It was not until Botulinum Toxin was approved to treat facial wrinkles that it became a worldwide phenomenon. It effectively erases or dramatically reduces the appearance of wrinkles on what is considered to be the expressive area of the face, the area from the eyes upward.Dr. Khatri and the team at Skin & Laser Surgery Center of New England use Botulinum Toxin/Dysport to eliminate wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes, and between the brows. Additionally, Xeomin is used to reduce frown lines and reduce involuntary muscle contractions.
Fast and easy!
The staff at Skin & Laser Surgery Center of New England show just how quick and easy Botulinum Toxin treatment really is. So easy, you can get it done on your lunch break!
What is Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum Toxin is basically made of the botulinum toxin type A, along with some other proteins. Botulinum toxin type A consists of the same bacteria that cause botulism. That sounds scary, but in the 1950s scientists discovered that injecting a minuscule amount of the toxin into a muscle would temporarily relax the muscle, keeping it from contracting. This had benefits in treating conditions that involve involuntary muscle contractions, such as the following:
- Eyelid spasms
- TMJ disorder
- Overactive bladder
- Neck spasms.
What Areas Can Botulinum Toxin Treat?
Many of our recurrent facial expressions leave us with unpleasant lines and wrinkles on our faces. Expressions such as squinting and frowning can leave your skin with deep wrinkles in the following areas:
- The skin between the eyebrows
- Bridge of the nose
- Across the forehead
- Corner of the eyes
This treatment has even evolved to treat excessive sweating and migraine headaches.
Schedule a Consultation
If you would like to learn more about Botulinum Toxin, Xeomin, and other injections, please contact us today at (617) 381-1717 or send us a message below to schedule a consultation.
Before & After Botulinum Toxin Injections
Dynamic vs. static wrinkles
There are two types of wrinkles on human skin: dynamic wrinkles and static wrinkles.
Static Wrinkles
Static wrinkles are like a wrinkled shirt; the wrinkles are on display all the time. These wrinkles are caused by sun damage and other factors that play a part in natural aging.
Botulinum Toxin has no effect on static wrinkles — dermal fillers are used to address them.
Dynamic Wrinkles
These are wrinkles formed by muscle contractions under the skin that create wrinkles on the surface skin above. This happens when we perform certain expressions such as frowning, squinting, or showing surprise. When you make one of these expressions, you can feel the muscles around your eyes and on your forehead activate. Repeated contractions of these muscles create wrinkles on the skin above.
How Does Botulinum Toxin work?
Botulinum Toxin works on dynamic wrinkles. When injected into one of these muscles, Botulinum Toxin works by blocking the nerve signal traveling from the muscle to the brain. So, while the brain may initiate a frown, the signal doesn’t get through to the injected muscle, so it doesn’t contract and the wrinkle above doesn’t form.
Candidates for Botulinum Toxin Injections
As described above, Botulinum Toxin only works on dynamic wrinkles. These wrinkles are primarily found in the following areas:
- Forehead
- Crow’s feet around the eyes
- 11s between the eyebrows
Are Botulinum Toxin Injections Painful?
A patient describes how it feels to receive Botulinum Toxin injections
Botulinum Toxin Injections With Dr. Khatri
Botulinum Toxin sessions are colloquially known as “lunchtime procedures” because the patient can have injections over their lunch break and return to work immediately afterward. A Botulinum Toxin session with Dr. Khatri only takes 15-20 minutes, and the needle used is so tiny that most patients don’t even need topical numbing cream.
How soon will I see results After My Botulinum Toxin Treatment?
Don’t expect immediate erasure of your crow’s feet. Botulinum Toxin takes from three to seven days to fully stop the injected muscles from contracting. Dermal fillers, on the other hand, show immediate results as they are “filling” a wrinkle from beneath rather than halting a muscle contraction.
How Long Do The Results Of Botulinum Toxin Last?
Eventually, your body absorbs the now-inert Botulinum Toxin, usually in from three to four months. At this point, the muscles can begin to contract again and the wrinkles will return. Another injection session with Dr. Khatri will maintain your results. There is some evidence that after a few Botulinum Toxin sessions, treated muscles tend to relax and not contract as sharply.
Risks of Botulinum Toxin Injections
Botulinum Toxin and other neuromodulators have been used on millions of patients across the globe with very, very few side effects. Patients may have some redness and bruise at the injection sites, but this passes within just a few hours. Headaches can occur for a few days, but this is very rare. Although not technically a side effect, it’s important for the patient to not rub the areas of their injections for 12 hours after their session. This keeps the Botulinum Toxin from migrating to an unwanted area, which can cause unwanted effects such as drooping eyelids.
The experience of your injector is also very important. Dr. Khatri has extensive experience with facial anatomy and the injection of Botulinum Toxin. Other less experienced or skilled injectors can inject Botulinum Toxin into incorrect muscles and cause drooping eyelids and other problems.
What is Xeomin?
Xeomin® is a prescription medication that treats intramuscular conditions such as blepharospasm, or abnormal involuntary closing of the eyelid. Xeomin is similar to Botulinum Toxin and Dysport but is considered the “naked injectable” as it does not have any additives in its formula. The Xeomin formula is solely comprised of botulinum toxin type A, a naturally occurring protein, and is injected into affected muscles in order to reduce involuntary movement. Xeomin modifies the muscle contractions instead of stopping the muscle movement altogether. In order to modify the muscle contractions, Xeomin hinders acetylcholine, a chemical in the body, that sends signals to the nerves to contract.
Results Of Xeomin
Depending on the number of targeted muscles and the severity of the condition the number of injections necessary to prevent spasms will vary. The results of treatment with Xeomin typically appear after one week and last, on average, up to 3 months.
Risks of Xeomin Injections
Although an effective medication for muscle spasms, Xeomin treatment carries certain risks. The following symptoms may be life-threatening, requiring urgent medical attention, and can appear anywhere from days to weeks after treatment.
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Drooping eyelids
- Loss of bladder control
- Change in voice quality
- Problems with articulation
- Muscle weakness throughout the body
- Difficulty speaking, swallowing, or breathing