BOTOX AND FILLERS

BOTOX

Forehead “frown lines” and “crows feet” can be eliminated with treatment with Botox. This is a medication that is injected into the skin to relax the muscles that cause these creases. A tiny amount of this medication is used, and it is very safe. The effect takes several days to develop and lasts for 3 months or so. When frowning muscles reactivate and the lines re-appear, the treatment can be repeated.

TREATMENT
While positioned in a comfortable chair in the office the areas to be treated are marked. The most common areas are the “crows feet” at the corners of the eyes, the vertical creases between the eyebrows, and horizontal forehead lines. A tiny injection is placed under the skin with minimal discomfort. The procedure takes a matter of minutes.

THE EFFECT
The relaxation of the muscles appears over several days. The lines smooth over but the lines never “fill in” or disappear. Patients are very pleased with the more relaxed appearance of their face and the smoother appearance of the skin, but otherwise their expressions and appearance are not changed.

RISKS
Very rarely a little bruising can appear at the site of injection. The medication theoretically could migrate to nearby muscles resulting in a temporary weakening of areas such as the eyelid. The medication works by blocking neurotransmitters and is derived from a bacteria C. Botulinum. The total treatment is 20 units where the dangerous dose would be several hundred units. Occasionally a treated area may not achieve a full relaxation and additional treatment would be needed with an additional charge for the materials only. The effect of the treatment lasts for 3 months or so, but this duration can vary from person to person.

COST
The Botox material is very expensive. The “first area” costs $350, and each additional area $150. Discuss with Dr. Webb or Raylene PA the areas you wish to have treated and the anticipated expense as well as the advantages of Botox and the options for other treatments.

EXCESS SWEAT
Botox is injected into the superficial skin of the armpit to eliminate sweating for 6 months or more with complete safety. This is a blessing for people who get large wet armpit stains in public.

FILLERS

RESTYLANE, PERLANE and JUVEDERM
These fillers are versatile, contain an anesthetic, and can be used for deep creases below the nose (nasolabial folds) and below the mouth (marionette lines) and for plumping up the lips, as well as filling in lines around the eyes and lips. These fillers are made of a “sugar” found in the skin, are natural and cause no allergy and last for 6 months or more. In general a 1 cc syringe can fill a pair of moderate folds. Additional anesthetic topically and locally can be helpful. There is redness and swelling for hours after treatment, and rarely bruising.

before	after

Fat can be suctioned from the waist area and injected into facial folds. The cost is $1000or more per treatment, and the results can vary from long lasting to fleeting. Other fillers are being developed, but Dr Webb avoids some publicized fillers that may have safety problems.

A.M. says “Restylane makes an amazing difference, and Dr Webb and Raylene make it easy to do.”