Botox is a toxin – is it Safe?  Botox is a natural purified protein derived from botulinum toxin.  It has been safely used for more than 2 decades.  The safety profile has been well established, and has kept Botox in the enviable position of being the #1 nonsurgical aesthetic service in the United States.

How do I select a “provider” for Botox services?  In Nebraska, Botox may be administered by physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants under direct physician supervision, or by a Registered Nurse under direct order of a physician.  Try to evaluate the skill of the injector by asking how long they have been performing Botox services, and how they were trained.  Experienced injectors should be able to show you actual “Before and After” photos of their clients.  Talk to friends and find out how they rate their Botox experience.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions – a competent provider will be more than comfortable to tell you about their skill level and experience.

The price of Botox varies between locations – Why is this?  Botox is a very expensive biological product to buy.  To save  money some doctors are buying Botox from Canada and the UK.  This activity is illegal and a practice that I do not endorse.  At Omaha Med Spa, we purchase Botox directly from the US manufacturer, Allergan.  When I order Botox, it arrives the next day by FedEx and is shipped on dry ice.  That way I am assured of the quality of the product that I purchase for my clients.  I am pleased to show clients the bottle of Botox that I have used for their treatment – this confirms the authenticity of the product – that it is not an imitator and it is not illegally imported.

Another unfortunate activity to “cut costs” is to dilute the Botox – another activity that I do not endorse.  Botox should be priced and sold “by the unit”.  At my med spa, if I agree to inject 40 units, my clients can be assured of getting the correct amount.

With the release of Dysport, an alternative form of botulinum toxin, we are unsure how the price of Botox will change, if it changes at all.

Finally, some doctors discount Botox to entice you to come in to their office – they may even offer it to you at “cost” in the hope that you will agree to a more expensive surgery or laser treatment.  They may delegate the procedure to one of their staff who are less experienced.

When you choose a provider for Botox, do not just shop for price.  Shop based on service, outcome and physician reputation.  At Omaha Med Spa, Botox is my #1 injectable service.  Ask me about our in house opportunities to make Botox more affordable for your budget.

How does Botox ease “Frown Lines”?  The muscles between the eyebrows and above the nose are called Procerus and Corrugators.  If you look in the mirror and put on a frown, you can see how these muscles are depressors – that is to say they pull the skin down and towards the midline.  The result is wrinkling of the skin, causing lines known as the “11′s”.  Over time these lines can become deeper. Injecting Botox into this area we relax the muscles and ease the formation of lines or wrinkles.  The goal is to create a more youthful, rested look.  I work with you to preserve facial expression for a natural look.   Family and friends do not need to know you have had Botox, but they will notice the difference!  The number of injections in this area ranges from 3 to 8 and the # of units injected is anywhere from 15 to 50.

Will it Hurt?  With modern injection technique most of my patients rate the discomfort of injections at 1-2 on a pain scale of 1-10.

Will I Bruise?  Bruising is uncommon, but may occur.  Care needs to be taken by the injector to avoid small veins, such as occur at the site of Crow’s Feet injections.  Most bruising is small, no larger than 1-2mm and is easily concealed by mineral foundation.  After all Botox services, we offer complimentary makeup with our jane Iredale line of cosmetics to conceal any areas of redness.

Tell me again about the “Four Hour Rule”  My 4 hour rule is simple  – for 4 hours after Botox is injected I want you to keep your head above the level of your heart.  I want the Botox to lock in to the exact muscle site where I place it – and after 4 hours migration will not occur.  But if you were to go home and lay down (or perhaps going shoe shopping and trying on many pairs of shoes!), then gravity could cause Botox to migrate and cause muscle relaxation in an undesirable location.  So have Botox at least 4 hours before bedtime, and don’t work out for the next 4 hours – and you will be fine!

How soon do I see the benefit and how long will Botox last?  Botox takes an average of 3 days to “kick in”, but will vary person to person with a range of 2-7 days.  The average duration of benefit is 3 months, but may be as short as 2 months or last as long as 4 months.  With additional Botox treatments, many people notice that it will start to last a bit longer.

I am looking in a mirror – what other areas can you help me out with?!  Well, if you raise your eyebrows, you are now using the frontalis muscle – a very thin flat muscle that connects your brow to the scalp.  This muscle elevates (your brow rises with movement) and causes horizontal lines across the forehead.  By injecting many areas with small amounts of Botox (1-2 units), the muscle is relaxed.  I would never inject the frontalis on it’s own, as it could cause a “heavy brow”.  When combined with relaxation of the “frown lines”, the result is dramatic!

Now look at your eyebrows.  Are they even – if not, we can even it out with Botox.  Do you have an arch in the outer third of each brow?  If not, that too can be enhanced.  Or do you find that the brow is getting heavy, and you cannot see as much of your upper eyelid?  If so, a “chemical brow lift” may be the answer, and an alternative to surgical blepharoplasty.

Now look at the sides of they eyes – do you have lines radiating out – these are called “Crow’s Feet”, and are easily treated with Botox.  The # of injections may range from 1-4, and the # of units per injections average 3.

Now put on a big smile.  Do you have a “gummy smile”?.  This is treated with Botox in a key location – one injection per side of only 1-2 units.

Do the corners of your mouth drop?  Injection of the muscle we abbreviate DAO will help bring up the corners of the mouth.

Do you have vertical lines on the upper or lower lip?  Bt relaxing the orbicularis oris muscle, these lines are softened.

For a personalized Botox plan – call me for a free consultation.

Carter Abbott, MD – Omaha Med Spa – Ph 402.614.5556