for 24 hours after your Botox® injections.
What Results Can I Expect from Botox?
Some patients begin to see results in as little as 24 to 48 hours for moderate to severe frown lines.
Botox Before & After Photos*
*Individual results may vary
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How long do Botox® results last?
Results may differ from person to person, however results may last up to 4 months.
Are there Side Effects to Botox?
Rare side effects include pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, neck pain or eye problems. If you experience any side effects, please call us immediately.
How much does Botox cost?
Botox is priced by the unit and it varies from region to region. You can expect to pay between $11 and $14 dollars a unit depending on location. At Elite the more areas of Botox you purchase the more affordable the price becomes. Beware of bargain priced Botox as it may be counterfeit, or may have been diluted more than it should be in order to make more profit. Both of these practices can change how effective the Botox is and how long it will last.
Can I combine Botox injections with dermal filler injections?
At Elite, we offer Botox® as a neuromodulator and Juvéderm® and Restylane®, Lyft, Refyne, and Defyne are the dermal fillers we offer. Because neuromodulators and dermal fillers work in completely different ways and on different types of lines and areas of volume loss, they can be paired in a single injection session from our Registered Nurse injector.
For instance, you could erase your crow’s feet with Botox® and return volume to sunken cheeks with Restylane® Lyft. Or, you could have Dawn use Botox® to relax your frown lines between your eyebrows and have her use Juvéderm® on your smile lines that run from your nose down to the corners of your mouth.
The mechanisms through which neuromodulators and fillers work are different, so they work completely different and can be injected in a single session at Elite.
What are the side effects with Botox?
Botox® has been the world’s most popular cosmetic procedure every year since the FDA approved it for cosmetic use in 2002. It has been injected millions of times around the globe and has proven to be effective and safe. The only real side effects are slight swelling and redness at the injection sites that usually passes in a few hours. Some people develop a headache after their injections, but this passes within a day.
The real risk is to have Botox® injected into the wrong muscle. This can lead to issues such as a droopy eyelid. That’s why you need to have Botox injected only by an experienced injector with extensive training, experience, knowledge of facial anatomy, our Registered Nurse injector at Elite.
How often can I have Botox injections?
At some point, usually after about four months, your body will absorb the now-inert botulinum toxin and the muscle it had temporarily stopped from contracting will begin to contract again. This will lead to the return of the wrinkle on the surface skin. This is the time to call us at Elite and schedule another Botox® session to maintain your results.
There can be some variability as to how long Botox® will keep the injected muscle relaxed. Differences in metabolism between patients can affect how long Botox provides results, but for most patients that period is about four months.
What questions should I ask my provider?
- Does your provider have expertise in facial anatomy? It’s very important to understand which muscles to target and which muscles to avoid for the best outcome with minimal side effects.
- How many years of injection experience and how often do they use Botox in their practice?
- Does your provider have before and after pictures of patients they have treated to show?
- Do they schedule a follow up appointment after treatment? This is a great time to review your own before and after photos to evaluate your results.
- What are the most common side effects associated with treatment and what should you do if you experience any of them?
- What medical conditions would prevent me from receiving Botox, and what medications or supplements should I avoid before injections take place?
Schedule a Consultation
The staff at Elite Plastic Surgery can help you determine which product is best for you. We are experts at helping you to look refreshed, less angry, and younger while maintaining natural overall facial appearance and motion. To schedule a consultation, call (616) 459-1907 today! Or, you can fill out the form on this page our or our contact page to learn more or to book a one-on-one appointment at our office. Elite Plastic Surgery serves Grand Rapids and surrounding areas.
