BOTOX® Cosmetic

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery and Rejuvenating Skin Care for Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, & Washington DC

Botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX® Cosmetic; Allergan Inc.) is a purified and sterilized extract from bacteria. It is FDA approved to treat the area between the eyes in a specific muscle area. However, it may be used in 'off-label' use in other areas. Doctors have used BOTOX® Cosmetic for years to treat various medical conditions, especially around the eyes. Another exciting use for BOTOX® Cosmetic is for the improvement in overactive facial muscle contraction. Over time, these active muscles will result in unsightly lines on the face. For example, scowl lines, frown lines, and crow's feet are some of the most concerning lines for both men and women. These lines or furrows will continue to deepen and worsen with aging.

BOTOX® Cosmetic works by temporarily making these facial muscles unable to contract. Therefore, they are not able to cause the deep furrows. BOTOX® Cosmetic is injected into the area of the muscles and takes about two to five days to take effect on the muscle area. Over the following days to weeks, the lines will fade away. The timing to see results varies with the severity of the lines and furrows. They can be quite dramatic and the effects usually last 4 to 6 months. The length of time that the injections last also depends on the patients genetics (muscle density), the amount of BOTOX® injected, how fresh the BOTOX® is, the skill of the plastic surgeon doing the injections. Treatments done in proper conditions will usually last progressively longer up to a point that is determined again by the BOTOX® quantity and the patients metabolism of the product.

In otherwords, the more BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments a person has when done appropriately, the more it seems to improve and lengthen the time of the BOTOX® Cosmetic effects will last. There is no limit to the number of BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments that you may have. If you decide to discontinue using BOTOX® Cosmetic, you will usually have a return of some of your previous muscle activity.

Some of the side effects of a treatment, though rare, may include temporary bruising, tenderness at the injection site, and headache. Depending on the where the injections are placed you may experience brow asymmetry, forehead wrinkle asymmetry or other facial asymmetry secondary to how a muscle responds to the injections. These types of issues are also temporary and can usually be adjusted by additional BOTOX® into the areas. More concerning, is when the medication is injected or diffuses into other muscle groups that are not intended to be treated. When this occurs you may complications secondary to these muscles not working correctly. This can occur with treatment of the scowl lines and you may experience a lowering of your eyelid. This is very rare, and when it occurs it will last a few weeks. This can be treated with eye drops however when the eye drop medication wears off, the eyelid will droop again. This complication is usually seen with aggressive injections near these eye muscles. Besure to discuss this with Dr. Michael J. Brown is you have questions or concerns.

If you are searching for BOTOX® in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington,DC, plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael J. Brown is an excellent choice to have a treatment from. His patients come from Loudoun, Fairfax, Reston, Herndon, Leesburg, Dulles, Ashburn, Middleburg, Great Falls, Potomac Falls, Alexandria, Vienna, Falls Church, Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, Washington, DC to name a few areas.

BOTOX® Cosmetic
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