What is BOTOX®?

Most people know what BOTOX® Cosmetic does, but not exactly how it works. Derived from botulinum toxin, BOTOX® is a neurotoxin that relaxes your muscles, so repetitive expressions like frowns or smiles don’t etch themselves on your skin. It works by blocking signals from the brain to your facial muscles through your nerves. The muscles of your forehead, between your brows, or around your eyes simply never get the message, so they remain relaxed and your skin doesn’t wrinkle in response.

The beauty of BOTOX® Cosmetic is that you don’t have to wait until you already have lines and wrinkles to have the injections. When you have BOTOX® treatments before lines and wrinkles form, you can prevent their existence in the first place. The earliest signs of aging begin between our brows—glabellar lines—and around our eyes—crow’s feet. Starting BOTOX® early prevents these repetitive muscle contractions, so your skin remains smooth and youthful without much effort. 

That’s not to say BOTOX® completely prevents us from expressing ourselves. At ZENA Medical, Dr. Zenovia and all our certified injection specialists are experts, trained not only in the science behind BOTOX® Cosmetic’s use but in the artistry necessary to keep patients looking and feeling like themselves, only younger. It’s all in micro-dosing. We use tiny needles to deliver the perfect quantity of BOTOX® into only those muscles responsible for specific facial movements. These miniscule amounts relax the muscles without giving you “frozen” results that occur when those muscles are totally paralyzed by too much BOTOX® medication. Your provider’s expertise is incredibly important for the successful outcome of your treatment.

How Long Will BOTOX® Last?

How long BOTOX® Cosmetic lasts depends quite a bit on the patient. The amount of BOTOX® required to treat your specific facial aesthetics as well as the speed with which you metabolize the neurotoxin determine how long your BOTOX® treatment will effectively prevent unwanted facial movements. At ZENA Medical, we advise our patients that their BOTOX® injections will begin to take hold around 5 days after your treatment session and will last between 10-14 weeks, depending on your metabolism.