Everything you want to know about Botox

What is Botox?

Botox is an exotoxin obtained from the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum under laboratory conditions and used in the treatment of facial wrinkles in aesthetic medicine.

Botox prevents the release of substances that provide conduction in nerve endings. It shows its effect by temporarily stopping the electrical transmission between the nerves and the muscles or sweat glands they stimulate. Botox shows its effect only in the area where it is injected. It does not affect all muscles systemically.

Botox is an application that is generally used for the forehead, crow’s feet and frown lines and decollete area, the main purpose of which is to eliminate wrinkles. This application, which has been one of the most popular non-surgical aesthetic operations since it was introduced to the world in 1989, is used by millions of people around the world and is especially preferred among women and men between the ages of 30-59. Botox is used in two ways in wrinkles. Firstly, botox relaxes the muscle that causes wrinkles, secondly, and more importantly, as the muscle relaxes, the person quits the habit of wrinkling using this muscle. Botox thus prevents wrinkles from reaching further dimensions. Another area recently added to the uses of Botox is the armpit. Botox, which is a savior especially for those who sweat excessively or deal with physical work, prevents sweating in the armpits, hands, and even feet by applying it to the area. In short, botox is an application that is very important for both beauty and health. Unfortunately, the bad reputation on this operation in the public is due to wrong, excessive and incompetent practices.

What should be done to make Botox permanent? Botox usually stays stable for 4 months, but its effect starts to decrease slightly between 4-6 months. It may be appropriate to have botox every 6 months. Taking sun protection measures and using moisturizers can prevent excessive wrinkles. At the same time, these measures ensure that the duration of the botox treatment is long.

Which parts of the face can Botox be applied to?

Botox can be applied to different areas. It is generally applied to the upper face, crow’s feet wrinkles, vertical lines between the eyebrows and horizontal lines on the forehead. It can be injected at 5-7 points between the eyebrows, 4 points on the forehead, and 2-4 points at the edge of the eyes. In addition, lines on the edge of the nose, barcode lines on the upper lip, accordion lines on the cheek, vertical lines on the neck area are applied in this process.

Will mimic movements disappear after Botox? Some facial expressions may be lost. If a large amount of injection is made, it may cause loss of facial expression, this is mostly seen in the forehead and eyebrow area. It is not possible to make a frown movement, and it is not possible to raise eyebrows in the forehead area. There is no limitation of movement around the eyes, because botox is applied to the outer corner. Since Botox is not applied to points such as the eyelid, there is no limitation in the movements in that area.

Does Botox have an immediate effect on wrinkles? Botox shows its effect 2-3 days after it is applied. In the third week, the face is completely recovered. We usually call our patients for control after 1 week. The effect of Botox lasts for 4-6 months.

Is Botox a painful procedure? Botox can be painful, but the pain is not unbearably bad. Pain is minimized by applying local anesthesia or numbing creams to the patient. Botox is not a painful procedure. No pain is felt afterwards.

In which situations can Botox be used, except for the face?

A. Treatment of hyperhidrosis (Excessive sweating) with Botox:

By using Botox, the transmission between sweat glands and nerve endings can be stopped and the functioning of sweat glands can be reduced. When Botox is applied to the armpits, hands and feet, which cause excessive sweating in some people, especially in social and business life, their complaints are improved.

B. Migraine treatment with Botox:

Botox treatment has been found to be beneficial for chronic migraine patients who cannot adequately respond to drug therapy and lifestyle changes. Studies have shown that botox treatment significantly reduces the frequency of attacks and the severity of pain. In addition, it was observed that the sleep patterns and quality of life of chronic migraine patients, which were disrupted due to frequent migraine attacks, were significantly improved with botox treatment. In the treatment of migraine, botulinum toxin is injected subcutaneously to certain points in the forehead, temples, nape and neck regions, with the exception of the face area.

C. _ CLEANING OR GRINDING (BRUKCISM) _ treatment:

Clenching and grinding of teeth is a disease called “bruxism” in medicine. It happens especially at night and the patient wakes up in the morning with pain in the jaw and ear. The biggest reason for clenching teeth in this way is psychological reasons. The muscle that causes the teeth to press very tightly against each other by clenching the jaw at night is the chewing muscle of the lower jaw (Masseter muscle). In more severe cases, the temporal muscles are also involved. With Botox, these muscles are temporarily paralyzed. There will be no deterioration in chewing and speaking functions because other muscles will share the task.

Misconceptions About Botox

Botox is not from snake venom as many think.

Again, bloated and exaggerated faces, which are often seen in television celebrities, are associated with botox. However, Botox does not cause swelling on the face. This appearance is associated with filler or fat injections. When the effect of Botox wears off, the face doesn’t get any worse than before, it just returns to its normal state.

The effect of Botox is not permanent, it is temporary and therefore it is repeated every 5-6 months.

Botox is not harmful to the muscles.

Finally, since Botox is a medicine, it should always be done by experienced doctors in clinics or hospitals.

Private İstanbul Şafak Hospital