Botox 101: Top 9 things you need to know. Botox Myths Debunked.
October 15, 2022
We all know someone who’s had Botox. With over six million Botox injections each year, it’s also one of the most popular cosmetic treatments out there. At Pacific Plastic Surgery Group in Vancouver, our Master Nurse Injectors help you achieve your aesthetic goals. Despite being tried and tested for over 20 years, there remains a lot of myths and misinformation about Botox.
Here are 9 things you need to know about Botox:
1. What is Botox?
It sounds way worse than it is, but Botox comes from a neurotoxin produced by a bacteria called Clostridium Botulinum. A product of this natural forming bacterium is the Botulinum toxin, which is used in micro doses to paralyze small muscles, and therefore wrinkles disappear. Although it comes from rather gruesome origins, Botox (when handled by a trained professional) can treat many different cosmetic and medical issues, from wrinkles to excessive sweating and reducing a ‘gummy’ smile.
2. How Does Botox Injections Work?
For a muscle to move, a nerve has to release a signal called a neurotransmitter that signals the muscle. Botox depletes that neurotransmitter thereby preventing the muscle from moving, By blocking local nerve impulses to specific muscles within your face, albeit temporarily, Botox prevents your muscle from activating, and therefore the wrinkles that it creates.
3. Where Can You Get Botox Injections?
Key areas for injection are your forehead, crow’s feet around the eyes, and between the eyebrows (the Number 11’s). However, our trained nurse injectors can also use it to soften neck lines, chin lines, to flip the lip, to decrease lines around the mouth, jaw, and lift up the corners of the mouth. In addition, it can be used to stop excessive sweating (also known as hyperhidrosis) under the arms, the hands, and feet.
Botox has also been used extensively to treat over 20 different medical conditions including eye squints, facial spasm, jaw tension, excessive sweating, and migraines. At Pacific Plastic Surgery Group, our Master Nurse Injectors have experience and extensive training in managing these conditions.
4. How Much Botox Will I Need?
Everyone is different, and a bespoke consult with one of our Pacific Plastic Surgery Group Master Injectors will determine your exact dosing. But, in general, the common industry average would be around 20 units for forehead wrinkles, and between two to ten units for crow’s feet. Men have larger muscles, so they may need a larger dose. For first timers, it is best to start slowly, and add additional doses until the final cosmetic result is achieved.
5. How Long Does Botox Take to Work and how long will it last?
Botox takes around 48 hours to kick in and results begin to appear within three to seven days. However, the full effects of Botox often won’t show until 10 to 14 days later. Results will last 4-6 months. The results of Botox greatly depend on your body’s ability to metabolize the neurotoxin, so it will vary with each individual.
6. Can You Fix Bad Botox?
Unlike fillers that can be dissolved with an injection of hyaluronidase, bad botox is hard to fix. If you have had bad injection with Botox, there is no fix, so you need to wait it out. And yes, you can have too much Botox! That is why we recommend a Master Injector, with extensive experience and training.
7. Are There Any Side Effects of Botox?
After the procedure, you may experience minor inflammation and redness of the treatment area or slight bruising, but this shouldn’t last long. You should take it easy for 3-4 hours after treatment to minimize bruising and avoid excessive swelling.
8. How Much Does Botox Cost?
Botox is usually charged per unit. At Pacific Plastic Surgery Group, we charge $12/unit, so you could be looking at anywhere between $300 to $500 to have your forehead wrinkles done.
9. Does Botox Hurt?
A little, but not much. At Pacific Plastic Surgery Group we can offer topical numbing cream to alleviate any discomfort, and we use a small vibrating device to activate the non-pain’ nerve fibers. We would compare having Botox to someone giving you a small pin-prick! It’s definitely less painful than fillers or microblading.
Botox Myths !
Myth 1. Botox is a filler
Fillers and Botox are different things. Fillers work to “fill” in lines and restore volume loss. Fillers utlize the chemical Hyaluronic Acid. Botox, on the other hand, works to relax the muscles that causes wrinkles. The active ingredient is Botulinum A toxin.
Myth 2. You need to be older to have Botox
There is no set age for when it is a good time to use Botox. However, more and more people are using it as a preventative measure in their early years to reduce the production of wrinkles and lines before they take hold. However, it is important to remember to pair your non-surgical treatment with sin care – Sunblock, Vitamin C, cleanser, and a daily hydrating cream are an important part of your treatment plan.
Myth 3. The amount of Botox you will need reduces over time
This is kinda true! Because the muscles that cause wrinkles are relaxed, over time they lose their ‘strength’ and as they atrophy they lose their ability to cause wrinkle-producing expressions. Imagine if you didn’t use your arm for a year, your muscles would shrink and become weaker. The prolonged use of Botox over years can have a similar effect, as the muscle will weaken from lack of use. However, if you stop Botox cold turkey, over time, those weakened muscles will strengthen again.
Myth 4. Having Botox gives you good skin
Botox only effects the muscles it is injected into. There is no skincare benefits. Having Botox will not improve pigmentation or reduce breakouts. So, it is important to remember to pair your non-surgical treatment with sin care – Sunblock, Vitamin C, cleanser, and a daily hydrating cream are an important part of your treatment plan. For acne, we recommend laser treatment and oral Vitamin A. Come in for a complimentary skin care assessment by one of our Master Nurse Injectors.
